Brian Keane

And I started writing my first book, The Fitness Mindset. Those two things were giving me a lot of focus at the time because they were directly building the business alongside me. And 2017 came around. I released the book. It did incredible. And then... I was starting to kind of waver a little bit. I felt, for the lack of a better expression, a little bit soft, Ilana.

And I started writing my first book, The Fitness Mindset. Those two things were giving me a lot of focus at the time because they were directly building the business alongside me. And 2017 came around. I released the book. It did incredible. And then... I was starting to kind of waver a little bit. I felt, for the lack of a better expression, a little bit soft, Ilana.

Like I had been working really hard. I was now making really good money. I had a lot of freedom and options and choices, but I felt life had got very comfortable. And again, it's probably a psychoanalyst dream to wonder why I was seeking out to get out of this comfort. But at the time, it felt really unnerving for me.

Like I had been working really hard. I was now making really good money. I had a lot of freedom and options and choices, but I felt life had got very comfortable. And again, it's probably a psychoanalyst dream to wonder why I was seeking out to get out of this comfort. But at the time, it felt really unnerving for me.

And just by chance, I was at a business mastery event in Amsterdam and I ran into someone who became a very good friend of mine, Tom Otten. He just got an exit from Create Digital Media, the top digital media agency in Dubai in the UAE. And fitness people tend to attract fitness people. I was in shape. He was in shape. We started chatting at this event.

And just by chance, I was at a business mastery event in Amsterdam and I ran into someone who became a very good friend of mine, Tom Otten. He just got an exit from Create Digital Media, the top digital media agency in Dubai in the UAE. And fitness people tend to attract fitness people. I was in shape. He was in shape. We started chatting at this event.

And I was like, he's a good bit smaller than me, but he's clearly lean. He clearly works out. So I was like, what do you do? He goes, I do ultramarathons. And I said, sorry, no, I was like, I'm in the fitness industry. But I was like, what's an ultramarathon? I was so far from this world. And he goes, well, it's anything over 26.2 miles. That's a marathon.

And I was like, he's a good bit smaller than me, but he's clearly lean. He clearly works out. So I was like, what do you do? He goes, I do ultramarathons. And I said, sorry, no, I was like, I'm in the fitness industry. But I was like, what's an ultramarathon? I was so far from this world. And he goes, well, it's anything over 26.2 miles. That's a marathon.

So anything over that is an ultra marathon. And then he started talking to me about this race in the Sahara, a marathon to sob, six back-to-back marathons in the Sahara desert, self-sufficient. So you carry all your food and everything you need on your back. You have to carry a bin and pump within arm's reach at all times in case you get bitten by a snake. Very, very extreme race.

So anything over that is an ultra marathon. And then he started talking to me about this race in the Sahara, a marathon to sob, six back-to-back marathons in the Sahara desert, self-sufficient. So you carry all your food and everything you need on your back. You have to carry a bin and pump within arm's reach at all times in case you get bitten by a snake. Very, very extreme race.

They give you water at checkpoints every 10 kilometers, but that's it. And if you drop your water or spill it, it's gone. You get nothing again until the next day. So it's very, very extreme. And I was looking at him just jaw dropped, like going, that sounds nuts. That sounds insane.

They give you water at checkpoints every 10 kilometers, but that's it. And if you drop your water or spill it, it's gone. You get nothing again until the next day. So it's very, very extreme. And I was looking at him just jaw dropped, like going, that sounds nuts. That sounds insane.

And I missed the whole next speaker at the event because I was on Google going through Marathon to sob, seeing what it was like. I was like, oh, my God, that sounds amazing. And then I came home and something happened that has probably happened to a lot of people listening. And it happened to me several times before was that kind of voice in my head started to get really loud.

And I missed the whole next speaker at the event because I was on Google going through Marathon to sob, seeing what it was like. I was like, oh, my God, that sounds amazing. And then I came home and something happened that has probably happened to a lot of people listening. And it happened to me several times before was that kind of voice in my head started to get really loud.

And it was like, you're not a runner. For those that don't know what I look like, I'm five foot eight. I'm 83 kilos. I'm built like a little muscular hobbit. I'm short.

And it was like, you're not a runner. For those that don't know what I look like, I'm five foot eight. I'm 83 kilos. I'm built like a little muscular hobbit. I'm short.

I'm stocky.

I'm stocky.

I'm not built for long distance running. And that voice got very strong in my head. You're not a runner. What are you thinking? You can't do this. Fast forward three months later, I was sitting outside the gym about to go in for a workout and I was about to post on Instagram. So this is back when Instagram, the social media strategy was quote cards. They were very popular.

I'm not built for long distance running. And that voice got very strong in my head. You're not a runner. What are you thinking? You can't do this. Fast forward three months later, I was sitting outside the gym about to go in for a workout and I was about to post on Instagram. So this is back when Instagram, the social media strategy was quote cards. They were very popular.