One Step at a Time

Have you ever wondered how one could transform one's life during a pandemic? Our remarkable guest, Terin DeVoto, did just that. He discovered the power of running, recovery, and cold plunging during the lockdown and was generous enough to share his journey with us. Initially, Terin was looking for something to keep him busy, but soon, his new routine started to reshape his life in ways he never imagined. Running, he shares, became more than just physical exercise—it became a cornerstone of his recovery and a tool for building resilience.

As you know, we're always intrigued by stories of personal transformation and growth, and Terin's story is a testament to the power of small but consistent steps. For him, running morphed from a reluctant obligation into a passionate pursuit, and cold plunging became an extraordinary tool for pushing his boundaries. An unexpected champion of ultra-running, he speaks about the thrill of pushing his limits and the empowerment he derived from these experiences. The role of community and routine also surface as pivotal elements in his journey. Listen in as we delve into Terin's transformative journey and find inspiration for your own. So, no matter where you are now, remember that small, consistent steps can lead to unimaginable changes. Let's get started!

Want to connect with Terin?
Instagram:
Terin DeVoto Noonan - Sober AF (@terin.devoto) • Instagram photos and videos
Purpose House Sober Living (@purposehousesoberliving) • Instagram photos and videos
Website: Purpose House Sober Living - Purpose House Sober Living Home
Facebook

For over 50 years, Harmony Foundation has worked as a nonprofit to serve those seeking recovery from substance addictions. Our residential and intensive outpatient programs are in a collaborative and respectful treatment environment with multiple specialty tracks offering additional support. Our main campus is nestled on a 43-acre campus in the Rocky Mountains just outside of Estes Park, Colorado, that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. With one of the most robust alumni programs in the county, clients remain connected and empowered for a lifelong journey of recovery.

For more information about Harmony Foundation, please visit:
www.harmonyfoundationinc.com

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Welcome to season two, episode 22 of Monday State of Mind brought to you by Harmony Foundation. My name is Michael Mazel and I am your host. What is good world Monday? I tell you the pump level. I mean, and I didn't even take pre-workout today, you guys, but the pump level for this podcast recording today is through the charts, because I get to talk with one of my favorite humans about one of my favorite topics that I started out this month talking about, which is running, running, recovery, cold plunging, what it has done for me on a personal level. And now I get to bring this amazing human in to talk about what it's done for him. He is a good friend of mine in the recovery field. I watch him on social media and I watch his races and I'm telling you the guy's a beast and he just keeps going and his elevating of his sport for running is just it's inspiring. On days where I'm like I don't want to do this, I know Taren's out there fucking doing it.

Speaker 1: 1:20

So, and I think about my buddy. I'm like, okay, he's out there, so I'm going to get out there. And when I don't want to cold-punch, I'm like that man is hammering ice out of his cold-punch. So you know what? Michael, zero excuses. So I already said his name. Ladies and gents, please welcome back Taren DeVito. What is going on, taren? Thank, you.

Speaker 2: 1:42

That was so sweet. Thank you, those are very kind words. I appreciate it. It's a pleasure to be here, Especially about those topics, because yeah, I think again, like you said, running cold-punching big part of our lives. It made a really big difference in our lives.

Speaker 1: 2:02

Yeah, transformative, transformative. And so, yeah, taren, I'm going to hit you with them. I'm like here we go, guys, we're just going to start jamming when it comes to running. Take us back when you got into running also, as it pertains to you also being in recovery and also working in the field of recovery. What was it about running that really just sparked your interest and got you so motivated to just start chasing it?

Speaker 2: 2:29

Yeah, I mean honestly it was kind of by chance. I mean I wasn't one that ran in high school. I didn't really run growing up. I honestly didn't really run much. Even in my 20s I was a big. I mean obviously getting sober fitness in general, which kind of led into good nutrition, those kinds of things I mean, became very important in my recovery.

Speaker 2: 2:49

But really when COVID hit and all the gyms shut down was really when I almost, I guess, was kind of forced to start running because I still needed something to do right To like get that fitness part of my recovery. You don't need a gym, you just need a pair of shoes and, like some gravel or a trail or, you know, pavement or whatever. So started running over COVID and I'd love to say that like I instantly fell in love, but that wasn't the case.

Speaker 2: 3:17

You know it was one of those where it was. It was brutal and it was painful and especially never having really been a runner before, there's that period of this kind of sucks, part of running and first getting into running, but it was really. I think I ran a mile. It was like a 12, maybe 12 and a half minute mile and I was like pooped, I was done, just completely gassed. It was in that moment where I didn't necessarily fall in love with it but it was like okay, this is a starting point and I want to get better at this thing and it's kind of just kind of progressed from there, kind of already touched on, but like just fitness in general in my recovery is necessary, just the physical aspect of the physical, mental, spiritual.

Speaker 1: 4:00

Yeah, 12 minute mile. You slow ass. I'm just kidding.

Speaker 2: 4:05

I mean I was pushing right. I was like pushing for that 12 and a half minute mile. Yeah, I was done at that mile. I was done, I was gassed. That was it. I couldn't go anymore.

Speaker 1: 4:16

You're like nope, no more, but yeah. But then it's like you kept going. I look at it as sobriety and that curiosity. It's like you know what if I did another mile? What if I did another day, sober, and what was the slow progression for you? And I kind of again, I look at it like sobriety. Right, Taryn, I didn't want it in the beginning, I thought it was stupid, I didn't want this. And then it's a shift happened. And as soon as that mental shift happened of it being like oh, I don't want to do this to getting hype on the progression of sobriety, like the progression of running, what was that like for you? Like when was that transition for you that you were like hey, yeah, one mile is cool, that sucked. And then it turned into multiple and then races and all the shit. So get going, Go on.

Speaker 2: 5:01

Yeah, I mean, I think it's kind of just like recovery right, I think we continue to put in the work to the best of our ability and I think there's kind of just like an organic switch that happens right Of like this thing is pretty cool, like where can we go from here? And I think that's how it was kind of with running was like this thing is actually really enjoyable, it adds to my life. And then this kind of tunnel vision of, okay, let's do this running thing kind of open the door to this bigger picture of weight. Actually, what is possible? What can we achieve?

Speaker 2: 5:31

Running Similar to recovery, right, you like I think there's like kind of a flip that switches and it's like wow, like I can really do anything I want with this life in recovery. And again, kind of similar to the running things, like if I can go from a mile to five, to 10 K, to a 50 K, to a 50 mile for me just keeps kind of progressing into like well, we did that, so there's probably more possible, there's more I can do with this whole running thing, right, and just kind of continuing for me I like the ultras right, so it's continuing to kind of build the distance covered in running and seeing like kind of what's possible for myself, like physically, to get through. But like you know, with the ultra thing it's not just a physical thing, right, there's a big mental component to running kind of these longer distances and same with recovery right, it's like they coincide so perfectly.

Speaker 2: 6:17

Yeah, so good Okay.

Speaker 1: 6:18

We're going to tap into the ultras in just a minute with the mental part, but I wanted to touch on the community aspect, right, taryn, because a lot of people when they think of running, they're like, oh Michael, like that's a solo sport, like you're out there by yourself, that's got to be pretty lonely, and what I touched on in my episode about it, for me, I look at running, it is not an isolated sport for me.

Speaker 1: 6:39

I have a running community. A lot of them are sober, accountability buddy, sober running buddies, and I even look at you as one of those from afar, and I have a coach. We have a thread that goes on that, though as much as to the outside eye it looks like a single sport, but to me, just like sobriety, there's community involved when it comes to even if it is just one other person that day, it's your coach, or if it's somebody else that's sharing you on, like your significant other, your daughter, and I would love for you to be able to just kind of speak about that. Taryn, what does community look like for you in a sport that for so many people perceive as singular and like a lone wolf in your by yourself?

Speaker 2: 7:15

Yeah, I mean, it's the same thing. I don't think I'm alone in what running does for me in my life, right. I don't think that's like a unique thing and I think that's the community part of it, right, it's like we may all have different reasons for it, but I feel like there's a lot of very similar reasons. People run and, like you said, like the just the community aspect of bringing it back to the ultras, but, like during one of those races, like the community aspect of those races is so strong and like so positive and like so uplifting and everybody comes from different walks of life. It's just a really cool community of people for me, kind of specifically, the ultra running community.

Speaker 1: 7:56

Yeah and yeah. So getting into the ultras, right. So there's always we start out like, oh, maybe I can do a 5k, I'll sign up for the Thanksgiving turkey trot. And then there's the half marathon, right, you know. There's the 10k, you know, sprinkle that in the 25k. And then there's beyond, kind of like what you and I experienced you'd experience it on a bigger level than me right now is the ultra.

Speaker 1: 8:17

Ultra is beyond the marathon, beyond 26.2. And for so many people like 26.2 miles, they're like yeah, no, no way. And so for you like going beyond that, the 50k, the 50 mile, and then also the hundred mile, which I'll have you talk about too. When it comes to that mental aspect that you started to talk about earlier, taryn, on days where you're like there's no way, because it's one thing to be athletic, but then, like you said, I believe the biggest part about it is the mental part. And so what can you say about how you've been able to just I will just even say like, grow that mental muscle and has any of that correlated to the mental toughness and, I'll say, the resiliency that has happened for you with sobriety?

Speaker 2: 9:01

Yeah, Again I think he said it kind of an organic process, just kind of like the recovery stuff. It's just being consistent, right. It's like going out there and doing it and like the day where it's hard, I mean maybe it's maybe it's easier to draw on like examples as far as like distances go right, but like feeling like a marathon distance is like crazy and like so far, but then you do it right and you cross the finish line at 26.2, it's like that becomes your new threshold, right. It's like you've proven to yourself that you can do that distance, which in that sense you've built resilience right. You've built kind of a new higher threshold for yourself which I think in some ways is like very similar to sobriety.

Speaker 2: 9:48

As far as just like making these spiritual progress or mental progress or improved relationships. Right, you just kind of continue to elevate the threshold of, I guess, positive life you can have in your recovery and you realize that it can continue to exponentially become better and now you can have more love in your life, you can have more gratitude in your life, you can have more discipline in your life. There's all these things, yeah, I guess, calling back to the distance thing, you hit that distance, you go okay, that is possible, so more must be possible too.

Speaker 1: 10:21

Yeah, we're gonna get into the more because us addicts and alcoholics, I feel like we're always like more, more. So I know that you're gearing up for your first hundred miler and I'm so excited for you. I can't wait. This is so exciting and in that my friends just even in my ultras with the 50 came, 50 mile Are there like you're crazy. Why would you do that? What on God's earth makes you think that that's even remotely fun? I like to call it type 2 fun, because it's fun.

Speaker 1: 10:49

But it's also like there's this search, there's this desire for more like what is possible, just like, with sobriety, what is possible for us. And so, in prepping for your hundred mile or Taren, and just you making that decision right, there's that discipline and that decision to make that jump to the hundred milers. Taren, because I always say a lot of the things we underlying is fear. Right, a lot of us have fear, like why I'm not even gonna try, or like I'm like that's crazy. So what, for you, gets you excited about Making this big jump to a hundred miler? And then, just what is it? You even some of the fear, talk through, some of the fears as well that you continue to look at, but you're like, hey, you know, I can move through these.

Speaker 2: 11:29

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of fear, right, I think, and that's kind of with the exciting part of it of continuing to kind of build the distances up, because even going into the 50k there was fear. Going into the 50 miler, going to the hundred K, there was that fear of can I do this right, can I get through this distance. That to me is like a really exciting part of it. And I will say honestly, I'm a little nuts but I'm sure you could probably relate to this. But like I my, I set on the hundred miler Really early on when I started running, where it was completely out of reach. It was like I want to run a hundred miler at some point, and that was probably two years ago, right.

Speaker 2: 12:06

So this has kind of been a long time in the making and and I've approached it in a way that I think was kind of the smart way to do it, if not just going for the hundred miler right, going to the 50k, doing the 50 miler, doing the hundred K, just kind of slowly getting a feel of what those feel like, getting through those right, breaking through those fears that come along with those jumping distances.

Speaker 2: 12:28

That way I feel more prepared for the hundred miler, as far as just kind of what struggles we might encounter, having a bit more confidence going into it, knowing, you know, been on my feet for 17 and a half hours before for the hundred K, right, and just like feeling a bit more prepared for it. It's super scary. There's a lot of fear, there's a lot of butterflies that come along with thinking about it, but I, like you said this type two fun, right, it's like that's the best. I know there's gonna be struggle. It's like guaranteed that there's gonna be struggle, but that's a really exciting part of it because pushing through that Just increases that threshold. Right. It, just it brings you to another level.

Speaker 1: 13:06

I Totally agree and relate to that having those goals. But I love how you said that you slowly built yourself up and it's just like that with sobriety the more time you get, the more things you start to do in sobriety, just armed with more facts and tools about what you can and cannot do. And so that we got the running thing down with Teran. He's figuring it out like he's got the mental capacity Kind of like sobriety. You always want to add other tools to like help your sobriety. So, like here comes Teran and I roughly around the same time adding another tool to our running, which is the cold plunge. And yes, I know you guys, it is a fad everywhere, but this is not a fad for Teran or for I like this is a way of life, this is something that is just crucial to daily routine, to overall health. And I would love for you again like this is a tool.

Speaker 1: 13:51

You know, cold plunging and a lot of people are like, again, you're crazy, why would you sit in a tub that's 28 degrees, 30 degrees? Like I remember you guys Teran would show his thermometer on social media and I'm like I don't know if mine was that cold, maybe the river was that cold and I'm like, ah, he's cold in my damn it and I gotta go get colder, watching Teran take a hammer to his cold punch and chunk those ice bricks apart and dive into it what it does for us and people just being like you guys are like I said. You guys are crazy Since you chose to look at cold plunging and it's become, like I said, a part of your routine. I mean, obviously there are days where you're like I don't want to do this. I know I should, but I don't want to, and you push through it Just like sobriety. I don't want to be sober today, I don't want to do the work, but I'm gonna do it anyways.

Speaker 1: 14:35

What are tools that you use, teran, that you don't mind sharing the with the listeners? On days where you're like you got done with a run, you're looking at that cold plunge, or even on days where you don't run and you're getting you cold plunging, you're like I don't want to do it and you do it anyways. What is that inside of you that makes you do it?

Speaker 2: 14:54

Yeah, I mean, I will say the river's next level, Michael, that's like. The river is like ultimate cold plunge, the moving water, you know, coming down from the melted snow, that's like. I don't think there's any any more badass way to do a cold.

Speaker 1: 15:10

My husband thinks I'm nuts I go out with a night lamp at the head lamp, night lamp head lamp Like where are? You going? I'm like to the river.

Speaker 2: 15:17

That's awesome, that's so cool for you. But yeah, to answer your question, I mean honestly it's kind of a hard one to answer. It's one of those where, at least now, it's like I almost don't give myself any other option, which I guess is a good way to like kind of look at it's a sobriety and connecting with recovery, right, it's like I can't go use right, like I can't. I don't have that in me, like if I do, like there's a chance I won't come back. So like using just cannot be an option for me at this point in my recovery. Even if there's hard days, right, or there's, you know, loss of a family, maybe like a really big traumatic experience, whatever it is I'm using just can't be an option. So maybe that's how I would correlate it in some way.

Speaker 2: 15:58

I've tried just not to give myself an help and I think that's why I've chosen to cold plunge every day. Right, I made a commitment to like do it every single day. That way there is kind of no out to it. Well, if you don't do it now, you're going to have to do it later. So like let's just do it now, kind of thing. Yeah, really, I think that's what it is at this point it might take a few extra minutes to get in a few deep breaths, a few extra deep breaths right Before we get in.

Speaker 2: 16:21

jump up and down a little bit, try to warm the body up a little bit before we get in, but like there is no other option, like I'm, I'm getting in that cold plunge and, yeah, I guess that I don't give myself an out.

Speaker 1: 16:35

I love that you said that when it becomes a working part of our minds right Like sobriety. You said it's a working part of your mind there is no other option. What running has now become for you? What cold plunging, adding that that next level to just help you become that much more fierce. I love that you said I don't give myself an option, and when I don't give myself an option, it's just a working part of what I do, and I appreciate you saying that instead of you saying some long winded inspirational bullshit. I love the fact that you're just like.

Speaker 1: 17:04

It's not an option for me you know, michael, ah, this is, oh my God, this is so fun, okay. So, Karen, every single day, we all get up, we have a routine and every day, you know you go for a run or you coal plunge, or you know I'm sure you have rest days, like myself. I hope you have rest days when you wake up and you get to, like I said, like we get to do these things. Connect your life now and what running has done for you, what coal plunging has done for you, and also being in sobriety when you wake up every morning, kind of what are thoughts that run through your head? Of just like this is my life, but it's your life because you chose it.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Yeah, that's the thought, like, this is like a really cool existence and, like you said, like we get to do these things, we choose to do these things. I feel really lucky to get to do these things. For me, it's what I enjoy and I get to do it on a regular basis and that's really cool that we get to like do these things that we enjoy. I don't know, as pretentious as it sound like, I do think it like makes me a no-transcript human being. It makes me easier to be around. You know, I know I've been sketchy. Yeah, I'm really lucky for the existence, that I get to live, that we get to live.

Speaker 1: 18:13

Yeah. And so, Taryn, like if there was somebody out there listening to this, that's like I don't even know where to start with running, or I don't even know where to start with cold plunging. What would you say to the person out there? That's like there's no way. That sounds cool and all, but there's no way I can do what Taryn does on a daily basis. You know, what would you say to them? That was even just even helpful for you as you started out incorporating this, this way of living, into your life.

Speaker 2: 18:38

Yeah, nothing special. Anybody can do what we do. But I think it's like anything right. It's just baby steps. It's like early sobriety, taking an hour at a time and then it builds to a day at a time. I think it's bite sized chunks, right. Just like same with, you know, I think, cold plunged. I started at 45 seconds. Jump in and scream and freeze and whatever and jump out. Now next day you try 60 seconds and then the next time maybe do that for a little bit and then try for 90 seconds and then build up to two minutes and then over time you realize you're, you know you're at five minutes and you're getting in, taking a few deep breaths and you're calm. And same thing with running go run five minutes, right, run five minutes, walk five minutes.

Speaker 1: 19:18

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:19

Next day run seven minutes and walk three minutes. You know, maybe over time you're able to run 10 minutes and then can run two miles. And then you know, run two miles, walk a half mile, run another mile. It's just slow, build right and then anybody that does that. I think we'll be very surprised with, like how I don't would say easy, but like how we're able to just continue to build on those things. Yeah, if we just like a dedicated effort to doing them. Yeah, if you really want it, go get it.

Speaker 1: 19:45

I love how he's so humble. He's like, if you want it, go get it, and he's just like he's over here, just like crushing it. But I, I love that you said that, like I'm no one special, right, like I'm no one special. And I love that you said that because every one of us thinks that, like I can't do it, like Taren might be the exception that he can go and do all these different things, and there's no way that I can. And you said that you know, truth be told, we're all on the starting line and we all get to choose, like where we're going.

Speaker 2: 20:12

Yeah, totally Exactly yeah. And there's, you know, on the flip side of that right, you can never let our egos get too big, because it's like there's always somebody doing more badass shit than we are out there. We're not special, but it's like that's for me. There's a lot of freedom in that. Stay in there. That could be a whole another rabbit hole, but like anybody can do it, you know.

Speaker 1: 20:29

Yeah, and, taren, just thank you so much for being here and being willing to talk about it, cause sometimes it's hard to talk about our achievements, but I think there's also there's humility in the ego of being able to say, hey, like this is what I do, but I am nobody special and I just appreciate your outlook and I appreciate what you said so much.

Speaker 2: 20:44

Well, I appreciate you. I appreciate you thinking of me, appreciate you in my life, appreciate you as a running buddy, a cold plunge buddy. So yeah, appreciate you having me.

Speaker 1: 20:56

So you guys, if you're ever like I can't do this, just think of Taren and Michael we're, we're out there too. You guys, we are there for you. Taren, I know we had you last season talk about how people can get ahold of you, but in case anything has changed, how can? If anybody wanted to reach out to you or follow you? What are ways that people can find out who the Taren is?

Speaker 2: 21:16

Yeah, I mean obviously run purpose house or purpose house. So we're living on Instagram, purpose house, so we're livingcom personal ones. Taren T-E-R-I-N dot devoto D-E-V-O-T-O on Instagram, on Tic-Tac, on Facebook too, yeah.

Speaker 1: 21:31

Sweet, we'll put it in the show notes. You guys reach out to him if you want to. And here we go, you guys, another Monday. And this is how we do. We change lives. Hopefully we can see some inspiration for all of you Before we part ways, all of you, amazing humans. I do want to remind you that help is available If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse. Please reach out to Harmony Foundation at 9705864491. Just remember that together we build better humans. Here we go, see you next week.