169: Amelia Boone - How The Best Obstacle Racer In The World Embraces Pain

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

Ryan Hawk

Business, Careers, Management

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 October 2016

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Episode 169: Amelia Boone - How The Best Obstacle Racer In The World Embraces Pain

Amelia Boone is a full-time corporate attorney and probably the world's most decorated obstacle racer. Since the sport's inception five years ago, she's amassed more than 30 victories and 50 podiums. Career highlights include:

• 3x winner of the World's Toughest Mudder (2012, 2014, 2015)
• Spartan Race World Champion 2013
• Spartan Race Points Series Champion (2013 & 2015)
• 3x Death Race Finisher (Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Summer 2013)

When Amelia's not out on an obstacle course, you'll find her nurturing a budding ultra running obsession, working as a full-time attorney, or watching wrestling pay-per-views. Most likely with a box of Pop-Tarts or a bag of ketchup chips in hand. (Bio from AmeliaBooneRacing.com)

Episode 169: Amelia Boone - How The Best Obstacle Racer In The World Embraces Pain

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The Learning Leader Show

"For me, pain is something we shouldn't be afraid of. I feel most alive doing that."

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

High level performers have an innate drive, self-motivated, constantly striving to get better
Can it be learned? Yes. Need to find what it is inside of you that drives you. Cultivate it. Create routines and schedules to sustain excellence
How Amelia is able to be a full time attorney working for Apple AND the best obstacle racer in the world
The importance of prioritizing and eliminating what doesn't matter. Set your life up to eliminate time wasters -- (ie. She moved very close to her office at Apple in order to avoid wasting time with a long commute)
Her morning routine - Wake up at 4:00 am and train: "If I don't train, then nothing feels right."
How has racing impacted life as an attorney: Why having a full schedule helps her. Creates the need for focus and forces Amelia to do it
How Amelia creates the best version of herself
The difference between competing with yourself vs competing with others
What her relationship is like with other racers? She is friendly but knows she is the target that everyone wants to beat
How she's able to regularly beat everyone in a race (men and women)
Dealing with an injury from over-training (broken femur)
How the injury has changed her --
- Creating her ability to be happy for the success of others
- Dealing with Identity issues
- Prior to the injury, she found herself caught in the cycle of "What happens if I don't win?"
- She's learned there is more to life than winning and losing
How does Amelia deal with the immense pain during a 24 hour race? Compartmentalize ("Make it to the next obstacle... then the next"). If "you're really in the pain cave, then focus on others. Talk to other racers, volunteers. Get your mind off of it."
People who have sustained excellence have a remarkable ability to pivot. They always find a way to be successful regardless of what they are doing. "What can you be the best at right now?"
What is success? What is happiness? What's the best?
The Barkley Marathons - Why Amelia will be the first female to finish the race
Why you should not avoid pain. "For me, pain is something we shouldn't be afraid of. I feel most alive doing that." We've created a world we there is no pain. That's not healthy."
Her pre race process - Night before there are nerves. The day of: logical and methodical approach to planning everything for the race. Then zone out, be by herself and think. Be thankful, humble, and fortunate to be there.
How to enjoy the process and not just focus on the results
"There has never been a better time to start something than right now."
- Adding something new can make you more efficient. Amelia became a racer at age 28.
"The key to life is being a lifelong learner"

"I've always wanted to be the best version of myself. If I don't train, nothing seems right."

Continue Learning:

Watch documentary that featured Amelia: Rise Of The Sufferfests
Follow Amelia on Twitter: @ameliaboone
To Follow Me on Twitter: @RyanHawk12

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 071: Nate Boyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL

Episode 055: Joe DeSena - Spartan Race CEO, Delayed Gratification, & Helping 1 Million People

Episode 107: Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why

Did you enjoy the podcast?

If you enjoyed hearing Amelia Boone on the show, please don't hesitate to send me a note on Twitter or email me.

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

The Learning Leader Show is supported by Daor Design - Daor Design will help you build your brand like nobody's business. Most of their work falls into one of four categories: Logo Design, Print Design, Web Design or Digital Marketing. They pride themselves in being a trusted, valued resource for their growing family of clients.

Transcript

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0:00.0	So there's been numerous things in these past six months that I've learned that I realize that it's making me a better person.
0:09.0	I mean, it's been one athletic disappointment after another for this past year, but personally I feel like I've grown so many ways that I, you know, tenfold over what I have in the past five years combined.
0:23.4	Our leaders born or are they made.
0:26.4	Our host Ryan Hawk believes that leaders can be made through determined focused
0:30.8	work on learning the art and science behind the makeup of other
0:34.2	successful leaders. Now it's time to inhale knowledge and exhale success. You're
0:39.2	listening to the Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk. Thank you so
1:00.0	much for being here. This is one of the most impressive and accomplished featured
1:04.2	leaders I've ever spoken with. It's Amelia Boone. She's the world's most decorated
1:08.9	obstacle racer. A lot of people call her the Michael Jordan of Austin of course racing.
1:14.0	Since the sports inception five years ago, she's amassed more than 30 victories
1:18.7	including the three-time winner of the world's toughest mudder, the Spartan Race
1:22.3	World Champion in 2013, the Spartan Race World Champion in 2013,
1:24.0	the Spartan Race Points Series Champion multiple times
1:28.0	and many other wins.
1:29.0	Oftentimes, not only is she beating all of the women
1:32.0	but she also beats all of the guys during these races.
1:35.0	Oh, and by the way, during the week, she is a full-time in-house corporate attorney at Apple.
1:42.0	It's incredible.
1:43.0	A few of the topics we got into.
1:45.0	Her thought process during a painful race,
1:48.0	the ability to suffer and deal with adversity.
	...

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