Run Your Race Podcast

#013: My Next Challenge (Guinness World Record)

• Pierce Showe • Season 1 • Episode 13

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This episode explores the transformative power of endurance sports, highlighting personal stories of inspiration and the drive for communal health change. It encourages listeners to engage in personal challenges while raising awareness about nutrition and health systems in America. 


• Discovering the role of inspiration in personal growth 
• Sharing the influence of Pierce's mother and David Goggins 
• The importance of challenges beyond mere achievement 
• Planning for the Guinness World Record challenge 
• Addressing America's health crisis through communal efforts 
• Inviting listeners to participate and share their journeys

Speaker 1:

What is up everyone? Welcome back to the Run your Race podcast. I'm your host, pierre Hsiao, and I'm really excited to share with you my next challenge. If you have followed me on Instagram, you probably already know what it is, given I've been posting a ton about it already, but I wanted to record a longer episode that really talks about why I chose this challenge, how I choose what I do next and also, before we get too much into that, I want to share with you really why this podcast exists, why I'm taking the time to create these episodes and interview guests and all of those things.

Speaker 1:

The main reason why is because endurance sports have changed my life. God has used endurance sports and running to change my life, and one of the biggest things that's changed my life is seeing someone do something so incredible, so amazing, so outside of my realm of possibility, and that inspiring me to believe that I was capable of more more than I currently thought, more than I was currently capable of. But it gave me the courage to go after things that I never thought were possible, and the first example to me was my mom. So my mom actually, some of you may know this, some of you don't, but my mom has run a marathon every year for the last 32 years, maybe coming up on 33 years. But the thing is she never told me to run, but she set a great example. She never told me to run, but she set a great example. And so by the time high school came around and I had started running for lacrosse tryouts and I realized it was actually pretty decent. I see my mom doing these marathons and I figured, well, if she could do a full marathon, I can at least do a half, and so that gave me the courage to go after it. And when I went after it, I told people I was going to do it, and I had some doubts, because other people asked me questions like how do you fuel for something like this, what's the longest you've run, and all these questions they were asking me I didn't really know the answers to, so it created a little bit of doubt in me, and so, thankfully, I had already signed up for the event. So there was no turning back and I did the race, and after I collected myself at the finish line, I realized I didn't die, I got it done. I realized I didn't die, I got it done. But more than that I thought, man, if I didn't think I could do this before, but I can, what else is possible? What else can I possibly do? I've been playing so small up until this point because I didn't think I could do a full marathon. I didn't think I could do a full marathon.

Speaker 1:

And then another example came into my life. When I was in the summer going into college, I read a book that many of you will be familiar with, called Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins, and it was about this man who was 300 pounds and living a really miserable life, but then got inspired, got in shape, joined the Navy Seals and then after that he ran 100 mile races, 200 mile races. And I still remember the story of his first 100 mile race. It was a one mile loop and he had no clue what he was getting into. He didn't even train really cardio for it. A ton. He lifted legs the night before. But he went out and he got it done and I thought, man, if this guy can do 100 miles without training, surely I could do it with running endurance training.

Speaker 1:

And so I charted a 1.08 mile loop around my campus at USC in California and I decided to do that every 15 minutes for 12 hours during exam study days to raise money for mental health, because I was affected by just really struggling struggling with purpose, struggling with life and I didn't have a relationship with God at this point and I got really down. But then I found endurance and then later found God and I wanted to be a beacon of light to those people I was around and also tell them during study days man, it's important to study, it's important to work hard, but this test isn't going to define you and so you don't need to stress out like crazy, like I used to for these tests. So, anyway, I did that, inspired by Goggins, and then each semester I did one more. I did 60 miles the next semester during COVID in May, and then in the fall, I did 100 miles. That was fall of 2020, and so really, I'm a product of amazing mentors and inspiring people and in my life, of course, I'm a product of God and His plan for my life.

Speaker 1:

But God has used these different individuals and people in my life to be inspired, because when I saw those things, I didn't think, oh, I could never do that, but I let it make me think if they can do this, I can at least do this, and it created this momentum in my life to keep going after these challenges. And so there's so much that comes out of endurance challenges. If you're an endurance athlete yourself, you know there's so many amazing things that you learn and grow through and have to push through, and you just become a way better person through the process of training for something and disciplining your body. But I really think you know it's really important when we're figuring out what we're doing, the challenges that we're doing one, to not place our whole value in those, because one thing I've learned is that another medal or another belt buckle or whatever is not going to bring you fulfillment. It's not going to fill the God-sized hole that only God can fill. But these challenges can be used strategically to grow you more into the person that God created you to be. And so, for me, how I look at this is I don't need these challenges, but I use them for my growth and to take me to where God wants to take me.

Speaker 1:

And so that's why, when I'm thinking about what I want to do, when I'm thinking about, okay, pierce, what are we going to do next? First thing is what sounds exciting? What sounds exciting what races, challenges, what things sound exciting to me, and so the unknown of the 200 sounded really exciting in 2023. And then in 2024, I'd gone so far that I wanted to see, could I really run fast? And so I went for a fast marathon. And so this year I'm going after something a little bit different, and I'll tell you when I think about a challenge and it doesn't leave my mind that's how I know I got to do it and that's how this exactly was. And so let me tell you the story about why I'm choosing this.

Speaker 1:

So, essentially, I got a message one day on Instagram from someone and he sent me a video of a guy breaking this Guinness World Record for most consecutive half marathons on a treadmill, and I thought he told me I should break it and I thought no way, man. That's so boring when you've run the mountains in Leadville, colorado, and Moab 240 and all these beautiful, beautiful places. Who would ever want to run on a treadmill for over 100 days straight, 130 plus days straight. So immediately I was like no way, I'm not doing that. And then I was out in Africa, actually at a Christian gospel crusade. It was really powerful event, powerful move of God, people getting saved, getting healed, all these different things, lives being transformed and I was going.

Speaker 1:

We went back to the hotel and because we're in Abuja, nigeria, the parking lot's all gated off, armed guard, the whole nine and the parking lot's 0.1 miles in a loop, and so I decided I needed to get my run in. And so I ran that 0.1 mile loop a ton and I was listening to a podcast my brother sent me and it was Callie and Casey Means on Joe Rogan. If you don't know, callie and Casey Means are brother and sister and they both worked. One worked in the food lobbying space for a bunch of these big companies. Another worked as a medical professional, graduated from Stanford Medical School, and I forget where Callie graduated from, but both very educated, very knowledgeable, trustworthy individuals. Very educated, very knowledgeable, trustworthy individuals.

Speaker 1:

So they get on Joe Rogan and they just start talking about all these things going on in our food system and what's wrong in America and how we have such high levels of obesity. We're only spending more and more on healthcare every single year, but we're only getting sicker and sicker. All these things that are just crazy, mind-blowing. And it makes sense. It makes sense why things are the way that they are, given, the way that the system is structured, and if you look around, you can see how much processed food there is, how, in other countries you know they allow a lot less than we do in the United States, and I think the stats something like we allow 1300, over 1300 different ingredients, whereas they only allow like 400 in Europe, something crazy like that. And if you think about it logically, you would think, yeah, of course, it makes sense to eat whole foods, to eat fruits and vegetables and meats and fish and all these things, and not this processed food.

Speaker 1:

And so, to be honest, when I heard all this, I got very frustrated. I was like, oh my gosh, this is horrible. How is this even going on in our country? Like, how is this happening? And I got really mad. I got really mad, I got pissed off, and so I listened to a bunch of other podcasts and I was like man, more people need to know about this. I knew that the food that a lot of people ate wasn't good, but I didn't realize it was causing chronic illness and all these different things. And so I'm like man, I need to bring awareness to this. And so that's why, when I started thinking back to the challenge and man, how can I bring awareness to this? Well, if I did a Guinness World Record attempt that's every single day and promoted this and got people's attention and told them hey, we really need to make America healthy again. We really need to refine what's going on in our country and what foods are being allowed and educate people and feed people better food. We need change Because if obesity keeps rising the way that it is and chronic disease rises the way that it is, who knows what things are going to be like in 25, 30 years?

Speaker 1:

A half marathon for over 150 days straight on a treadmill in Lifetime Fitness in Las Colinas, texas, in Irving, and it's right outside of Dallas. And that's my next challenge. I'm partnering with Lifetime Fitness, going to have a treadmill and also another treadmill for guests and we're going to live stream it every day. We're going to put out weekly YouTube videos, do Instagram updates and we're going to raise money for the Lifetime Foundation for their initiative for youth nutrition and youth movement, because they do a lot of work in helping get the right foods into schools and really are pushing for, for change in those systems and this isn't a political by any means, um, you know, movement or or whatever this is. This is helping save America, because if we're not healthy, what are we? And the best thing that you can give the world is a healthy you, because, if you think about it, when you're not healthy, that's all you're focused on is that you're not healthy. You can't function nearly to the level that you need to. And so, yeah, that's my next challenge.

Speaker 1:

I'm super excited to document it and I'm going to be. It's interesting. The requirements for Guinness are very interesting, and so I'm going to be needing two eyewitnesses every single day to come out. So I'm going to have friends come out and watch and support. And also, if you're in the Dallas Fort Worth area, I'd love for you to come out. Be a witness one day. I'll run for about two hours. You can run or walk beside me, go at your own pace, and we can chat. We chat about whatever.

Speaker 1:

Some days, I'm sure I won't want to talk as much as others, but this is all about making America healthy again. This is all about pushing ourselves. This is all about inspiring change. And two, the way that America is going to change is if we change ourselves and we get educated ourselves and we exercise ourselves and take care of our bodies, eat whole foods and all of those things. Eat whole foods and all of those things.

Speaker 1:

And so part of this challenge is I'm going to challenge everyone involved to do something positive for your health for 150 days straight, or whenever you join in with me. Just join in and do something every single day, whether that's and do something every single day, whether that's 10,000 steps or a 30-minute walk, or eating whole foods, or eliminating certain processed foods, eliminating seed oils, whatever you know that you need to do to be healthier, just commit, Commit, commit for 30 days, commit for 60, 100 days, maybe not even commit the whole 150 at first, but I'm telling you, after you get 30 or so days in, you're going to feel different. You're going to feel amazing, you're going to be excited, and it's just going to be amazing. You're going to reach a new level and be inspired. You'll be inspired to a whole different level, and so that's really what I want to do. This is really what it's all about, and I'm super excited for it.

Speaker 1:

I hope you can be a part of it, and if there's anything, any questions you have, anything you're interested in when it comes to this challenge. Be sure to DM me on Instagram at Pure Shao, because we're going to be pulling back the curtain, really showing off what's happening to my body, what I'm doing to sustain this level of mileage and all these different things. So if you're interested, let me know, dm me Also, dm me if you want to be a witness one day. I will send you out some information on that. And thank you so much again for listening to this podcast.

Speaker 1:

I hope it blessed you, I hope it inspired you, I hope it shows you that you're capable of way more than you think. And really that's the mission of this podcast. It's to inspire people to believe that they're capable of more than they think and equip them to run the race that God's called them to do, because everyone has a race to run, a unique calling on their life, and also the way life is resembles running so clearly, and so if we can run well with endurance in our training, we could translate that over to life. And so go out, run your race, be great and let's go.