Built By Showing Up

Hey Team!

After a whirlwind trip… DC, Nicaragua, NYC, Austin… I’m back in Tofino getting caught up and sliding back into routine. I feel incredibly grateful for the chance to move like that, spend time with people I love (and who inspire me), and see the world through fresh lenses.

When I land in certain cities, friends will say things like: “You don’t stop moving” or “You’re everywhere.” And honestly… it’s true right now. I feel a bit nomadic. But I also know this is the season for it. To push while I can… physically and mentally… and to put myself in the mix. Because proximity matters. Incredible things happen when you’re around inspiring humans, and I’m choosing to stay close to that energy. Home is great, but the real magic happens in the arena… in the rooms you almost talk yourself out of… on the start line.

And no surprise, the circle keeps expanding. Not because I’m lucky, but because I keep showing up. Your tribe doesn’t form when you want it… it’s built by repetition. If you’ve been wondering how to meet new people or broaden your circle, ask yourself this: when’s the last time you stepped outside your comfort zone and walked into a room of strangers?

From The Field

I did something pretty outside the box in Austin. I signed up for the marathon only days in advance… and committed to an extra 10K on top. That made it 52K, which technically puts it into ultramarathon territory. And no, it wasn’t about being bigger or better. It was the bucket I’ve been living in lately: bolder.

I’ve got my eye on a 100-mile race (more on that next week!), which means my long easy runs need to ramp quickly. Austin made perfect sense… high energy, big crowd, and the volume I needed for training. But here’s the part that mattered most: I did the extra 10K before the marathon, not after.

That wasn’t random. Anything hard gets harder the longer you’re in it. I knew the first 10K would feel manageable no matter what. I also knew the mental negotiation would get loud later… the “You’ve done enough” voice at 40K is very convincing. So I set the day up to remove the option. Put the “bonus” miles first, then the marathon becomes the anchor. I wasn’t going to run 10K, start a marathon, and not finish… so the full 52K was happening, no debate.

Now you might be wondering: how’d it go?

The goal was steady pacing… 5:15–5:30/km the whole way. I averaged 5:33/km, so not far off. I was under that range early, then the legs got heavy in the final 10K. The last 6 miles of the marathon I stopped at every hydration station… electrolytes, water, and a simple deal with myself: one more mile. Run smooth between stations. Repeat.

It’s a good reminder for anything big… a long race, a hard season, a meaningful project. Don’t carry the entire mountain in your head. Break it into segments. Collect small wins. Let the micro wins and momentum do some of the lifting.

This Week’s Shift

Austin also came with a community highlight. I got to hang with the Dream Recovery team and their founder, my friend Todd Anderson. Unreal group of humans… every single person brought energy. We kicked the weekend off with a 90-person workout at a local gym, which was such a fun reminder of what happens when people choose effort together.

The timing was perfect because I used their Second Wind nasal strips for the ultra the next day. The claim is up to 30% more airflow through the nose, and for someone like me… chronic inflammation in my nasal cavity… I was curious.

They delivered. Five hours of running, starting in the dark and cold and finishing in the heat… and I didn’t have to blow my nose once. No congestion, no heavy breathing, just steady intake and a calmer rhythm the whole way. Bonus detail: the adhesion is wild. I ran in the morning and wore it all day after, and it didn’t lift even slightly.

Sometimes the shift isn’t a grand revelation. Sometimes it’s one small tool that makes the work feel less clunky… and helps you stay in motion when things usually get noisy.

You don’t build a life you’re proud of by staying comfortable… you build it by stepping into the arena, again and again. Pick the room, pick the people, pick the work… and when things get heavy, simplify it to the only question that matters: can you give one more mile?

Catch you on the Start Line,
—Matty