Endurance and Empowerment
with athlete and organizer Rachel Martin
From her daughter's recent ski injury to her spontaneous decision to run the Boston Marathon with no prior training, Rachel Martin has gleaned massive insights into facing challenges head-on with resilience and determination. Today she joins JT to share how endurance events and community service have changed the game.
Rachel shares her impactful work organizing community-focused running and triathlon events in Maine, as well as her experiences crewing for Race Across America. She gives insight into how these experiences have helped her navigate grief, develop a positive philosophy, and cultivate daily habits focused on personal development.
Don't miss this inspiring discussion on endurance, empowerment, and finding strength in the face of adversity.
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JT 0:01
Alright ladies and gents Welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host Jay T. Today I am sitting down with Rachel Martin. Rachel, am I am I correct in saying that you are the founder of Ford movement events? Yes.
Rachel Maritn 0:12
Yes. Ford motion event.
JT 0:13
Excuse me. motion motion events. So yeah, quick backstory. Right before Rachel and I got on both of us were scrambling to get our technical issues figured out. I just walked in the door, got tons of scribbling I've been doing so So yeah, there might be a couple. Couple of hiccups along the way. But we're gonna we're gonna push through it, we're gonna push through it. So what we do? First of all, I was introduced to Rachel through ch Ambassador Chris Bachman, who sings your praises Rachel, she's got nothing but positive things to say about you. I'm going to get into why we started our conversation and wants to come here in the future. But for this, I really wanted to kind of focus on you some of your motivation for the things that you do around forward motion events. And then we'll get into kind of our collaboration and something we're looking to do in the future. So first off, Rachel, where are you now? Because I know you've been moving around a little bit here to care for some, some family members. Yeah,
Rachel Maritn 1:24
no, I am at home in South Berwick, Maine. It's about an hour north of Boston. So just the southern tip, the man, gotcha.
JT 1:31
You had to make a trip somewhere recently. Mike, so you're caring for a family member wants you wants you to just give a quick little, little story of what's been going on my daughter?
Rachel Maritn 1:43
Yeah. Yeah. So my daughter is 14 going on 40 her 50. She's the youngest of the crew in my family. And he is a competitive ski racer with gold Academy up near Sandy River in Bethel, Maine. And two weeks ago, we were at the championships in Burke at Burke mountain in Vermont. And it was during one of the Super G training runs that she had a really bad accident, a bad fall. Ad going of course, going at high speeds. And so she fell and broke her TIB fib one of the one of the bones broken to six pieces. So it within five hours she was in surgery. We were so grateful for that. And she's got a big rod in that leg right now. And so we've been I've been just kind of in a little time warp the past couple of weeks just doing nothing but making sure she heals and gets better because she's she loves ski racing. She's bummed that she won't have her lacrosse season the spring but she gets it like she gets the big picture. You know, even 3am The night after her surgery. I saw her taking a picture of her leg and she said mom, she's like, I'm just taking a picture to see how far it came when I'm all better. Oh, wow. Like she gets it. So, you know, we took her out to the beach to go do you know the first time we've got her out in 11 days out in the car and she's looking at the ocean. She's just like, I just have a different appreciation for this now, you know
JT 3:08
so what insight for for you said 14 year old 14. Yeah, yeah, that's she's she's wise beyond her years.
Rachel Maritn 3:15
Yes. Yes. Strongest girl. I know for sure.
JT 3:20
That's amazing. Yeah. She gets out from somewhere. Rachel, are you from Maine? Kind of what what's what's your background? And I apologize. A lot of times I know a lot about the guests but clear that even know the name of the company. So already, I'm already behind.
Rachel Maritn 3:35
You're good. We've got a lot of different names. We have pumpkin man rigs for him, but for motion events is like the umbrella. Okay.
JT 3:41
All right. So we're gonna get into that. Yeah, both all those events have to do endurance events, right? They're around triathlons and running and is that your background? And kind of where did you grow up? What was your background at all?
Rachel Maritn 3:55
No, it's kind of funny because the way I got into triathlon was actually I'm involved. I'm on a bunch of different nonprofits in our town, one of them, notably the marshwood Education Foundation, which we are actually celebrating our 15th year this year. And so I remember going to some sort of auction and seeing, you know, the previous owner of pumpkin and so I took it over eight years ago, but the previous owner had put like, a triathlon entry into like a raffle or something. I was like, Oh, I'm going to do that. Right. And so, so I did, because I'm somebody that's like, Yeah, let's just go let's just do it. So you just say yes, right. So so I did, I went and did the try had so much fun with friends and then the marshwood Education Foundation. Getting back to that, that we partnered with the previous owner to do all the registrations like to help out at all registration. And of course, in turn, we would get a donation for the MDF. Sure, and so then I kind of took over registration And she was getting ready to move on. And I'm, I'm a huge, a huge part of a lot of the things in our town. It's a small little town 7500 people. But we've got a lot of great nonprofits great energy in our town, and she knew that I would be the the next best person to, you know, to take this on. So I actually bought it from the previous from the previous owner. And so that's how I first got into events. And actually, that first year that it was going to be mine. I decided to put on Rick's run. So for my dad, you know, he's a PTSD survivor, and you know, from Vietnam, and I hadn't even done pumpkin man one year on my own, but I said, I'm just doing this, I'm just gonna put them run together and do it. And that's kind of how I got into it. Yeah, well,
JT 5:50
let's back up. Sorry, no, no, that's okay. Because I don't want to I don't want to just gloss over Rick's Ron and the motivation behind it. Because even when we spoke for the first time, you talked about it, and you seem very passionate about wanting to give to the very community and and that comes from some of your own experiences. So let's, let's walk through that. You mentioned your dad as a Vietnam veteran, he was dealt dealt with with PTSD. And is that something that he was vocal about? Because it you know, for that? No, right? Because for that generation, that wasn't something they discussed very much Correct?
Rachel Maritn 6:31
No, no. And in fact, I remember after my dad passed, I remember my aunt going through her house, and she'd brought over this flyer, and it was something that the army or government had given out, and literally saying, you know, this is how you can deal with coming back. And it had like, pictures of like, Here, drink whiskey. Like, these are the things Yeah, it was like drink. These are things you can do. And I was like, well, but this is how I think about it wasn't, you know, it was back in the 70s. You know,
JT 6:59
but it's not that long ago, I get it. But to see from that to where we are now. Yeah, yeah, we are on the opposite side of the spectrum from whiskies going to solve these problems. And I kind of think, like, you know, in the 70s, they hadn't know it, as well. But so what was that experience? Like for you? With your dad, like, when you found out about PTSD later on in your life? Was there like this aha moment, like, oh, man, that's that, that fits him to the tee like so? You know?
Rachel Maritn 7:32
Yeah, you know, we always knew, you know, I always knew, like, he had, you know, he was, you know, he could, he could fly off the handle, sometimes not in like a physical way. But like, more like, you know, anger, you know, so there, we always knew, you know, he would still like take cover at night, you know, we had a hard time, you know, and he was starting to get help from the Sanford VA here in Maine, and he was getting help, and it was great. And he happened to have shoulder surgery and died from complications from that a blood clot from that. But, you know, we've got to go over his medical records after and to really see, you know, he would be, you know, driving down the road and still looking for snipers, you know, it just doesn't go away. And so, to really, to really look into that, and it just makes me reflect, you know, he did the best we could with what he had, yeah, you know, and they just didn't have the support. You know, yeah,
JT 8:26
they didn't have the support they didn't have they didn't feel comfortable talking about it, right. Because at that time, it's still kind of looked at it as a sign of weakness not have exactly. So, you know, it's I'm glad to report that we no longer prescribe whiskey and that the stigma around PTSD is changing at least the conversation around it. So you see, you started Rick's run, which is a 5k. Run. And, and that all goes to another nonprofit called veterans forward. Yeah. Are you on that board as well?
Rachel Maritn 8:59
No. Okay.
JT 9:00
So why don't you spend a little bit of about veterans forward and, you know, why you selected that nonprofit to be the beneficiary of this run that you've dedicated to your dad? Yeah,
Rachel Maritn 9:11
so we weren't my sisters and I were looking for an organization in our state to be able to help our local veterans and so you know, that was, you know, so I was researching a bunch of them and that one, what I really liked too about them is that, you know, they they help everywhere from, you know, helping make a rent payment to getting them clothing if they need, like interviews for jobs, and so it just seemed like a good local, a good local place, place to go. And I liked the idea of giving back to the local veterans.
JT 9:43
I like it. Alright, something else you glossed over is you you got you know, your name got picked to do a triathlon and then you like, you're like, well, then I just did a triathlon. Yeah. That's exactly the way it works. Rachel like you don't go up. I mean, you've must have since fallen in love with the endurance sports because I mean, you've really kind of dedicated. You run a company that is solely, you know, puts these types of events on. What was that process like for you to kind of get ready for that event? And then what was it about it that you're like, Oh, I found my path. I know what I'm doing. Yeah,
Rachel Maritn 10:22
so actually, I'm gonna backtrack just a little bit further. The, the, the way I work, my MO is, you know, you just say yes, you just figure it out. You know, you don't, I don't, I don't think too much about, which is good and bad. But I don't think too much about like, what it's going to take to do something I look at that end result and think, okay, that's what I'm trying to get to. So I'm not sure if we talked about this before. But you know, the first road race I ever did. So this was actually before the try. So I forgot to talk about this. But the first road race ever did was the Boston Marathon. Like never done a road race in my
JT 10:57
life. Oh, shots that ratio. People train and getting these lotteries in like that, that could be the pinnacle of their running. How does that how does somebody there first, no Turkey trots, like now you're onto the Boston Marathon. Yeah.
Rachel Maritn 11:13
So one of my friends. So this is back in 2007, one of my friends sister ran a nonprofit called the shade foundation. She's actually Curt Schilling's wife, Shonda. Pardot. Yeah. And so she so her brother lived close to us. And he we were at it was January one night in January. So mind you, this is January, running Boston in April. And, you know, you know, I had run maybe three, four miles before, like, I would just go for runs. It's not like, I would just do that for exercise, right? And he's like, Hey, do you want to run this? You know, we've got to raise like, 10 grand, and we got to do this. I'm like, Sure. Why not? And, you know, from mid January, and then ran it in April, I just trained I was like, he said, he sent me a thing to train on. And we've trained by hours, like you run this many hours. You know, I can still remember when I ran, and this was winter in main training, like I had friends that would leave water bottles out for me, it was cold. Sometimes you're on the treadmill. If it was there was like a there was like a point if it was lower than, like 25 or 28 degrees, I'd stay inside to run.
JT 12:28
Do you know how many people are going to listen to this? And I don't know. Anger is not the right word. It's, they've just they've trained so long and you just sit like you said, I don't think much about it. They say Boston Marathon, it seems like it'd be cool to cross that finish line. So I have four months I'd never run. I'm gonna just do this Boston Marathon.
Rachel Maritn 12:51
I mean, I'd run like three, I would run like, three miles. Alright.
JT 12:55
You ran three miles, and then you did the Boston Marathon. So
Rachel Maritn 12:59
my bike, I gotta tell you crossing that finish line. It was a pinnacle moment in my life. I was like, if I can do this, I can do anything.
JT 13:08
That's beautiful, though. Yeah, like, yeah, like, I mean, that's, you have those moments in your life where you're you've pushed yourself past this point where you thought you could and you're right, it raises the ceiling. Like if I did this, what can I do? Right? Like if I actually Exactly, yeah. Okay. All right. So you did the Boston Marathon. And then you said you're racing the Tour de France tax, right. I was like, wait. So alright, you do that? And then that leads into the try. Yeah, so
Rachel Maritn 13:43
that was so that was back in 2007. And then yeah, I can't remember the exact years, you know, in between there and what I did, you know, in terms of, you know, but it wasn't until I did the try, you know, that it was in what's so great about all this is it's the journey, right? Finish Line is awesome. And the accomplish the accomplishment is awesome. But it's that journey that you go on, to get to that end result. And, you know, you and I both love personal development. You know, that's, that's what it's all about. Great. It's falling in love with the journey and who you become on that and all the obstacles that you overcome in the way of all the things that you have to do to go make that happen. You're out you're learning. I remember the first time I went out and did an open water swim with my sister in law, actually, with the owner of funky man, I was like, I'd never done an open water swim. I gotta figure this out, you know? And I remember I did backstroke during that I did sidestroke I didn't know what I was doing. Just get out there.
JT 14:38
I think that's a lot of times the best way to do it, right? Because if you knew actually, if you thought too much, that would be the thing that kept you from doing it. So
Rachel Maritn 14:45
100% It's like if there's like top five life lessons for my kids, right? Like, it's, it's, you just gotta start. And you figure it out along the way. Yeah.
JT 14:54
Don't overthink it. Yeah, you can't. I mean, that can make some things a little painful along the way. But but it's better than just being paralyzed because you're, you know, your own analysis paralysis. Is it? That's I was trying to think of it, but Well, if I mean, were you working for nonprofits beforehand? Was that your main job before?
Rachel Maritn 15:20
Yes, yeah. It's kind of funny. So to backstory a little bit, my husband and I met in high school, I was 14, when I met him. I was a freshman. He was a junior, we met super, we met young, and we had my first daughter. So I have a 2625 and 14 year old. So my oldest daughter just got married this past December, just so exciting. And so we started out, like I had Olivia, when I was 21. Like, we started out with nothing started out with one salary, I wanted to be home with the kids. And so had Ethan, maybe 14 months later, my second and then Hazel was 10 years later, but I just Yeah, I was home with the kids and have a passion for helping and would just, you know, just join like the PTA and then all of a sudden I'm running it. So all these different things then, yeah, in a lot of different fun, like concert series in town. So just lots of lots of neat things that I that I joined. And there's there's a lot that I could I could talk about there. But I feel like I would go off on a tangent about like a trip that I just did with in Tuskegee, Alabama, which was really cool. We have a sister city with Tuskegee, Alabama, self burning. Alright, so
JT 16:33
I'm not I don't think I can let you just gloss over anything else, because you almost gloss over your first one being the Boston Marathon. So break that down? Because I was Chris had that one or no? No.
Rachel Maritn 16:45
First until 2020. Okay, what's
JT 16:49
his sister city? What is that? Okay. Yeah,
Rachel Maritn 16:51
so it's the first in the nation. It's actually incredible. We've had this partnership with where there are some folks in our town in south Berwick, Maine, who wanted to start a project to talk about race, and to see you know, why it's so hard and what we can do to make forward progress and race relations. And so one of the guys in town research took like the census from the entire country, and ended up finding a town happen to be Tuskegee, Alabama, that was rich with history, as as, as our town, reached out to them and said, Hey, we would love to become sister cities and do this thing with you. And the mayor had just gotten elected. He was awesome. And that was seven years ago. And so since then, we just came home from a trip. It was right before Hazel ski accident. So it was the beginning of March this year. So we all went down and we walked we crossed over the Selma bridge with them on the 15th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. In fact, I just got a great newspaper article, the Tuskegee news, we have all these it's really cool articles in it. And so yeah, so I'm passionate about a lot of those things, making more progress. Yeah. So it's yeah, there's a lot I know. And you know, what you're saying saying, Oh, you're just kind of glossing over these things. I really do need to put them out there more. All the great things that we have going on. Yeah, I mean,
JT 18:11
I think that's it's sometimes it's hard to do when you're living in that moment. Like whenever I did this now, what's what's next, because one of the things that really struck me when the first time we spoke, I actually now that I've talked to you again, it shouldn't surprise me at all was, first Chris puts us in contact with one another. Because I'm not I we as CRH as an organization are interested in holding some events. And Chris said, I know somebody who holds events. And I think we were on the phone or on the video call for oh, I don't know, a minute when you're like, why don't you just do something with us at pumpkin run? And you can like our pumpkin man. And I'm like, okay, hey, so, there we go. All right. Do have a hill. And then I found out that pumpkin man is not just a one day event. It's not just a running event that this is a weekend. Festival really right. Triathlon on Saturday, multiple running events on Sunday. Now, we just held a single event last weekend for SEO ah, this was this was a workshop right? It's a four hour event. And Rachel I was exhausted. I'm exhausted after it. Like it's, it's, I can only imagine what goes into weekend long. A triathlon bull running events. Was that one of those things you said yes to and then at some point, we're like, What the hell did I get myself into? No, no, no.
Rachel Maritn 19:46
Your brain? It's interesting. I have, you know, I actually was just talking about a couple of weeks ago when my daughter got hurt. It's like, it's like I go into race director mode and you just solve the problems you know, and then I eventually process the whole thing with hazel after but you go into When you go into a mode and it is exhausting, but it's also very rewarding. And I have a great group of people and we donate a lot of funds back to our town and local boosters. So it's our town takes a lot of pride in it. It's really cool with people from like 30 states, the UK, Canada that come in it's and we're part of the half marathon club now we're slowly building that running festival. You know, we're trying to build that running festival up, but the triathlon you know, we're a state championship race for USAT this year. So people can try to make it to us at nationals from the state of Maine. So that's very exciting. So that's, that's a huge Yeah, Saturday it I mean, you're gonna be there that weekend, so you'll get to see it. And it's very exciting. It's a lot of fun. There's a lot of moving parts, but I have a really good team. Teamwork makes the dream work in anything.
JT 20:49
Yeah, you've got to write. I mean, there's I can't I can't even like I said, I can't fathom how many moving parts are happening. And there are Yeah. So you do the Boston Marathon? You do your first try. Yeah. How long after that before you end up running? Forward motion? Forward
Rachel Maritn 21:14
motion event? Yeah, so forward motion event was I created that when I took over pumpkin man. So that was, we are in our eighth year this year. So that was 2016. Right? I am not good with remembering dates at all. I'm surprised so many people can just pull dates out of them. Like I just don't I don't I don't I just focus on what's in hand right in front. But yeah, so it was around. So it was that same year right. So I took over from your man and I created Rick's run all in that same year. So yeah, there's eight years ago.
JT 21:51
Yeah, have you become a big fan as I like do you follow triathletes are is really your main thing about creating this this event and setting thing up ever? You know, for everyone else to come and, and enjoy like this? Isn't? This isn't somebody do you do triathlons on the side now still, or No?
Rachel Maritn 22:08
I haven't done one in a while. I haven't done one in a while. I'd love to do mine again someday. But I'll have to get to the point where I can take myself out of the event directing.
JT 22:18
Do you think you could relax enough to be able to do that? I don't know. I wouldn't eat maybe that's running.
Rachel Maritn 22:26
I know. I know. Maybe. But But to get back to what you were saying. You know, when I first took it over, it was a sprint distance trial on Saturday and half Ironman distance on Sunday. But I knew when I took it over that I wanted to make Sunday more of a fun running festival. So I don't even have an elite category anymore. So like that, like it's more about and that's what people love about the event. You know, it's like community driven. Everybody loves to come and tell you funny story last year. So last year, we had a microburst come through I know if I told you this we had a microburst come through 12 hours before transition was supposed to open so it's it's Friday night packet pickup.
JT 23:10
But let everybody know because not everyone's gonna know what a microburst is. Okay. So
Rachel Maritn 23:14
microburst it almost is like, it's not like a tornado. But it is like this weather that will come through and just destroy and alive. So it's not like a tornado, but it's this huge burst of energy that comes through. And it literally came through our venue. It took out an entire tent, like I mean, huge, huge, all the porta potties down, transition bike racks got like, everything was just destroyed. And it was probably the biggest thing I've ever had to talk to Chris efile figure it out. It was the biggest thing I had to fit Oh, in a long time. So we ended up having to not have the bike we had to make it a swim, run up the hill and then run because the bike course there were so many trees down and lines down. But what I'm getting at is that it was we our community just came through it was like a cry for help people came in and they cleaned it all out. I mean, it was it was awesome a true testament to our community spirit. But I also was sending a ton of emails to our to our athletes you know with like the belief from Ted lasso, you know, like hey guys, no bike bite if you want to come do this, we're still doing this. I can't cancel it. We're still gonna do this. And I remember standing you know, doing a pre race meeting on the beach before they do their their swim and I'm just like, seeing everybody there. I was shocked. It was like we had the most people show up than ever like it was. It was crazy. It was just a beautiful testament to the to the power of creating something that that that people feel welcome to be at. They want to be at it's beginner friendly. The people are wonderful. Well, you know, it's not like, we have people that are in transition that are super friendly. And it's just a warm and welcoming and we have the best post race party ever people stay. I know, there are some people that have ever, like, usually leaves at these things out, they stay at ours, they hang out. And
JT 25:16
so So I think I might have mentioned this to you before, but I grew up around cycling, specifically road racing and mountain biking. But when I was younger, that that wasn't a big thing quite yet. And that has a certain type of feel to it and environment of why I don't want to bash anything but it but it's intense, right? It's not super friendly. It's not you don't feel those those friendly vibes. And I've even gone to some triathlons before as a spectator. But these were these someone were like pros, like I went, I saw Mike peg Who's No, I mean, this, this is going back and probably into the early 90s. But then I, they hold what they hold to triathlon right near my house. And every sometimes twice, and every year, my wife and I, we get we get a chair, if and sometimes my sister she competes in it, she's on the board, but we'll get a chair and we sit out in front of our house. And we just watch. And I'll tell you what, the thing that really has always stood out about that community is you see people with $10,000, bikes 2%, you know, jogging, 4% body fat cruising, right, like these people are flying, elite athletes. And then you see people that decided, hey, I'm gonna try a triathlon. And they went to a local box, like, you know, a Walmart or something, got a bicycle, and are doing it. And I'm, and they're so supportive, everyone's supportive. And I walk away so inspired Washington, these people, I'm more inspired by those people, you know, for their,
Rachel Maritn 27:05
you sitting there longer, you're working harder. Yeah.
JT 27:09
And so these people, you know, they're, they're, they're carrying extra weight, like everything about them. It takes a lot for somebody to make that decision that they're going to be vulnerable enough to, and they're so willing to make changes in their life. When we talk about the consequence of habit that I'm, I think it's it's, it's a beautiful thing to watch. Like, I truly love watching it. Like I said, even more than the you know, the man or woman cruising by doing 3540 miles an hour on their on they're really expensive bike 100% I agree with you. Now, I can only imagine, you know, I don't want to put words in your mouth or feelings, but to be the not the reason but but to organize this to have the venue and to create this experience for people that's going to be a truly amazing thing. I imagine when an event like that is done, you just must sit there and be just really grateful to even have been part of it.
Rachel Maritn 28:10
Ya know, for sure you're like so exhausted yet. You know? You are you're just super grateful. Yeah, you're grateful that you had and then you know, and then but like, being also the creative brain to your I'm always like, alright, what are we doing?
JT 28:26
Now I see why. That's probably why you can't keep track of time and two, because it's not the past. Right? It's, it's what's next? Ah, yeah, that's, I have no idea if there's, there's any validity to that, but I'm gonna throw it out there. No,
Rachel Maritn 28:41
I like that.
JT 28:44
So, so let's talk about a little bit about pumpkin man coo Ah, we're gonna add a little rocking portion of this correct. 6.6 miles. Up and down, hill,
Rachel Maritn 28:57
up and down. Yep, up and down. And actually, I think I told you the story on how that even came about is, you know, part of Jesse Itzler, a little community who does lots of different events, cool ones now like running man, and they run a man festival and hell on the hill. So I had reached out to him personally and said, Hey, I think you should take your little your race that you do at your house for your friends, and you should bring it and make it public because there's so many people that want to do it. And I said, I have a hill. And so we ended up a few years ago, two years ago. 2022 What is it? 24 So it was 2022. They saw all day running had their very first public event. The day the two days before pumpkin man. I mean, that weekend was insane. It was insane because people camped out, but they did so it was what they did is they had the world's Helius half marathon. That's what their thing is with how long the hell yeah. And so it was 65 laps. 65 Oops. So I was like, You know what I'm going to add one of those to mine. So last year, I added a 6.6, half of a half. And now we're gonna have half of a half with the rock division.
JT 30:12
I got my rock. I've got a couple of neat little rocks now that are started Trancas we're going to do, we're going to do a virtual event starting in June. That's where like things like the fundraising and then and then in July, we're going to hold we're going to hold one. So across the country, but but all these things just leading into place to to, to our event in September your event. You have so much fun. Yeah, I'm excited for it. How How did you and Chris Bachman end up being or getting connected?
Rachel Maritn 30:44
That was to race across America? Both on the same? Yeah, Race Across America team back in 2021.
JT 30:52
All right, this is a this is this is like pulling teeth with you, Rachel. All right. So you're with race across America. Alright, let's talk about that. Because that's the how, how did you get involved in that?
Rachel Maritn 31:05
Well, so I was part of a group, I was part of an organization back. It's no longer active, but it was swim bike run free quality. Okay. And so one of the members of that Michael Smith, was also one of the athletes for the race across America. And they were still building your team. And he knew me and he said, Hey, you should talk to Rachel and get her on the team. So I had a meeting with Chris, and the other Michael. And before you knew it, I was like one of the one of the rate crew chiefs with Chris. I was like the night shift crew chief, and she was the day shift crew chief. And so that's just how it landed. And that, and that's how I met her. And it's like, I've never like not known her, you know? Yeah, yeah. So we did. We did RAM together back in 2021. She didn't do it in 22. But I did it in 22. With a different team. I jumped on board, like four weeks out, they needed somebody I didn't. I knew like a couple people. But I was like, Sure, I'll do it. I'll go back. I know what I'm doing so navigated across the entire country, navigator. And then last year, our friends Ben, who was part of the original team, asked Chris and I he was doing a four person team and wanted to keep the team lean and mean and said, you know, and they're like, We want people that know what they're doing. I can get along with everybody. There's no ego. It's all mission. It's let's do this. And so Chris, and I got to do that again last year. So it's really fun. Yeah,
JT 32:37
to me, that's one of those races like I've seen that is it's it's almost like you watch something somebody like climb Everest, and you go and man, I respect it. But it seems, it seems so insane. So yeah, I imagined to be part of that process. Because driving across country is hard. driving across the country at an average. I don't know what he was averaging 1415 miles an hour, maybe more 20, maybe closer
Rachel Maritn 33:03
to 20. Yeah. Because they what they would do is they would take 15 minute polls and just go as fast as they can for chips. Okay. Yeah.
JT 33:12
All right. So you cross country going 20 miles an hour, that in itself is a fairly daunting thing. Not to mention that there's people every 15 minutes on a bike going as hard as they can, and
Rachel Maritn 33:25
swapping them out. And then when you're the crew, when you're a crew, you have to think so it's just as hard you know, it's like, you can't, you can't, like there's no rest. And it's, you're going on a couple hours of sleep. But it's like, it's like you're crazy. And it's funny, because my husband was like, you gotta go do your crazy and come back, you know, it's like, go do your thing, but it's just something that you love to do. It's like when you find your people, right? And so, you know, in navigating last year, the guys didn't have GPS on their bikes. I remember Chris and I got there were like guys, because we had helmet we they had their Senate helmet, we the navigator, like you know, I had a setup. And we were talking to them saying where are you gonna go but I'm like, guide a GPS just in case you know, that was so hard. And of course, you know, when you when you commit to doing a race like this, like last year, they really wanted to win. And it was a lot of pressure right as a crew because like you don't want to you don't want to make mistakes. You know, the first year I did it too. It's like It's like when you when you put yourself in these uncomfortable situations like that's where you see the most massive growth I mean, I can remember we had navy seals on our team the very first year I was like, you know, you have like that doubt where like, who am I to go do this with all these people but what you learn what you learn to everybody's at the same table, everybody, no matter who you are, you are all at the same table, no matter what I mean, I can We're calling my husband being like, how do you tell a Navy SEAL that they're wrong? And I called him and he's like, Well, quickly, calmly and with facts, okay? Like it. But when you put yourself in these situations, you say, oh, I can do that. Yep. And then you go back again. And you do it again. And then your, your floor just keeps rising. You know, that's what's great with endurance sports to same thing.
JT 35:22
So Race Across America, is there one instance that you have to be one, but what are the things that surprised you the most about close quarters with people that are having their sleep deprived? physically exhausted? Tempers, they mean, things aren't always going to be cool. Like during these types of things? Is there a you don't have to get to names but like, an instance where we're, you know, things just kind of like when I didn't see that comment, like, that actually escalated more than I thought it was going to. And then how do you come back from these types of things? Because I'm only asking, because, you know, I've been in, in circumstance with other people. Maybe you're traveling, or you're in a close quarters, and people aren't sleeping? Well, but they have they blow up a little bit, right? We have we have little meltdowns along the way. You can go anywhere. You like you're still with these people from from that point on?
Rachel Maritn 36:25
Yeah, no, I mean, nothing like really sticks out. You know, I've got to say at least from last year. Yeah, maybe the year before Chris was on on this one. But there was this one person that was kind of like, you know, we had to leave one time, we had to leave right away, right? Because we're gonna meet the crew. And it's like, he's like any like overslept. He's like, it'd be right down, I got a shower. We're like, Well, you shouldn't go like, No, we gotta go. But, you know, I always try to bring the sense of like, they're like you said, like, most of the people, at least on last year's like, Ben wouldn't have chosen anybody that couldn't just, you know, like, everybody was great about that. But you just, you know, you just always don't communicate over text. Like, if you've got an issue you talk, you cannot interpret emotional or texts, right. Like, you've just got to talk it out calmly. You know, you just figured out well, that's one of the great things about Ben to like, the, you know, Ben, who was on the first and, you know, got us to do it again last year, is that he's just like this all the time, no matter what, no matter what it is. I mean, I remember the very first year it was like 130 in the morning, or we're in like, the Navajo Nation, I think, in in Arizona, and this huge storm comes through and it's windy, it's 130 in the morning, and I'm like, oh my god, Ben, are you like scared? like lightning? He's like, Oh, no, it's like, you know, I'm gonna use his tailwind. This is gonna be great.
JT 38:02
It's an opportunity. For him. It was it was a gift. Love it. That is
Rachel Maritn 38:10
hilarious. Yeah. So it was funny. But ya know, I mean, just communicate, right? Like, like, you know, probably like what my husband said, you know, quickly, calmly in the facts and move on. Just move on.
JT 38:24
So you're I mean, I'm proud to talk to you just for hours, your husband has to be on board with these things as well. Is he is willing to say yes to things are kind of free spirited, as much as you are.
Rachel Maritn 38:40
Yeah, I mean, he's, he's our breadwinner. And so he works. And so he's, he's a really, really hard worker. And so he runs a company now. And so he has a lot that he does, but I gotta say, I'm very, very, very fortunate, because he's so supportive. He's so supportive, and he understands that, like I said, Just go do your crazy, you know, or, like last year when, you know, because I've been gone. So Race Across America is like a good 1012 days that you're gone. And it's Father's Day, my husband's birthday, and our anniversary. Shut up all in that time, usually. So this will be the first June that I'm home for my anniversary. Is there anybody listening? Don't ask me to crew. It will be the first time but you know, I called him up last year when Ben called and asked to be a crew for him. And I called Brad and I was like, What should I do? And he's like, why would you not do this? Like, this is what you do. You know, and he knows that. It's just such a good experience. And you know, I'm very, very, very, very lucky. That's
JT 39:42
very cool. Yeah, it gets you enough to know like, Hey, this is not to say, I don't even pretend to know your relationship. But that that is that is very cool that you've got a partner that's willing to just a Oh, yeah. If some people I know if they don't go do things like this, it's worse, right? Like, you got to just let people be the way they are and do the things that they're going to do. And in the end, it's it's, it's, it's experience,
Rachel Maritn 40:09
right? He understands, he has to travel a lot for work and stuff, too. So he, he understands how much travel and experiences like impact impact your life. So, so he gets that. So I'm so lucky. So now after all these years, right, it was 1991. When I met him, wow.
JT 40:28
High School. That's right. Mm, 14. That's wild. I know. My wife and I actually went to high school together to Oh, yeah. So I want to say what, like, what's next for you? But I feel like that next thing you could find out about tomorrow? So, but is Is there anything else in the works? That you are at liberty to speak of? Or? Or? Yeah,
Rachel Maritn 40:57
yeah, no, for sure. I've been I've been like writing my book for a long time. And I really need to wrap that up. And so it's about perspective, and I want to start a podcast on that as well. And so I'm, was in the I was like, figuring a lot of that out before like, before my Tuskegee trip, and then Hazel had her accident. And so when she's back at school, and good, I'm gonna get back into like all the process of podcasting, but I want to talk about lenses like, like your lens, right, your perspective, because I feel like I have a lot of perspective, you know, to give because I think it's the most important thing you can, you can think about right? Tony Robbins talks about how there's like three things in life that really guides what you do, and one is What are you going to focus on? What is it? What is What are you going to focus on? How are you going to react to it? And what are you going to do? Like, what is the meaning you give it? And then what is your action? And so it's like there's, there's so much wrapped in to your perspective and how you live and how you have a choice. And so you have that choice, nobody else can. Nobody else can live your life for you. And your life is made up of how you react literally. So
JT 42:05
ever. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's so we will have stoic themes on the podcast here. And that really is, you know, you don't control what happens to you, but you control your reaction to it. Was that something that was kind of instilled in you from somebody else? Did you kind of come naturally? Or is it just through your own experiences
Rachel Maritn 42:23
that you've no, I would say I'm back. So bad with dates. But my husband has, he's always had an hour commute. And so he he started listening to like Tony Robbins CDs and all those things. So then he gave them to me, until I started listening to him. So for the past few decades, like I'm a personal development junkie, if you look at like my audible, it's same, right? Same thing. I've always done a podcast on no matter what, like, no matter what I'm doing, just listening and trying to grow because, you know, it's, I've been through some things in my life. You know, my, my mom was killed when I was six in a car accident. My dad was 10 years ago. And it's like, well, you can't do anything about it. So what are you going to do? You know, what are you going to do? And how are you going to? How are you going to live and react? And so, you know, those things were so I love I love that perspective. And it just has that journey hasn't stopped. It's every day, right? Because we all have days, and actually, the past couple of weeks for me have been kind of challenging, right? I'm just like trying to. I've had like the past couple weeks. It's been tough. And I'll be brutally honest, it's been tough. I've almost felt a little stuck. Because I just want my daughter to heal. And I don't know what I'm working on. You're doing these things that I'm like, okay, just be present. And this too shall pass. Right? And so, perspective is so important. And standing guard at the door of your mind, right?
JT 43:47
Yes, the thing and perspective, I've got a question for you. So when something I'm just just your own personal philosophy, when something happens? The first thing I would imagine isn't alright. It's just about how I think about this, like you, your daughter, right? She she she takes a terrible fault. fibula tibia broken. And this isn't an automatic positive thing this is your child to zoom in. What is that process kind of like? I don't know if it's a grieving process or an acceptance process and then then the trying to change maybe your initial perspective on it because as humans a lot of times that that that perspective could be this is this is this is terrible. This is a horrible thing. But what is that process for you to start to start to flip that switch on, on on how you look at events?
Rachel Maritn 44:44
Yeah, I've got to say I think you know, I have a lot of practice with how to say this. Like if something happens, like I look at it, we can't change it. We fix it. And we say to ourselves, how are we going to? How are we going to react to this? I just I feel like I have a lot of practice with that. I remember Tony Robbins talking about the 92nd rule like you give yourself 90 seconds, he's like, first it started with you give yourself three days, right? And then like to feel like angry or wallow or any of that. And so I think I've just gotten really good at that. It doesn't mean that I haven't I didn't feel it, but I don't let it take over. Because there's nothing you can do about it. You know?
JT 45:31
Yeah, I guess that's it. That's a question that because there has to be almost a grieving party a little bit. Oh, yeah. And then and then that kind of acceptance of like, alright, is this in my control? Or is it not? And if it's not, then, then we need to try and
Rachel Maritn 45:47
know. And I think I think the things I've talked to somebody else who's experienced a lot of loss as well. I think like when you experience loss, like I have, like, you just it's almost like you build this wall. And I don't mean you don't feel feelings or anything. It's just like you've been through a lot. And so you've learned a lot of tools to help you get through it. And you've, you've pulled yourself out of that. You've pulled yourself out of that grief and out of that sorrow. And out of that, Oh, my God, you've you've done it so much. That it just not that just gets easier. It gets shorter, I guess. Yeah. And not to say that you don't feel you do you just and not to say it doesn't come up, either. I heard somebody talk about grief once and they, you know, they talked about grief in a circle. I'm going to show like a circle here. And there's like a marble is in like this circle. And it's always going like this. And sometimes that ball will hit the edge and you just don't know when that's going to happen. You know, and that happen? You know, that happened for me? I can't remember how long ago now. Um, it was Hazel, that's not you, is it? No, that couldn't have been Hazel because somebody tears on her own.
JT 47:03
She's cured. She's
Rachel Maritn 47:06
somebody therapy, my father in law, my husband. So it's like that little circle, you never know when it's going to hit and sometimes it hits and it's, and it was the past couple of months, I definitely felt it. And I was like, Oh, I recognize it. And I say, Okay, I'm feeling like this sense of loss. And maybe it was like, so my daughter goes to she goes to gold Academy. So she's a boarding student. This is the first full year that I haven't had a kid home and 25 years, 26 years. And so it's like, it's like this sense of loss. And so I sit and I'll meditate on it, like, what is this? And I'll be like, oh, and then you're like, Okay, maybe you're feeling a sense of loss, you miss your dad, you know, okay, just feel it. And so it's just recognizing and not ignoring it. And like, the only way out is through. You know, a lot with my daughter for this, too. The only way out is through you can't avoid it.
JT 48:01
Yeah, I think I think and that's the difference, right? Where there's a there's a Inori or shut it down. Or compare it to others and go why I don't deserve to be upset about this because look at somebody else. And I was going through this yeah, I've done that. And, and there's a shelf life that like that doesn't work. Right. So and that's why I'm always curious on people's philosophy, when I talked about habits is how we process you know, loss, trauma, perceived trauma, because in the end, like it still has the same kind of effects on people. And then how do you move on right? How do you accept your your current situation? And then how do you move on in life? Because it's,
Rachel Maritn 48:52
you know, it all depends on the meaning you give it and then your actions after I'm excited for your book. Thank you.
JT 49:00
I'm excited for it. I think everyone's
Rachel Maritn 49:02
good. I think I've got a good title now. I think it's like it's called like stalking your lens. stalking your lens. Yeah. Because like like in because there's so many different lenses but like the ones that have really helped me are optimism, empathy, compassion, you know, adventure like different things and like the more you stack them I think, you know, the happier you can be.
JT 49:26
I love it. I love it. And I'm curious about what are your daily habits his obviously as a as a as someone who's who's really into personal development. You've probably been you've read a lot you've listened to a lot of people there's gonna be two part question actually, I'm gonna backup first one is other than Tony Robbins who are some of the people you kind of look to on for like this blueprint and on how to live a life that that you want to live?
Rachel Maritn 49:57
Yeah, so it's like a lot of it is like yeah, like standing guard at the door your mind what are you letting in? What are you letting in? I love the Rachel Hollis podcast. I love that. I love Tom Guilio Impact Theory. Yeah Jesse it serves great yeah so Tom I love anything you know the the authors of gap in the game be your future self now Dan Sullivan loved him fell of in James clear yeah Jim Rohn love it.
JT 50:31
Jim Rose yo G right. Oh, yeah. I was I was just turned to him from a friend of mine. And to be honest, he I hadn't heard anything he had really done and been listened to some of the stuff and fantastic. Obviously Fantastic. Okay, so what? What are some of your daily habits? Yeah,
Rachel Maritn 50:51
so my daily habit. So like I love like at night when I go to bed. I so look forward to like my morning coffee. Like there's something about your bed? No.
JT 51:02
It's first as soon as I wake, immediately,
Rachel Maritn 51:04
Dark Roast black coffee, the best Dark Roast black coffee. Love it. So have that weather. So it depends on if my husband and I go to the gym together first thing early, which we haven't been doing because Hazel has been home. So he'll be able to go. But so normally if she's at school, and everything's fine, who said the coffee pot before? Right? But well, we'll go to the gym in the morning. But if we're not doing that, I have my cup of coffee. And I do love I have this the start today journal that Rachel Hollis has, and it just talks about, you know, you just write down things you're grateful for and then your you know, the things that you're working on your 10 dreams that you're working on to make happen and and then I'll sometimes I'll journal after that, but it's like that, that moment, that moment in the morning is really important. So
JT 51:50
what time it from I can't even speak right now. I'm so excited about talking about this. But morning for me is is I like getting up before everybody else. I like I make my coffee. I usually read the Daily stoic something I've probably read that book about 10 times just I read a couple pages. You're writing a journal about you know, whatever's going on in my life or what how I'm feeling or maybe some things I'm not happy with that. I want to make some like tweak, right? Yeah. And the house is quiet. It's just quiet. And it's time to like, kind of try. And if I didn't do anything else for the rest of the day, I still at least started off. Right. And I feel like it's kind of like this foundation to get the rest of your day gone. Yes. Sometimes I screw up the rest of the day, but but I got two more.
Rachel Maritn 52:44
Right? Yeah, yeah. And I find you know, you've got to do like the hardest thing first, right? Eat the frog.
JT 52:55
Yeah, what's your hardest to do? Like, like, what is this? What is a thing and it doesn't do one thing but but is there? Is there a type of thing? That is like just your kind of kryptonite?
Rachel Maritn 53:08
Yeah, I mean, like the hardest thing that I have to do like for work or something like like, something I've been avoiding or something like that? Yeah. Yeah.
JT 53:19
Awesome. Well, Rachel, I'm excited to see you in person. Is there anything else you wanna you want us to cover here before you go back into nurse mode? Guy? No. Right
Rachel Maritn 53:29
and get this is me at this point off tomorrow? Um, no, just that I'm really I'm really excited to have you. You've come to the running Festival. It's gonna be so fun. And you know, we do if if you have any of your teammates that are looking to do something fun on Memorial Day weekend, we do have a virtual Rick's run, which is great. We just ship you a swag box out after, after the race.
JT 53:57
We're going to push that out. Yeah, yeah, let's let's we can we can talk offline, but or want to see how we can support that in any way possible.
Rachel Maritn 54:05
Yeah, no, that's great. So yeah, so we have that going on. Yeah, I'm just, I'm excited. I'm excited to see you in person with Chris and any of your other co H peeps that want to come out to Maine,
JT 54:21
we'll be there. We're going to put a marketing campaign together for this week. We think my sister is gonna be up there to run it, the triathlon. We're gonna try we're gonna try and get as many people up there as possible. Matter of fact, we've got one of our ambassadors in a military unit in the Boston area, so we're going to try and get a whole group up there if possible, so
Rachel Maritn 54:44
Oh, that's perfect. Let me know send me send me your email, send me their email. I can send them a code or something like that. We're only an hour north of Boston.
JT 54:51
Perfect. absolute perfect. Well, Rachel, I appreciate you taking the time and excited to work with you excited to see and this is just the beginning.
Rachel Maritn 54:59
I know right. It's so exciting. So happy Chris connected us.
JT 55:04
Yeah. Likewise. Awesome. That's it. I think again, thanks for taking the time. I hope Hazel heals up quickly. And thank you. We'll be in touch soon.
Rachel Maritn 55:14
Thank you.
JT 55:15
Thanks. Okay.
