The Everyday Awesome Project
The Everyday Awesome Podcast is your mega dose of multivitamins for building your mental muscles, physical body and an empowered life. Your hosts Polly and Sam are on your dream team; lifelong coaches in business, health & fitness and human potential. They are on fire to ignite change in the lives they touch.
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The Everyday Awesome Project
48: Pre-Race Thoughts: Coach Sam's IronWoman 2.0
Sit down with Coaches Polly & Sam this week and join the convo as Coach Sam heads boldly towards her IronWoman 2.0 journey at the Tempe, Arizona Ironman Race!
After a 13-year hiatus, now 55 and post menopause, she's ready to once again conquer the 140.6 miles of open water swimming, road biking, and running. This time it will be different for sure! Candidly Sam recaps her last 10 months of training and joyfully rediscovering the sport of triathlon, shifting from the last 12 years of running ultra marathon adventure races back into the highly structured and competitive environment of Ironman. We explore how her self-coaching and a dramatic mindset shift has once again empowered her to fully embrace these new challenges and continued personal growth.
Join us as we dive into her mental preparation crucial for race day, focusing on building resilience and mental tools to handle the pressures of competition. Coach Sam opens up about the messy balancing act of personal needs with the demands of family and work, the unpredictable nature of race recovery, and the evolution of her nutrition strategies, especially in the context of menopause! Through her experiences, she emphasizes the importance of living in the moment and cherishing the ability to compete. Keeping it REAL.
In this episode, we also celebrate the transformative journey of endurance sports racing, highlighting the significance of gratitude, support, and self-discovery. Sam's insights on empowering women in sports and the evolving landscape of female athletics inspire us to push boundaries and embrace our authentic selves. Reflecting on the inner quality of our lives rather than outward appearances, we encourage listeners to find their awesome every day.
-Coaches Sam and Polly xoxo
@everydayawesomeproject
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hey, superstars, welcome back polly here and I'm the guest. What's up, beautiful humans? I was just like it, right, as I said, polly merns. I was like maybe I should say and I'm here with my special guest, all right, it's all real here at everyday. Awesome you guys. So this is super fun. We are doing something we don't usually do, which is where one of us one of the other of us host, co-host gets to interview the other one.
Polly Mertens:And today I have the opportunity to interview you my dear, yeah, and I'm going to give you a grade afterwards how this interview goes, oh for Christ's sake, oh crap, all right.
Polly Mertens:This is Iron Woman 2 afterwards, how this interview goes. For christ's sake, all right. This is iron man to iron woman 2.0, iron woman 2.0 girl. The return of the hammer.
Samantha Pruitt:You're gonna throw the hammer down in tempe arizona next week yes, I am so all right.
Polly Mertens:Well, so, samantha, this is not your um first rodeo.
Samantha Pruitt:We know that right.
Polly Mertens:How many have your circus? No, how many have you done For a circus? How many of these have you done? Iron Women's how many have you done?
Samantha Pruitt:So the interesting thing about this particular race. So this is the full iron distance 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running. Wow, this is my only second full iron distance. Wow, my first was 13 years ago. Wow, yes, 13 years ago, on this exact same course. Oh, wow, which is so cool and crazy. It's cool and I decided to do another full. Yes, I've done many, many halves and lots of other things, but full iron is my only, my second. This is legit. So 13 years later, post-menopause, age 55, ready to crush it or be crushed and when did you?
Polly Mertens:when did you decide that? What was what?
Samantha Pruitt:when did you go? Oh, I'm gonna do another ironman. Oh yeah, I'm gonna do this like I can't remember did you start?
Polly Mertens:it was 2023.
Samantha Pruitt:Well, I've been working for ironman on and off for a couple of years, and so I just was sort of re-inspired to maybe playing triathlon a little bit. Yeah, um, so I don't know why I couldn't figure out the little bit part.
Polly Mertens:I'm all in. I'm like what's up, I don't know. That's just who I am. I can't stand the silence very much. I know you to be that way right, so I have been in your home and you have a beautiful little jewelry thing, I don't know what you call it. Like where you hang your jewelry and you have your little necklaces and one of them says all in, and that's just you. Yeah, like that's you. I should have that tattooed on my forehead.
Samantha Pruitt:Well, you don't need to warn the projectile for another because I'm walking in hey, by the way, I'm all in here.
Polly Mertens:You know coming through here people, so so you're, you're back, all in yeah, you've done it 13 years ago and now you're back. So what was was? So you were doing those uh, you know, working for Iron man and said you know what, maybe I should just do this again.
Samantha Pruitt:Yeah Well, I've been doing a lot of ultras for many, many years and, um, not that I was quote unquote burned out, but physically and mentally and everything that that was taking, I just was getting a little almost restless and wanting to do something a little different. I did, of course, also realize I should give my body a break and give it a variety of types of movements and maybe some more gentler activity, so swimming.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, I was going to say Ironman is not exactly gentle, but maybe a little easier than sleeping on the ground.
Samantha Pruitt:Swimming and biking are gentler than running.
Polly Mertens:That's true, that's true.
Samantha Pruitt:And especially the extreme stuff that I had been getting up to. I mean, this sounded a little glamorous.
Polly Mertens:You know only 14 hours instead of, like, four days of punishment.
Samantha Pruitt:And there's all these people around and they're cheering and there's aid stations and I won't get lost in the wilderness and possibly die.
Polly Mertens:You know all those things, you're not going to be out night after night after night. You know backpacking, basically, and sleeping on the ground.
Samantha Pruitt:But I did look forward to and was looking for something. You know I played a little bit in CrossFit this last year, a couple of years too so I was looking for something different, to kind of spread my wings and have a different physical and mental experience with my fitness regimens, and I wanted to just kind of see if I remembered how to do it.
Samantha Pruitt:I know, that sounds a little bizarre but, it's a truth that you know, these sports are skill sets and they take practice and they take discipline and they take repetition and they take all the things. So I had a curiosity, I guess, to see um, after all these years, what it might look like for me.
Polly Mertens:So, speaking of that, so you know, you've had almost a year. Let's say it's it's.
Samantha Pruitt:November of 20 blah, blah, whatever, whatever.
Polly Mertens:And um, you didn't respond to what I said because that cut off at that point yeah, so, speaking of the last year, you know you were recording this in November of 2024 and it's been about a year you've been working towards this goal right, we're in the last week, so you're in the taper week yeah, so how's it been? Like what did you find was new or clunky? Or like you had forgotten, or like it was harder or easier, or like tell us a little bit about the journey. Like what's it clunky?
Samantha Pruitt:besides my ever aging body gracefully aging, of course. Of course, um, let's see, I didn't find anything super clunky, to be honest. I felt excited to get back into the pool, for example, and a little pleasantly surprised that when I did, I remembered how to swim.
Polly Mertens:Not only were, but you were crushing it.
Samantha Pruitt:Not only did I remember, I fully embraced swimming this time around, whereas in my prior experience with triathlon it was my freaking nemesis. First of all, I didn't even know how to swim before I started triathlon at 30. Right, and so I had to learn how to swim, and then even all the way up to full iron distance. I freaking hated it. I never liked it. It was always a mind game. I wasn't good at it, I was slow, blah, wasn't good at it, I was slow, blah, blah, blah.
Samantha Pruitt:I made up all these stories in my mind about swimming and then, even when I would go and do races, I just survived the swimming, yeah, and when I would get out of the swim I would be thinking I won the race because basically for me and mentally, that was such a win. Whatever happened after, that was just icing on the cake. Wow, this go-around with swimming, somehow, miraculously, I'm much better and my mindset and attitude and experience is completely different. Wow, and I guess that just comes with age and wisdom and experience. And yeah, like I get into the flow, I can swim very easily and I have gotten faster.
Polly Mertens:Well, does it have anything to do now? Now you've been training in the desert, where it's beautiful, warm, you know warmer days and stuff like that sunshine. Was it any different when you were training all those years ago, like maybe you had cold pools or just no?
Samantha Pruitt:I mean, I swam in a public pool here, I swam in a public pool there. They're both heated and all that jazz. No, I. Public pool here, I swam in a public pool there. They're both heated and all that jazz. Um, no, no, I think it was a frame of mind how I went into it. Um, my attitude towards it, my resistance to it dropped, uh, all of those things are gone. I don't have self-judgment like I used to. I don't have these weird ideas about how it should all look and comparing myself to other, I don't give a crap, and that's the beautiful thing that comes with aging. I mean seriously, liberation. Like this girl puts on a swimsuit, it don't look the same no more.
Polly Mertens:Things be a little saggy and whatever I don't care Right and I think you talked about there was other people swimming in the pool yes, and but you weren't like. I gotta swim faster than whatever you're more like. What the hell are they? You know, it's like always we're talking about different ways people swim. You know, like all on the right or all on the left, or every third or every fourth or whatever the hell people are up to, and it's like who cares, right, right?
Samantha Pruitt:Yes, and also the interesting thing is, you know, I was basically coaching myself and writing my own workouts and all that kind of stuff, which was another new experience for me, and I was like I'm pretty damn good at this.
Polly Mertens:What's going on?
Samantha Pruitt:So I was constantly pleasantly surprised. Yeah, I was initially coached by somebody and getting some workouts. I'm talking about swimming, um, not very much though, because I was expected to go to master swimming. So the whole thing was and I did this in my prior experience to go to a workout. Somebody else takes you through a workout and you work out with a group and it's all these things that really works for some people. Um, I really wasn't that interested in that. It's not that I don't like people, except I really didn't feel the need for that kind of experience.
Samantha Pruitt:And the couple times I did go, I wasn't that great of a workout. I mean, we spent a lot of time on the wall and a lot of time talking, a lot of time doing things. I was like, hello, I'm training for a man. I'm not sure how long or what this is going to look like, but we're not going to get there anytime soon if I keep this up. So I just kind of removed myself and started doing my own thing, and luckily I do know enough about swimming, triathlon, coaching and all that stuff.
Samantha Pruitt:I could figure some stuff out, but I started stacking my own wins in the pool. So, to be clear, like I just very intentionally and I did this on the bike too, and I've done this in running also and then I started to do it with my bricks, of course, um, to stack wins. They could be the win was a workout that I totally crushed. It could also be I learned a new skill, or I adapted to a new breathing technique, or I whatever I just started stacking wins, you know like, oh, you nailed your nutrition this time. Oh, you, whatever Stayed in zone two the whole workout, and it was supposed to be zone two. There's a win to be had every time you show up.
Polly Mertens:Wow.
Samantha Pruitt:Yes, and I started stacking freaking wins big time. And I couldn't have done that if somebody else was around me trying to tell me what to do or if I was in a group of my own. Like, it's very distracting to do those things when you have the influence of others.
Polly Mertens:Well, you know, sometimes you think of having a coach is like oh great, you know biggest cheerleader, or something. And then sometimes, like you said, either it's a group setting and there's very little attention that that coach can give every single member or something, and you know, it sounded like the coach that you had wasn't, you know, super chatty about that kind of stuff, like she wasn't going to focus on, like yeah, right on on, you're crushing this.
Samantha Pruitt:Right.
Samantha Pruitt:It was more like what you were doing wrong. It felt like at some point. Right, even if you go to a swim group, a master swim workout is coached. I mean, I just met this person. How long is it going to take for him to get to know me as an athlete? First of all, he never will. We don't have that much time, right, um. And also, he's got to coach the dozen people in the pool right now doing all kinds of shenanigans.
Samantha Pruitt:Same with group rides I go to a group ride for a social experience. If there isn't a social experience, I'm not going there. I don't need to be there. I can work out by myself, perfectly fine. I don't need to go there to have my ass kicked or to have someone else, you know, make me step up my game and whatever, whatever, like. That's not full of wins or joy for me, but for some people I get it. They get different things out of their workouts and I'm not, you know, poo-pooing the value of any of these. There's a time and place for all of it. But I think critical know thyself. And I figured out very quickly what I needed for this particular training cycle and this particular race goal, and that's what I can provide, objectives and if something's not working adjust, like yeah figure out what you need right right, yeah yeah, um, just as you were talking about the group workouts on the right and stuff, I was picturing.
Polly Mertens:I don't know why this came up, but I remember either you sent me pictures or something. You had an afternoon or it started in the morning. I think. You went out way out in the desert when you were gonna ride back like some big old and you ran out of water and like dude I had to get in an 80 mile ride.
Polly Mertens:I just wanted to hear about some of like the because there's great highs, I mean you've had something crushing it like high-fiving yourself. I mean remember last week. You're like, oh my god, you know, after coming back from being sick yeah, you're like oh my god, I just ruled the universe. But tell us some of the moments where, like it wasn't pretty.
Samantha Pruitt:Oh, there was so many of those and that's the interesting thing is there was so many, but I still count them as wins. So you're referencing. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I probably sent you a picture while I was out in the middle of this total death ride, but I think the high that day was like 112 or 115 or some insanity. I need to get an 80 mile ride. So it was inevitable, no matter how early I started, you know, before the sun came up that at some point I was going to get extreme heat exposure. But I had this idea. I live in the Coachella Valley, so I basically was going to ride across and then the entire length of the Coachella Valley and then ride back, and it was going to be around 80 to 90 miles and I wanted to ride out on the roads that don't have traffic. So I'm on the other side of the valley, not the busy one where all the tourists live and where I live and all that kind of stuff. The boonies.
Samantha Pruitt:So you're out in the middle of nowhere Right.
Polly Mertens:I mean Joshua Tree is on the other side of the mountain range yeah, there's like rabbits and like nothing and it's the valley on the other side of joshua tree.
Samantha Pruitt:So basically, it's just an empty chasm, nothing nothing.
Polly Mertens:Miles and miles of road for you to.
Samantha Pruitt:So I ran out of water and I was so desperate and I was like, do I turn around? But there's no, like crossroads, it's like. So I was like, okay, just keep sucking up, going straight. So it's pretty hilarious at one point this is probably the picture I sent you but I stopped at a mobile home park out in the middle of nowhere. I was there, said these mobile home parks, by the way, and I might have gone under their gate that I maybe couldn't, shouldn't have.
Samantha Pruitt:But I saw that there was like a little um, you know thing, like not a clubhouse, but there's going to be like at least water from a you know hose or whatever. And the hilarity was there was a water, a thing where you could buy water to refill your jug for, like your house, because people out there probably yeah, they live in modular homes or whatever, um, so I had money on me, I was smart enough to have money. This is so one of those big giant machines Like you fill up your bottles and it weighs 50 pounds, and you're lifting the thing or whatever.
Samantha Pruitt:That's what I had available to me and my little two bike bottles. So I basically put the money and it just starts pouring water down, and I've got my bike bottles and I'm filling them up and then I'm taking my shirt off and putting it in there as I start taking my clothes off and getting them soaking wet and then all of a sudden it stops because the jugs, there's your five gallons, and I was like but wait a minute.
Samantha Pruitt:I only filled two bottles. I should have like drank the water. There was no way for me to capture more water. I'm sure I looked like a total nutcase. There was no one around, because I don't even know if people lived in these things or if these are like winter homes. I mean, literally I was in the middle of nowhere and then I proceeded to carry on with my journey. But it was, and then you had another stop.
Polly Mertens:And then you kept going and you still were running out of water. I remember you sent me a message from like a carl's junior or something or wherever some restaurant you're like okay, had to get inside.
Samantha Pruitt:That was once I almost made it all the way back to civilization and there was a taco bell and I went into the taco bell and I literally was like do I need to call an uber? I'm gonna make it home I mean, I still have like another 20 miles and it was like 105.
Polly Mertens:When you were messaging me I was like, oh yeah, it's 105, dude.
Samantha Pruitt:And I've been out there for hours, so those kind of things happen. But again, I still stack that as a win, dude.
Polly Mertens:No, why I didn't die? You're alive.
Samantha Pruitt:Yeah, I didn't die, but I learned yet again how to adapt and tolerate extreme situations and how to think through troubleshoot, figure out solutions to the best of my ability and then keep moving, which is kind of the story of my life, to be honest, and it is what it is Right of the story of my life, to be honest, and it is what it is right you know.
Polly Mertens:We were talking about this the other day, about how you know there's a theory of parenting that is like, oh, protect the children, you know, like make their life as simple or as easy as possible as they're growing up, and it's like, how would they adapt to something like that?
Samantha Pruitt:they wouldn't, they wouldn't have the skills right and they surely wouldn't have the mental tenacity or resilience or grit to not just problem solve and move forward but like, maybe even survive and not completely fall apart.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, exactly so if you have children, let them fall into you know problems, let them have problems, of course that's how we. That's how we figure this stuff out, how we get the fortitude to go.
Samantha Pruitt:If I'm going to survive this, it's up to me, right and to the average human out there who's not interested in endurance or ultra endurance sports like look for opportunities in your life, whatever the heck your life looks like, to be challenged. Exactly. I mean be challenged. Be willing to put yourself into the fire occasionally and forge some iron.
Polly Mertens:And that can look different. It doesn't have to be like, you know, going from anything, it could be anything. It can be try a new class. You know, do a dance class, You're embarrassed about how you dance, or whatever. Like, okay, go be embarrassed for a while. Like try it. Like go do stupid things and fail.
Samantha Pruitt:Fail at it for a while, right Totally.
Polly Mertens:But you count it as a win Right, and that's like a testament to putting yourself into a situation going. I may not do this perfectly, but I'm still going to do it, right.
Samantha Pruitt:Yeah, exactly, exactly, beautiful mindset.
Polly Mertens:So let's catch up, okay. So anything else, any other shenanigans that I mean you did, and you didn't do a lot of running. You were saying like yeah.
Samantha Pruitt:So in terms of my training, the swim was a big victory for me. Lots of whims, wins were had there and I feel really ready and strong and not remotely. I have no anxiety like. I just have a completely different mindset about doing a 2 000 person-person mass start open water swim 2.4 miles, 2.5 miles or something 2.4 miles in the open water.
Samantha Pruitt:I know I'm blowing myself away at how that has mentally shifted for me. On the bike too, I felt like I got way stronger. I just feel comfortable, I feel confident, I feel ready. I mean biking feels easy, which is bizarre. I mean it hurts my parts a little bit and it can be uncomfortable for a long period of time, but I don't find it physically tasking. And I rode most of those rides by myself, hundreds and hundreds of miles by myself.
Samantha Pruitt:I mean I have lots of interesting conversations with myself and I listen to a lot of podcasts, but, um, and then I didn't do anywhere near as much running as I thought I would and as I would have historically done. Um, a, obviously I spent the last whatever the heck it is now 15 years or something you know, primarily running being my sport. So I know how to run, but run, but um, there was only so much time and life got really hectic, really busy. We can talk about that a little bit and why things didn't go exactly as planned with my training etc. But, um, if something had to go, I had to be running. So running got sacrificed a lot. And then at this end, when I started doing bricks and doing triples and all those kind of things and adding runs in to my workout after swimming and biking, or at least biking and then running. I felt strong.
Polly Mertens:I felt good and wouldn't you say that? You know the mental state that I see, like sitting in the room with you. I can just tell the confidence, like you talk about it, about the biking and the running, I'm sorry, the biking and the swimming. When you say that that's like 50% of the game, at least of going into these races, is like I feel good of where I am, absolutely.
Samantha Pruitt:Having full acceptance. Even. You know, I had that bump in the road where I traveled, got sick, traveled, got sick, and then family stuff, and then it was really sick for this last whatever. It was three weeks ago, I mean. It did shake me for about a week. I was pretty pissed off for a good 72 hours, believe me, but it is what it is. There's nothing I could do about it.
Polly Mertens:I just wanted to make sure I'd be healthy enough to race, which I definitely am and then putting things in perspective very quickly that's what I want to double down on is like, how you know, I see a lot of well, you see it definitely, and it's to be expected.
Polly Mertens:You know the nervous jitters if it's your first race or your second race, whatever, or if it's a race you haven't done before or something like that. But tell me what you do. Do you have a protocol or do you just sort of like have a protocol or do you just sort of like? I don't know how I'm doing it? How do you prepare yourself mentally? Let's talk leading up to today and then this is the final week, right? So the final week you do different things, I'm guessing mentally than you know weeks in the past and stuff. So what are some of your mental practices?
Samantha Pruitt:or steps that you take. So I do believe you need to mentally train yourself throughout the journey of whatever the big thing is you're about to do, right? So and what I mean by that is be willing to give thought and put intention behind training your brain and your emotions, not just your physical body right, if you're going to be having a experience that is going to be very challenging or, you know, as we say, visit the pain cave then you need to be prepared to deal with that, and you're not going to learn how to do that on race day. You're just not. If you don't have tools in the toolbox heading into the starting line. You're not going to all of a sudden have the right tool in the toolbox when the wheels fall off the bus, you know. So people just need to deal with the fact that that's a reality.
Samantha Pruitt:I feel incredibly blessed and lucky that I now have 25 years of these experiences and many of them have gone horribly wrong. Again, that's winning right, because, even if I DNF'd or ended up in the med tent or whatever, because even if I DNF'd or I ended up in the med tent or whatever, I've had so many crazy things happen. I always took away so much knowledge and skill and learning from that and I don't really remember I'm sure I did a long time ago but ever really beating myself up for those quote unquote failures, because I understood the real value that was, you know, in those moments. So now going into this race, in terms of preparation during training, yes, I do incredibly hard things, like ride my bike through the desert for 80 miles and 105 degrees.
Samantha Pruitt:You know I pick challenging routes, I go to places that make me uncomfortable, right, if I know it's going to be a cold swim, you got to swim in the cold water. You can't every day swim in the 80 degree pool and then show up on race day and it's 58 and be like, oh, I got this, no, you don't got this. It feels very different, right. So in training, in lead up, experiencing really uncomfortable things is powerful, it is yeah. And then this particular week is powerful. It is yeah. And then this particular week I'm now a week out, right. So I'm really doing a set of things that are preparing me to toe the line with the least amount of emotional burden and anxiety and turmoil and baggage. So how I personally do that is first of all, I get myself organized, so I plan things. I don't wing it.
Samantha Pruitt:Yeah, I mean, I've coached a lot of athletes and even a lot of you know, business owners or whatever. I'm just shocked at how many people are winging it. What the hell are they thinking, polly? I know, I mean. What is going on with people? I know, I know we're. What is going on with people, I know, I know we're just going to wing this and cross our fingers.
Polly Mertens:I remember going to the, I did a half marathon or I did a whatever triathlon before my Ironman earlier this year.
Polly Mertens:And this gal rolls up the morning of at, like I think the race was going to start in half an hour. Oh, she shows up and just like plans all I mean she's a triathlete, you know in whatever. But I was like, wow, that's really kind of cutting it close, don't you think? So you're, you know, four or five days out and you get your. I mean, I've seen your boxes of like shit that you put. You know, this is the wet stuff or this is the bike stuff, or however. You organize it and yeah, you know, if you don't have that, find out how to get that. But you've gone through these before, so you've had a lot of experience and you anybody can figure this out, though I mean.
Samantha Pruitt:To me this isn't overly complicated. You are going to need some things so in my race I'm going to be swimming and running.
Samantha Pruitt:So I prepare all my gear for swimming, biking and running. Right, like triathlon works a certain way, you transition from sport to sport and whatever, but the whole point is I gather all the things I'm going to need to do. Whatever the heck is. If I was running a hundred miles, I'd gather all the things I need to cross a hundred miles of mountains or desert or whatever the thing is. So, getting all your stuff organized, what you might need, and ideally, please try these things out in advance.
Samantha Pruitt:Don't find out again on race day. I don't like those bars. They give me GI distress. Or I can't wear those shoes because I only ever wore them doing X, y, z, and now I'm all of a sudden running through the sand and those are shoes for the mountains or whatever you know.
Samantha Pruitt:There's so many things you can learn during training. Anyway, gather all your stuff, figure out what it is you need and then organize it. Give yourself peace of mind, yeah, and then I organize what my experience is going to be race week. So right now I'm a week out. So, for example, I have a list of things that I can still do. I still can't train right now at a high heart rate or a high level, so I have more time available, by the way, for planning. So that's good. So I can't do a bulk of workouts, I'm doing just some basic things right. But I can do mobility and I could do stretching and I could get a light massage if I want, and I can do great nutrition right now. I can do extra sleep right now. There's a lot of things I can do that will empower me to be more successful on race day.
Polly Mertens:So I take ownership in those things, I collect them and then I do that Prepare for them, prepare and then execute them. It's like okay. I know, you know, and it's not just like you said, winging it the last week, it's you know. Okay, Monday, what's happening on Monday and what's not happening on Monday.
Samantha Pruitt:And just as important is what is not happening. What is not happening Exactly? And you've got something going into this race that you said clearing, you know, stress loads or miscellaneous stuff. So how do you do that? What is that about? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's super critical in my opinion, and I've done this terribly wrong before that's why I'm an expert in it. Let me tell you what an expert I am.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, and fucking this one up oh my god, take a lesson from this one right.
Samantha Pruitt:Well, it's hilarious, but we have lives, right, we have. We are self-employed most of our lives, you know we have families, we have all these obligations and so many, many, many times I've gone in with just my plate just loaded so heavily because I haven't done a good job at clearing it before the race Anyway so I've learned what not to do, which is, you know, share with your loved ones, family, friends, coworkers or whatever what you're up to and then create a space for yourself.
Samantha Pruitt:By the way way, you don't need permission from them, you're not asking for permission. You're simply bringing about awareness into the space that, hey, I'm going to be in a bubble between race week and then race weekend, so I'm not going to be very available emotionally, physically or whatever. Just kind of be aware I've got this big thing coming up and so people understand that and they have compassion for that. Um, and then just don't be as responsive. Like set boundaries around if how much email you're going to do or how much texting or phone calls you're going to do. A really set boundaries around anything you're putting in your ears and eyeballs. I only put in things that inspire me. I need to go to the starting line inspired, right, okay, so that is not the news. It is definitely not anything that is depressing or heavy or scary or whatever, and there's so much good content out there now, like either reading or watching, that just will light a fire under you. Awesome, you know. So do those kinds of things and set your little space.
Polly Mertens:create your space for yourself come out there now like either reading or watching, that just will light a fire under you. Awesome, you know. So do those kinds of things and set your little space, create your space for yourself. So how did you do it wrong before? Like what? Give me an example of like one thing. Like you worked up until the night before or something like that, or you didn't, you trained too hard beforehand, or what were some of the oopses. The mistakes that you learned from that have even proven more effective.
Samantha Pruitt:Well, back in the day I used to travel with a group of people, so that did make it a lot harder to take care of my needs, and in many instances I was either the coach or I maybe was the club manager or whatever, or they were just groups of friends going and doing things. And, as much as I love that experience, if you're eating together, sleeping together, driving together, et cetera, et cetera, the energy that comes with that is very intense and everybody has their own needs. But it becomes difficult to navigate your personal needs when you have 10 other people or five other people in their needs. So you're compromising what you're eating, you're not getting the sleep you want, you're, you've got this whole other energy in your space that it's hard not to take that on.
Samantha Pruitt:I'm an incredibly empathetic, passionate, compassionate person, just like you are. So we, we take on those energies right, and so if that's your family and your family's needs, it's really hard to turn that off. It's going to be difficult to do. If that's your business and your employees needs, it's going to be very difficult to turn that off right. So we have all of these things in our lives and so not really creating space, and now I create more space. So, like I will go to a race early, sometimes I will go by myself. I've been known to do that. It doesn't mean that my friends and family aren't showing up race weekend, but maybe I'm there two or three days by myself ahead of time.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, like last New Year's, I think you did that race all by yourself, or did Dave go? I forget.
Samantha Pruitt:There were a couple friends there but basically I drove by myself and then drove back by myself. Yeah.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, and even the drive can be good. You know transition time.
Samantha Pruitt:I freaking, the drive can be good. You know transition time right. What it's so good. Yes, yeah, yes, you can listen to your own music and talk to yourself and eat whatever you want and stop and pee whatever you want. What's your logistics after?
Polly Mertens:what have you already planned for after? Do you give yourself another week, do you? I mean, you've done these before. You know how much the body needs to recover. How about the spirit, the energy like what is after like? You know, truthfully, the body needs to recover. How about the spirit, the energy Like what is after, like.
Samantha Pruitt:You know truthfully after every race is so different, you don't actually know until you get there what condition you're coming in. So the last time I did this race, 13 years ago it was brutal.
Samantha Pruitt:So I had my period that day, so that's fun, and so I was basically bleeding the whole time. I don't know, I had GI distress. I had pretty much lots of things going on and by the time I got to the run it was a bit of a death march. So I did finish. My time is not horrible by any means, but when I finished I did realize that I was paying blood, so I had not taken care of myself properly and had broken down my own muscle and I was extremely dehydrated and I just I was horrible, I mean I could barely walk the next day.
Samantha Pruitt:Um, and I've had some other races that were just insane like that too, but I've had plenty that were. The next day I was like up early, ready to head to the coffee shop, get my latte and just get on about life, you know it's not like I would have just towed the line at another race the next day. But so you don't really know the human body's more complicated than that it really is hearing that I think about.
Polly Mertens:We just watched a little bit of the intro to the 100 centuries, or whatever Conquer 100. Conquer 100. Thank you, iron Cowboy. Iron Cowboy was doing 100 in a row. Can you imagine knowing every day, no, like how your body's going to be and the weather outside and whatever you don't know, and you know these are things you can't control.
Samantha Pruitt:You can't control the weather, for sure, and there's so much about what you're doing that you can't control. And to me that's part of the adventure and part of the experience is kind of the not knowing. And you know too, as an old adventure racer, and this is kind of what we're into.
Samantha Pruitt:But that's different because he did the same thing day after day after day after day for a hundred days and I told you I did that one time for 10 days, running a marathon today for 10 days, when I was in australia, and I'm telling you I have ptsd from that. Getting up every day and doing the same thing is no, it's not for me not many, not many people can mentally and shouldn't.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, so we talked a little bit about your mental prep and the logistics that go into it. Tell me so. You have learned so much and, as you said, you're you know. Now, in menopause or post-menopause, let's say nutrition wise. What's the same, what's different, what? What are you doing, how? How has nutrition been a part of this journey in the last year? Has it improved Things you've added?
Samantha Pruitt:I definitely do my nutrition radically different than I did 13 years ago, because 13 years ago I was also a personal trainer and a coach and all the methodologies we were taught were traditional sports science at the time are now archaic as hell, so outdated. You know, everybody just relied on gels and sports drinks and nowadays people do a whole compilation of things and they figure out what works for them and it's more individualized. That said, I prefer to eat real food. It's harder to do that in a triathlon race, but in ultras I try and eat real food. But in triathlon it is different because I've got to have my stuff on me and I have, you know, two bike bottles on the bike, so that's liquid calories and I have some access to like real food.
Samantha Pruitt:But I don't need a lot of the aid stations. I try and carry as much of the stuff as I can. I definitely can't do a ton of protein in a triathlon, but in ultras I can, because I'm going so much slower. Protein in a triathlon, but in ultras I can't because I'm going so much slower. So the higher your heart rate, the more blood is shunted to your digestive track and so it's harder to break down fats and proteins, so you will lean more towards carbohydrates. But I mean, I just balance my electrolytes differently now. I just do a lot of things differently and that's just trial and error.
Samantha Pruitt:Um, but yeah feeling good yeah, I don't feel like I have to consume as much as I used to. That's one thing I learned along the way, too is I know what my body needs rather than what they're every once per tell me, I think every 15 minutes do this or something okay you want to puke and poop.
Samantha Pruitt:And, by the way, have you ever seen the bathrooms in all these races and the amount of puking that happens? I mean, people are just putting so much stuff down their neck and then they're going to the aid stations excuse me, aid stations every mile on the run. If you're putting something in your mouth every mile and people who rely on just that stuff at the aid station?
Polly Mertens:are they not like preparing themselves like this? This is Ironman. You know what you need. You can't rely on what they have there. That's all marketing stuff and you don't need to eat every mile.
Samantha Pruitt:What the heck? What is happening?
Polly Mertens:right now.
Samantha Pruitt:I know it's pretty hilarious to watch. We are entertained by this.
Polly Mertens:So how is the body feeling now? Exercise-wise.
Samantha Pruitt:Physical-wise, to watch. We are entertained by this. So how is the body feeling now? Exercise wise, physical wise, how do you? You know, once I got over that flu bug last week and I kind of turned the corner on, I guess, tuesday night or wednesday, um, and I had my first like. So this is just last wednesday, um, really good workout again after three weeks of not. Yeah, uh, felt good. Yeah, I have no aches and pains, I don't have anything bothering me, I feel solid, dude, solid. Look out people.
Polly Mertens:Look out. Yeah, god Tempe, she's coming. All right, let's talk about behind the scenes. What's going on inside the heart, the spirit, the intentions and the purpose for this?
Samantha Pruitt:You know, you talked a little bit about like what inspired.
Polly Mertens:You to do it like oh, it's been this many years, or whatever, but over the last year you've come up with some more purpose behind this or intention. So what are some of your intentions? You can share with them any ones that you want to be public or whatnot, but um, I have on my bike the names of some people.
Samantha Pruitt:Currently there are six people that in the last year, have experienced a great amount of challenge. Um, so I'm definitely, I would say, racing with that mindset of the gift right and how it's. It's a gift and a privilege, but a harder privilege, but still a privilege to be able to do this, um, to be able to swim, be able to bike, be able to run and be able to run and be able to participate in events like this. And those people have either lost their battle or are battling for their lives right now and don't have that. So I think that's, like my deep why the biggest one for sure would be my brother, who's battling cancer, and definitely this medal is for him. Yeah, that would keep him motivated, yeah, so that's why I'm doing it, that's why I'll finish, no matter what the clock says, that's why I'll finish and, truthfully, this medal is for him.
Polly Mertens:So good, so good. You had said, you know when you started this oh, I want to PR, you know, personal record and stuff like that, and you're in a different.
Samantha Pruitt:you know it's like I did.
Polly Mertens:And then life happens.
Samantha Pruitt:Oh wow, life happens. So we'll see. It's such a surprise that life happens. Yeah, I don't know what's going to happen on race day. I still have some time goals for myself, I know what I did this race in last year. I know what the swim took, I know what my transition times were. I know what the bike and the run took.
Samantha Pruitt:And I know my overall time. So it'll be really interesting in the recap to see, like, how it unfolds. But I will say I'm really very lightly attached to those numbers, like I'm completely in for this experience, this 140.6-mile journey. I also know I have 17 hours, I'm gonna finish, but like yeah, I want to just be as aware and awake and as in it as possible.
Polly Mertens:You know, seeing it you know for, and who knows if this is your last one, we don't know that but like what if you know, like we've talked about? Like what if you only had five years right?
Samantha Pruitt:or what if you only had one year?
Polly Mertens:like what if this was? Your last opportunity to do a fucking Ironman.
Samantha Pruitt:It's insane to think about that. It's like soak it all in. Yeah, Not that you want that, but like what if I, instead of doing it and being like is it over yet, is it over yet? And so focused on making it be over? Yeah, yeah.
Polly Mertens:Just be in it, be in it every mile, just be in it, grateful, from the time you pull up and it's like, oh my god, look at all this. And just connecting and connecting and being as present in those moments. You know, I know we try and fast forward because of the pain we might be in or whatever, but being like, okay, this is the suffering fest, that this is how it looks right now, but it will be over.
Samantha Pruitt:But and I've learned that the pain cave comes and goes. So like I, I'm not afraid of that anymore, of like it coming and me being stuck in it. And I do remember back in the day that I would feel stuck in it and I wouldn't know how to get out and I'd feel kind of trapped and it'd feel pretty miserable and I'd want the race to be just be over, let's be, done. I just let it be over. Just let it be over.
Samantha Pruitt:And you'll hear people like I'm eating. You know getting out. How far is the finish line? Stop it. What can you say?
Polly Mertens:Because you're robbing yourself of so much. So tell us what you've learned. What does it mean when you say the pancake comes and goes? What?
Samantha Pruitt:does that mean it? There are things in your body that are going to creep up and there will be pain and discomfort and the same thing for your mind and your emotions, but they'll pass. They pass and it's like the more you resist them, the longer they're going to stay, and the more you accept them and just let them flow through you, the faster they go away. Wow, yeah, yeah, it's cool. It's very powerful to be in that and experience it which I've experienced it many times now and it's freaking amazing and you're always kind of shocked by it, but then to also have appreciation for it.
Polly Mertens:Wow, having appreciation for the pain, it's like thank you for the suffering or something. Sounds bizarre but I'm sure in the moment there's a lot of grace and you know. Like spiritual, you know, what have you told me about the hundreds? Like the first 50 is physical and the second 50 spiritual, like something else has to get you through that second 50.
Samantha Pruitt:Absolutely, absolutely. If you just think you're muscling through these things, you are terribly wrong, right, and I mean honestly. Unfortunately, those people tend to either not finish or they'll finish one and they'll never come back. And there's so much more available for them if they were to move past that idea and really see what's waiting there for them.
Polly Mertens:So what is that Like? Is it they find out more about themselves, or they connect with a higher power, or they get. I don't know what is it like? Do they get a euphoric feeling, all of that?
Samantha Pruitt:is available and it's different for everybody.
Polly Mertens:Yeah.
Samantha Pruitt:I mean to me, you're finding yourself, You're literally unearthing yourself. That is the exploration. It's a self-exploration. Only you are moving your body forward. Yeah, no one's doing this to you or for you, so it's an exploration of self. The greatest exploration you can give yourself is to discover yourself right, the greatest possible gift and journey and then to really allow that growth process to happen and allow yourself to become a better version of yourself, and then a better version of yourself, and then a better version of yourself.
Polly Mertens:I mean, you break your own barriers and you blow your own mind, if you choose to do that, you know, and you're probably not going to end up the finish line without at least one of them right, oh yeah. Oh yeah, so good. So not to say that you're looking forward to all that pain, but what are you looking forward to in this next week either? Leading up to it, or what are you looking for in the race?
Samantha Pruitt:I'm looking forward to being in the race, so I do like to be in the heat of it. I mean I just do. I like it when the shit is going down, girl. And there is something that happens in my body and brain and I believe this is available to everybody, but I mean there is a high to it. I mean, obviously, biochemically and brain chemistry, like there's, you know, really things happening in your blood chemistry and your endorphins and all that kind of stuff. But I mean, beyond that, there is something magical that happens. It's like there's this bubble experience somewhere deep in it and it comes whenever it comes.
Polly Mertens:And you find it. When you find it, and it's like you go into the race knowing I'm going to have it. Yeah, it reminds me of that little meme we used to have that was like this is where you find out who you are. Yes, remember that Exactly, and that's what I'm hearing you say is like that's what it is. There's somewhere in there you're going to find out more about who you are Right.
Samantha Pruitt:You're going to find out what you're made of, yeah, and what you stand for and what you value. Can you even think of why else we should be here on this planet? So this is what, to me, sport is. But you can find this in nature and you can find this in other places, but for me, my journey, this is what endurance sports is. What a freaking gift, because people from the outside go.
Polly Mertens:Why do people do this anyway?
Samantha Pruitt:Oh, people think I've lost my mind, especially at my age. They all want to know when I'm packing it up and of course, I tell them to go to hell. Yeah, I'm still uncovering parts of myself Packing it up. Thank you, thank you anyway, I'm just getting started.
Polly Mertens:But it's a beautiful interaction or getting to know yourself, right like it's looking forward to getting to know a new, new side of yourself. That you haven't either seen in a while or comes out in these moments, or something new, right, I love that. I love that, anything else looking forward to.
Samantha Pruitt:I just want to really encourage people to take a risk, because it is, it's a, it's betting on yourself, so there's a little bit of a risk there, right, um, and invest in themselves and bet on themselves, and then just see what happens. And then for the people who are already doing this and maybe discouraged or frustrated or maybe they didn't have a good experience doing something like this, I mean, start stacking up wins. Start stacking up wins, try again, try again, try again. You know, like there's just so much here that is available for people and I just it's so beautiful. I want people to experience it.
Polly Mertens:I really do and what's available, I'm hearing, is a deeper knowing of themselves. And you know we can possibly find that in different realms. You know meditation or spiritual growth or whatever, but like, what a beautiful way to have such a radically self-experience. It's like you said, you moving you through space, it's like you moving you through this race, it's all you.
Samantha Pruitt:It's an integration of your physical body and your emotional body, though, and your spiritual body, if that's your belief system also. So it's those three things working in tandem and, girl, you unearth some stuff.
Polly Mertens:See how it goes. Heck, yeah, wow, yeah. So let's talk. So 13 years ago you found yourself in a similar place, coming through training, preparing. You know you were a different woman then than you are now. Tell us what it was like. Like, what do you remember then? That's different or the same now. Like, what's the juxtaposition? What would you, how would you relate your experience leading up to it to?
Samantha Pruitt:now. It's interesting. I was going to show you a picture before this interview, when we just landed on the topic, and I didn't show it to you because I couldn't find it. But I will find it and I have looked at it recently and I will definitely pull it out before ristian. Look at it, but it's me at the finish line of this race 13 years ago, in my little club jersey, with my little visor and my compression tights and my signature move at the finish line of the last episode.
Samantha Pruitt:It's so cute and I think, is that me? Isn't that funny? I mean, I know it's me, but it was 13 years ago and I just feel like damn, she was just getting going. Like she was just getting going, like she was just getting started. Look at that young girl just getting started. And now I've got a few more gray hairs and a few more wrinkles and life experiences you know I might wear a different outfit this time.
Polly Mertens:Might not have to pull up and go retro on that.
Samantha Pruitt:But yeah, I guess it's just. It is cool to think back. You know, there's a video of me too, at the start line of this race.
Polly Mertens:I was going to say. What would you have told you at the start line? What would you now have told?
Samantha Pruitt:you Okay. So this is a big thing. There's a video of me at the start line of this race. Ironman took this video and then they proceeded to use it in their highlight reel and commercial for the next year's race. So I'm in it and I'll share that on my social media because it's quite hilarious. But here's the point. I was there with two other guys. I had coached these two males and they were going to do the same race also two of my clients, um. So we're moving in through the swim corrals and getting ready to jump into the water and I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. I'm going woohoo and I'm screaming like a total gluey tick.
Polly Mertens:Yeah.
Samantha Pruitt:Hyped up. I was hyped up and that's why I made the video, because they're like who's this crazy broad coming through there? Right, I won't be like that at all. Yeah, I'm going to be so chill. I'm going to be so chill, like as chill as you hear me right now. That's how I'm going to be. What was?
Polly Mertens:going through your mind back then.
Samantha Pruitt:I was terrified what do you mean? I was totally terrified and that was a way of me letting out that pressure valve of anxiety and fear and all the unknown. Was I going to finish all of the bullshit that I worked through? I was just like and now I going to finish and all of the bullshit that I've worked through.
Polly Mertens:I was just like and now I'm like it's all good, let's get in the water. We're going to get it done. We're all going to swim together. This looks fun, let's do this, people. Oh, the water's 58 degrees.
Samantha Pruitt:Well, that's great. And now I'm like I guess this is what we're doing.
Polly Mertens:This is what we're doing. This is what we're doing. Yeah, just getting it done. So any thoughts for people you know we talked about people that look from the outside and go. That is just wacky. Who would do a thing like that? Who would do these ultras that you do, and whatever? So thoughts to people who are either thinking about it what would you tell them? Or people that are afraid of doing this. Just what do you want them to know? What would you want them?
Samantha Pruitt:to know.
Samantha Pruitt:I mean the bottom line is they have absolutely nothing to lose. Why the hell not Anything they've told themselves about? They can't do it, and all these things that are going to happen if they can't finish, and blah, blah, blah, are just BS stories, the stories we tell ourselves that limit our lives and our life experience. It's almost criminal, yeah, and none of it's true at all. So I would say this is absolutely something you can do if you want to. I'm not, you know, forcing it upon anybody. However, it's my drug of choice and obviously it's taken me a few places so I mean I'll go along for the ride.
Polly Mertens:You know and think too. You've grown into it, right you?
Samantha Pruitt:didn't go from the couch to Ironman? No, totally not. Yeah, I mean, I couldn't even run a 5k initially, and I I have a picture of me in that outfit too.
Polly Mertens:What was I thinking? It is fun to look back at these things. Was it a turkey trot?
Samantha Pruitt:It should have been a turkey trot A turkey trot. I mean like long white socks and like a big white headband and like all black covered in black. What was happening? I overheated in the first mile. I barely fit out.
Polly Mertens:I was so sick, so much to learn, so much to so much it's so funny and fun, and you know what this is just how it is. Yeah, you know, one of the things that I appreciate you for and I just want to say it here on air is, um. We've talked before about gratitude. You know feeling grateful and one of the things that um part of my daily routine is being, you know, reflecting on times that I've been grateful for things.
Samantha Pruitt:And you're so good at it.
Polly Mertens:Wow, and I move for two reasons. Maybe there's a third, but one is when I was standing at the start line of my half Ironman and you were there.
Samantha Pruitt:Bearing witness to your greatness.
Polly Mertens:So thank you for being a part of my journey, because it's amazing when people witness us exactly and support us and show they care and whatnot. So so thank you for being a part of that memory that I will always have. And second, I remember there's a part of this gratitude that is times that you're proud of yourself. Two of those and they rotate, but two of those are finishing- my Half Ironman and finishing Trans Rockies.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, yeah, and I did those crazy races because of you. You were the one that inspired me and invited me to do those. So, thank you for giving me more opportunities to be proud of myself.
Samantha Pruitt:And thank you for saying yes.
Polly Mertens:Oh right.
Samantha Pruitt:And thank you for understanding that investment is so critical to the fabric of who you are in becoming.
Polly Mertens:Yeah. So I just want to say to you guys, like you know, samantha's not here to invite you personally to do some of these wacky things that she's done and whatnot. But I can tell you from experience, when you say yes to things that you're scared of or like, are you serious? Whatever that is for you maybe it's the 5k, maybe it's the trip across the us, maybe it's whatever telling somebody you care about them or goodbye, or whatever. Like step into those things yeah, and you might be surprised.
Polly Mertens:What? How proud of yourself you'll be afterward you will be yeah. So I know you're already proud of yourself. I mean, like stacking these wins and stuff has been so amazing. So, um, anybody you want to thank um as a part of this journey, like I mean thanking yourself, you showed up for yourself for all of this anybody?
Samantha Pruitt:out there that, yeah, I give gratitude to myself for saying yes again and not feeling any limitations around um where I'm at with my body or my life or my age. That feels really good feeling really real.
Polly Mertens:Yeah, I know yeah like, if there's anything that I've I mean I've known you to be somebody comfortable in their skin, but the more I feel like you as you are you know the arc of your life it's more and more true every day. I just see you more and more comfortable in your skin, who you are, what you're up to, what you're not up to, like fine, you don't like it, so be it, and not, you know, poo-pooing anyone else but like more and more comfortable and what a what a great model for people to see.
Samantha Pruitt:That's what I think we're all here trying to do right Is find who we are inside and then be the best or be that Exactly, be that Be fully us. And this is the journey to figuring out who that is. I mean, I'm grateful to so many things, to, again, the fact I get these opportunities. You know I have friends and family that support me along the journey. Nobody says to me why the hell are you doing that, why are you spending time on that, why are you spending money on that, why are you spending resources and energy on that? Nope tells me those things, you know. I feel grateful for that. I know not everybody has that cheering squad, but you can sure develop that cheering squad and find it.
Polly Mertens:They're available Totally. And if they're not around you, you know. Let go of the ones that aren't and welcome in more that are because we all deserve that.
Samantha Pruitt:I'm super grateful for this last year, for sure, but the last couple of years in women's sport, to see the work that's been done and finally, a turning of the table where the conversation is so different and I'm so incredibly inspired to be alive when it's happening. And you know, when I started this is not at all how it was and wow, it's so different now and I'm really grateful for that because it just feels so much better. You know, it's easier for me to be liberated in my own skin when the world is evolving to liberate all women in their own skin.
Polly Mertens:And I think you know I don't see women like beating up things around them. Instead, they just let their results speak for themselves. It's like no, no harm, no judgment. You know those around them or whatever. No, you know, um that braggadocious, you know? It's more like yeah, I fucking did that the camaraderie in women's sport, all sports.
Samantha Pruitt:I recently was binge watching um, professional women's basketball, but before that I mean I just watch all these random things. But to see how the female or I'm at the Iron Woman races I'm at a lot of races and a lot of events, right so to see how the women interact and are with each other, and I mean they're with each other. They're not at this race together competing, they're with each other, like it's so cool and that fires me the hell up and it does definitely make me want to stay in the game for the women behind me, the youngers to set an example, but also for the women ahead of me and to be in it yeah, to buy my side and on the journey and like see what we're going to get up to next and I see this, you know, as we close.
Polly Mertens:You know this is. We were watching the other night about crafts people you know and like just taking, and so this was a, a documentary, I guess you would call it. You know where they went across the us and interviewed people who were in their craft, whether it was metalworking or basket weaving or woodworking or whatnot. Artisans and you and I were mesmerized watching these beautiful humans just expressing and expressing and owning and staying in their lane and just all the beautiful reasons why and all the beautiful things they were creating from it. Right, and that's what you're doing, like you are in your craft. Right, you are just shining. You're just like I'm I'm weaving my basket. Right, I'm honing my, my steel. I'm, you know, working my wood. You, you on the bike, you and the run, you and the swim is like it's your craft and it's beautiful to witness. And so, you know, when do you, like everybody else gets to bear witness and gets inspired to do them?
Samantha Pruitt:God, I hope so. We need more of that. Yeah, thanks, lady.
Polly Mertens:So what would you like to remind our beautiful humans today?
Samantha Pruitt:How your life feels is not no, is Is no, is Is More, more. I was going to try and reverse it today. Yeah, yeah, yeah and my brain doesn't even want to let me do that.
Polly Mertens:It wants to. Just do it the way that you want it to.
Samantha Pruitt:I'm going to reverse it. Okay, how your life looks is not Don't mean no thing. How your life feels is everything.
Polly Mertens:Well said, well said and mean no thing. How your life feels is everything. Well said, well said, and every day is your opportunity to find your awesome awesome, let's do it.
