Dying To Ask

How America's Fastest Race Walkers Found Zen On The Road To Tokyo

Chances are you took a lot of walks during the pandemic.

But, we'll bet you didn't walk with the same purpose Nick Christie and Robyn Stevens did.

They're America's top race walkers and they're speeding toward spots to represent Team USA this summer at the Tokyo Olympics.

They're also a couple in real life and they've spent virtually every minute of the pandemic living and training with each other.

Nick and Robyn avoided all contact with the outside world in fear that catching COVID-19 would ruin their athletic careers.

As endurance athletes, they worried the long-term effects would negatively impact their respiratory systems.

So, they moved to the middle of nowhere. The Mohave Desert, to be exact.

They committed to coaching each other and emerged from quarantine for their first race in February and won their respective U.S. Championships.

On this Dying to Ask:

• The extreme lengths Robyn and Nick went to in order to not get COVID-19
• How little contact they've had with anyone but each other
• How to dig deep and find happiness when you don't have a lot of control over your life
• Robyn's mental health hack that could be an instant game-changer in your life

How Skateboarder Maurio McCoy Found An Edge In The Pandemic

Five new sports will debut at this summer's Tokyo Olympics.

Skateboarding is one of them, and Maurio McCoy wants to bring home gold for Team USA.

Skateboarding features two events: park and street.

Park competitions take place in a bowl and emphasize athlete flow and tricks. Street competitions feature a course that creates real-world obstacles like stairs and rails.

McCoy is a street skater and he can thank his big brother for his Olympic dreams.

His brother handed him a skateboard at the age of 4 and the rest is history.

McCoy moved to Los Angeles from Pennsylvania right before the pandemic. He spent quarantine skating and falling in love with his new hometown.

"I don't have to deal with weather — sunny here for the most part. I like that it's been good for my skating," said McCoy.

On this Dying to Ask:

• What skateboarders think of their sport joining the Olympics.
• How skateboard "attitude" helps McCoy handle life stress.
• What life is like as a pro skateboarder (spoiler: it's pretty awesome and McCoy knows it).

 

How To Dig Deeper With 2-Time Olympian Kim Conley

Making a third Olympic team isn't easy.

Add in a pandemic and a yearlong Olympic delay and it creates challenges for Olympians like Kim Conley.

Conley represented Team USA in distance running at the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The UC Davis grad and New Balance-sponsored athlete was on track to qualify for her third Olympic team in the 5000m when COVID-19 struck.

Runners were fortunate when the lockdown started since running wasn't canceled and doesn't require a practice facility in proximity to other people for training.

But distance running in your 30s isn't always easy. Recovery takes long. Injuries can happen at any time.

But Kim was feeling healthy and made the decision to double down on her commitment to making that third Olympic team.

That led to a major life decision to leave Northern California and relocate to Flagstaff, Arizona.

And she's reaped both physical and mental benefits ever since.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How Kim made the call to leave her support system in Northern California and move to Flagstaff, Arizona
• How athletes avoided COVID-19 this past year
• What Kim feared might happen to her career if she tested positive for coronavirus
• And how to fine-tune your own grit when your life plan goes sideways

Why Team USA's Karate Kid Loves 'Cobra Kai'

Ariel Torres is a real-life Karate Kid and Team USA's best chance at a medal in karate at this summer's Tokyo Olympics.

Karate joins judo and taekwondo as the third martial art to enter the Olympic lineup after Japan named it one of five sports debuting at this summer's games.

Torres started karate at the age of 6 at the suggestion of a pediatrician to control his endless energy.

Like Daniel LaRusso in "The Karate Kid," he fell in love with the sport. Like Daniel LaRusso, he's from New Jersey. Unlike Daniel LaRusso, he loves "Cobra Kai."

The hit Netflix show is giving the sport a rebirth just in time for fans to cheer on athletes like Torres in Tokyo.

Torres is ranked number 10 in the world in his sport and is a featured "Got Milk" sponsored athlete.

On this Dying to Ask:

• Why Ariel says the Olympic postponement is the only reason he has a shot at competing in Tokyo this summer.
• What happened to him during quarantine that changed him as a man and as an athlete.
• How the Netflix show "Cobra Kai" is fueling karate's growth as a sport.
• And how you can be a more disciplined person by utilizing a few tricks from Ariel's training.

What To Expect In Season 7, The Road To Tokyo

Delayed.

Delayed.

I never thought it was possible to delay an Olympic Games. It turns out it is very possible to put the world's biggest sporting event on hold.

It turns out you can press pause on a lot of life when there is a pandemic.

But now, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021) seems to be on track to actually happen this summer.

In this season of the "Dying To Ask" podcast, we'll continue our deep dive into how to fine-tune your mindset by learning mental hacks from some of the toughest bodies and brains around, Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.

Here's a preview of what to expect and a recap on why I'm obsessed with all things Olympics.

The 2021 Summer Beach Reads Episode

Read anything good lately? The answer is always yes when you ask independent bookstore owner Tina Ferguson.

Tina started her independent bookstore, Face In A Book, nearly 10 years ago. Nothing prepared Tina and other bookstore owners for the challenges of selling books in a pandemic.

But, books were definitely essential for a lot of us over the last year.

They provided an escape from the realities of pandemic life. They inspired us. They distracted us. And, most of all, they entertained us.

Now, it's the summer of 2021. Vaccination rates are creeping up and a lot of people are craving travel and vacations again.

Have a pen handy as you listen and get great suggestions from Tina on what to pack book-wise.

It's our annual "Summer Beach Reads" show, and this one will keep your attention until "The End."

On this Dying to Ask:

• The trends bookstores are seeing coming out of the pandemic
• Six books Tina says deserve your attention this summer
• Tina's trick to get kids reading more over the summer

 

How To Develop A Morning Routine With Fitz

I'm good at a lot of things. I'm great at one thing: My morning routine.

After doing morning news for more than 20 years, I am an expert in finding ways to streamline getting out the door.

A good morning ritual can be a time saver. It can be a sanity saver. And, it can lessen stress in unusual ways by boosting productivity and raising your self-esteem.

But, here's the reason most morning routines fail: Morning routines don't actually start in the morning. They start at night.

I probably should have thrown in a "spoiler alert" before that one.

In this solo episode, I'm breaking down the ridiculously easy things I do to make getting up hours before the rooster crows possible.

Prepare to be dazzled by the seemingly mundane. But, give it a try, and I'll bet you see results.

In this Dying to Ask:

• Why you should develop a morning routine
• How to figure out what should and should not be in your morning routine
• Why I think most morning routines fail

How To Make Time For Everything With Zibby Owens

Zibby Owens is on her way to becoming one of the most important people in publishing.

The publishing world is starting to view her in the same way it views Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. And she was named New York City's top "book-fluencer." (Yes, that's a thing.)

Zibby's "Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books" podcast is a play on the fact that moms need to make time for themselves. Reading is the escape many women turn to for motivation, inspiration and an escape from the stresses of life. And, as a divorced mom of four kids, Zibby practices what she preaches.

In just three years, Zibby's daily, 30-minute podcast has become the show NY Times best-selling authors fight to get on to keep their status. And, it's become the place aspiring authors hope to appear to launch their careers.

She recently published "Moms Don't Have Time To: A Quarantine Anthology." The book is a collection of essays from authors who have appeared as guests on her podcast.

On This Dying to Ask:

• How Zibby went from never having listened to a podcast to hosting a top-rated show.
• How Zibby is growing her "Moms Don't Have Time" brand to cover everything from weight loss to grief to sex.
• And learn Zibby's ultimate time hack to create space to pursue your non-family-related passions and goals.

How To Reset Your 'Parent Compass' With Jenn Curtis And Cindy Muchnick

Have you seen "Operation Varsity Blues" on Netflix yet? It's one of the network's most-streamed shows these days and it's full of Sacramento connections.

It's shocked viewers for two reasons.

One, it's still hard to believe Aunt Becky did what she did. Two, it's truly sad to find out how much stress high school kids face trying to get into the college of their dreams.

And, that was pre-pandemic.

Now, kids have spent the last year in isolation spending more time alone and on screens.

Wellbeings.org tracked 1,000 teens last fall. The results are shocking.

Half said their mental health is worse or somewhat worse than it was pre-pandemic. More than 50% said their social life is worse or somewhat worse. And 72% feel coronavirus will put their generation at a disadvantage for a long time.

It means the relationship between parent and teen has never been more important.

The problem is it's now more complicated than ever.

That's why Cynthia Muchnick and Jenn Curtis wrote "The Parent Compass: Navigating your Teen's Wellness & Academic Journey in Today's Competitive World."

Neither Muchnick nor Curtis knew families were taking fake rowing pics to scam their way into prestigious schools. But they did know that something awful was brewing in how families pursued college acceptances overall.

Both have worked as college counselors for years and were troubled by what they were seeing in their offices. Kids who couldn't speak for themselves. Parents who can't stop talking about their kids' college dreams.

Muchnick and Curtis say now is the time to reboot how you parent and see your kid for who they truly are, and more importantly, who they truly want to become. Failing to do so can have disastrous results.

On this Dying to Ask:

• How to be a more effective parent during the teen years.
• What the college process is really like right now.
• And why pandemic parents need to give themselves a timeout and learn how to listen.

 

How To Break An Addiction To 'Doing' With Renee Dineen

Episode 100 of the Dying to Ask podcast begins with a question: How do you want to spend your time post-pandemic?

Many people say the silver lining of quarantine-life has been extra time spent with family. But will we still spend this much together time once lockdowns and masks are a memory?

Maybe it's time to take a self-inventory.

That means taking a critical look at how you're wired and what you really want to be doing, or more importantly, not doing.

Business and life coach Renee Dineen's describes herself as a recovering "doing addict" and workaholic.

She left a seven-figure job in biotech for a shot at doing more meaningful work.

That work turned into research into why so many of us are addicted to our to-do list and endless goals at the expense of our health and personal lives.

Renee's TED Talk called "Authentic Inaction" has more than half a million views. And, she believes the art of doing nothing every once in awhile can manifest in everything.

In this Dying to Ask:

• How the pandemic revealed how many of us are addicted to "doing"
• The power of knowing your enneagram number and how to use it once you know it
• Three simple ways to simplify your life and free up your time