Deep Roots

• Stage 3 of the Marathon des Sables - the day I broke - 32.5km

  It's important to me that I am honest with myself. For years I wasn't.My dishonesty inflicted plenty of pain on me and others close to me.Honesty, I find, has the opposite effect and counterintuitively, the more brutal and confronting the information uncovered, the deeper its properties to bring goodness into the world.The truth is enlightening and empowering despite its often ugly facade.Although the act of being honest with myself is often an internal wrestle, I've fought hard and engrained a meaningful practice within. So if I am honest with myself - The night of Day 2 and morning of Day 3 was where I lost the internal battle to keep pushing myself.I can have all sorts of reasonable excuses; discomfort, pain, injury, team to lead, etc but they are still excuses. The truth is - I let my mind and its admirable powers to recruit whatever it is that amplifies my fears, doubts and insecurities onto its team, win the battle.Note: This is not the first battle of the mind I have lost and it will not be the last. What is ultimately important here is that I face the consequences with honesty, respond with integrity and try again with a wholeheartedness.Follow the story of my dispatches from the desert here - https://lnkd.in/gSGDbpjBStrength, courage & integrity,Damian Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Stage 2 of the Marathon des Sables - 40km

  The question that had to be answered: “Is my foot really stopping me running and pushing myself more, or is it a convenient excuse not to try?”I’m a father of two under 4. I started the Ironmind Institute 2 years ago and pour every ounce of energy into it daily. I train 2 - 3.5 hours each day to prepare my body to absorb the punishment of running 3,000km around Ireland in summer 2026.Life is full. My physical & mental prep for the Marathon des Sables met my standards. My technical prep didn’t, but I justified that due to the demands of life. A solid history of expedition experience gave me some solace when the voice in my head got louder: “You need to get your fueling sorted.”I knew the risks of neglecting technical prep but was quietly confident I’d be fine. “You’ve done it before. You know what’s coming. Where are the threats? Nowhere that can’t be sorted before we fly.”Quietly confident or not—that mindset left holes for mistakes.The Marathon des Sables organisers recommend wearing trainers at least one size bigger than usual. I bought a pair half a size bigger. Loved them. Breaking them in was painless. Training went great. From memory, that’s what I did in 2016.Midway through Day 2, I had doubts.My foot had swollen, hardly surprising—but I’d overlooked that my left foot is slightly longer than my right. Ten to twelve km into Day 2, the toes on my left foot were jammed into the front of my trainer. Running became uncomfortable. I was there to undo regrets from 2016 and push from start to finish. This was deflating.To add to the challenge—I was leading 15 individuals who had trained under me and the Ironmind Institute for the last 9 months.“Do I push to run and risk blowing up with the team under my leadership? Or do I dial back, walk, and manage the issue? Or… are these just excuses to protect myself from the truth?”You can tune into the latest @deep_roots_podcast episode to hear the full story from Day 2 of the @mdslegendary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Stage 1 of the Marathon des Sables - 32.2kms

  As I lined up to start my second Marathon des Sables, I wasn’t sure on how I would start. In previous days, my, until that point, clear intent had been disturbed due to some achilles tendon issues.A driving reason behind why I was standing here, staring down 250km across the Sahara desert was to settle some regrets from 2016. Therefore, focus and clarity of approach had not been an issue until inexplicably, the ache in my achillies ramped up as the shadow of the race loomed over us.As AC/DC’s Highway to Hell boomed through our little corner of the Sahara, I was with slight surprise when I started running out the gate.By the time I reached Checkpoint 1 I was a very happy man. This was the exact start I wanted. Aggressive, present, courageous.All in all a stage 1 I’m very happy with, however, the reaction of my body to the output and demanding conditions has left what is ahead quite the daunting prospect.Tune into today’s episode of @deep_roots_podcast to hear the full story of Day 1, including my secret delight when John and Conor from our @ironmindinstitute team passed me between CP 2 & 3, my old Saharan nemesis humbling me again, and my rating for standards and efforts for the day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Day 194:  It is a rare moment for me

  Day 194 of Damian Browne’s prep for the Million Euro Lap—a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast to raise €1 million for charity. It’s Saturday, January 18, 11:34 AM, and Damian’s savoring a rare, peaceful morning—two coffees deep, kids at the zoo with his fiancée, work simmering. Then, snap: a stiff, throbbing Achilles crashes the calm. Week four of cycle four, a push phase, has been stellar—8+ RQS scores across four sessions, new strength PBs, and a gutsy 2,000-meter interval run last night. But that aggression’s cost creeps in: a heel flare-up that’s now threatening tomorrow’s heavy sled pulls.Fresh off a 30-minute treadmill high last week, Damian’s chasing consistency despite sleep deficits (three to six hours nightly) and a body still unconditioned for running’s grind. Last night’s late gym stint—five 400-meter intervals at rising pace—felt triumphant until the Achilles stiffened post-rep five. Now, he’s weighing heavy eccentric fixes today against the sanctity of a rest day, all while battling work overwhelm and a noisy gym debate. Tune in for a raw wrestle with pain, patience, and the relentless focus on what moves the needle: quality work.In This Episode:✔️ Peace pierced: A serene Saturday derailed by a tender Achilles flare✔️ Interval aggression: 5x400-meter runs (2,000 meters total) push pace and position✔️ Week four wins: 8+ RQS scores, PBs in trap bar walks, and deficit deadlifts✔️ Sleep strain: 3.5–6 hours nightly test recovery amid a brutal push✔️ Work vs. body: Prioritizing quality training over shiny distractions like ice bathsTake Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/Chop wood, carry water Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Day 184: Half an Hour, Half a Fight

  Day 184 of Damian Browne’s prep for the Million Euro Lap—a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast to raise €1 million for charity. Tonight, at 9:30 PM, after a long, stressful day and scant sleep, Damian hits the treadmill with a nagging Achilles stiffness that’s haunted him since returning to Australia. What starts as a cautious test—90 seconds of biting pain—turns into a 30-minute run at 9 km/h, his longest nonstop effort since cycle three’s 28-minute peak. Relief floods in: no flare-up, no setback. But shame lurks too—an inner voice sneers, “You’re celebrating 30 minutes when you can’t even run an hour?”Three weeks of heel stiffness had stalled his running, a glaring red flag with the Mount & De Bla three months away and Ireland’s coast in 16. Patience, a virtue Damian prizes, clashed with his urge to push, but heavy eccentric work—sled pulls and calf drills—unlocked progress. Tonight’s run, born from a “fuck it” gamble after a five-out-of-10 warmup, proves his body’s adapting. Yet, that cruel inner critic, mocking his pace against Iron Mind’s 5K benchmark, fuels a deeper fight. Tune in for a raw clash of triumph and doubt, and the stubborn grit keeping him in the ring.In This Episode:✔️ 30-minute milestone: 9 km/h nonstop—longest run since cycle three, no Achilles flare✔️ Heel hurdle: Three weeks of stiffness tackled with heavy eccentrics and patience✔️ Inner critic unleashed: Shame vs. excitement—can’t hit 40 minutes or Iron Mind’s 5K✔️ Risk and reward: Scant sleep (4.5 hours) and stress test his injury-prone edge✔️ Fight within: Battling the “conniving fucker” of doubt to stay on the pathTake Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/Chop wood, carry water Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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