<description>&lt;p&gt;I’ve spoken enough about my personal efforts and experience ~ the story is told.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;However one story that hasn’t been told on this channel is this -&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;We were a team of 16. For 9 months we toiled and strove for more from ourselves to prepare bodies and minds for the amazing challenge of the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/mdslegendary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@mdslegendary&lt;/a&gt;. All 16 crossed the finish line. A incredible result for&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/ironmindinstitute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@ironmindinstitute&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;To put this in context, when I did the race in 2016 only 50% of my tent finished the race. The race’s standard DNF rate is 15 - 20%.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Much more importantly, we shared an extraordinary experience together. This is what it is all about really - stepping into the void and fighting, struggling and suffering to achieve something remarkably difficult together.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;I’ve been on a lot of expeditions and this was a special group to share an experience with. Connections made for life.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Next stop - just the little matter of attempting to run around the island of Ireland.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Much to be done…. Chop Wood, Carry Water.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

If you say you are going to do something, go fucking do it.

I’ve spoken enough about my personal efforts and experience ~ the story is told. However one story that hasn’t been told on this channel is this - We were a team of 16. For 9 months we toiled and strove for more from ourselves to prepare bodies and minds for the amazing challenge of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mdslegendary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@mdslegendary</a>. All 16 crossed the finish line. A incredible result for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ironmindinstitute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@ironmindinstitute</a> To put this in context, when I did the race in 2016 only 50% of my tent finished the race. The race’s standard DNF rate is 15 - 20%. Much more importantly, we shared an extraordinary experience together. This is what it is all about really - stepping into the void and fighting, struggling and suffering to achieve something remarkably difficult together. I’ve been on a lot of expeditions and this was a special group to share an experience with. Connections made for life. Next stop - just the little matter of attempting to run around the island of Ireland. Much to be done…. Chop Wood, Carry Water.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Stage 5: 42.2 km Marathon des Sables 2025 ✅

<description>&lt;p&gt;If I had to choose a word to describe the stage it would be - Uncomfortable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;It rained.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;I limped.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;It sandstorm-ed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;I hallucinated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;I slept while I walked. I slept in a bush.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;I chose my response. I smiled.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;An epic day (and a bit). I spent the vast majority of it in a place I enjoy - on my own; in my own head. There was stuff to get some clarity on. The long reflective periods of silence were healthily broken by moments with Kevin from Cumbria, the 2 Pauls (&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/pfarr1980/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@pfarr1980&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/paulbyas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@paulbyas&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;), James at CP 7 and Gary from our&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/ironmindinstitute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@ironmindinstitute&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;team.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Despite the discomfort, there was little “1st level thinking”. You know - the focus that arises as a consequence of the physical stress: “How long is left?”, “How far until the next checkpoint?” etc, etc …. outcome orientation. I’ve practiced the 4 Controllables Method for close on a decade and mind - body connection has become my default state - even in duress.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discomfort is the price of evolution. Therefore the capacity to endure discomfort is truly important if you desire to do more with your life. The longer we can endure the feeling of discomfort, the more time we give ourselves to organise our psychology and change our state - a true superpower.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

If I had to choose a word to describe the stage it would be - Uncomfortable. It rained. I limped. It sandstorm-ed. I hallucinated. I slept while I walked. I slept in a bush. I chose my response. I smiled. An epic day (and a bit). I spent the vast majority of it in a place I enjoy - on my own; in my own head. There was stuff to get some clarity on. The long reflective periods of silence were healthily broken by moments with Kevin from Cumbria, the 2 Pauls (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pfarr1980/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@pfarr1980</a>&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/paulbyas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@paulbyas</a>&nbsp;), James at CP 7 and Gary from our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ironmindinstitute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@ironmindinstitute</a>&nbsp;team. Despite the discomfort, there was little “1st level thinking”. You know - the focus that arises as a consequence of the physical stress: “How long is left?”, “How far until the next checkpoint?” etc, etc …. outcome orientation. I’ve practiced the 4 Controllables Method for close on a decade and mind - body connection has become my default state - even in duress. Discomfort is the price of evolution. Therefore the capacity to endure discomfort is truly important if you desire to do more with your life. The longer we can endure the feeling of discomfort, the more time we give ourselves to organise our psychology and change our state - a true superpower.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Stage 4: 82.2kms - The Long Day

<description>&lt;p&gt;It's important to me that I am honest with myself. For years I wasn't.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;My dishonesty inflicted plenty of pain on me and others close to me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;The truth is enlightening and empowering despite its often ugly facade.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the story of my dispatches from the desert here -&lt;a href="https://lnkd.in/gSGDbpjB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt; https://lnkd.in/gSGDbpjB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strength, courage &amp;amp; integrity,&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Damian&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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 -<a href="https://lnkd.in/gSGDbpjB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://lnkd.in/gSGDbpjB</a> Strength, courage &amp; integrity, Damian <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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

<description>&lt;p&gt;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?”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Life is full. My physical &amp;amp; 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.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Quietly confident or not—that mindset left holes for mistakes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Midway through Day 2, I had doubts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;To add to the challenge—I was leading 15 individuals who had trained under me and the Ironmind Institute for the last 9 months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;“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?”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can tune into the latest&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@deep_roots_podcast&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;episode to hear the full story from Day 2 of the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/mdslegendary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@mdslegendary&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

“Is my foot really stopping me running and pushing myself more, or is it a convenient excuse not to try?”

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 &amp; 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@deep_roots_podcast</a>&nbsp;episode to hear the full story from Day 2 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mdslegendary/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@mdslegendary</a><hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Stage 2 of the Marathon des Sables - 40km

<description>&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;By the time I reached Checkpoint 1 I was a very happy man. This was the exact start I wanted. Aggressive, present, courageous.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;p&gt;Tune into today’s episode of&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@deep_roots_podcast&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;to hear the full story of Day 1, including my secret delight when John and Conor from our&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/ironmindinstitute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;@ironmindinstitute&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;team passed me between CP 2 &amp;amp; 3, my old Saharan nemesis humbling me again, and my rating for standards and efforts for the day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;hr&gt;&lt;p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'&gt; Hosted on Acast. See &lt;a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'&gt;acast.com/privacy&lt;/a&gt; for more information.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Staring down 250km across the Sahara desert

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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@deep_roots_podcast</a>&nbsp;to hear the full story of Day 1, including my secret delight when John and Conor from our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ironmindinstitute/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@ironmindinstitute</a>&nbsp;team passed me between CP 2 &amp; 3, my old Saharan nemesis humbling me again, and my rating for standards and efforts for the day.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Stage 1 of the Marathon des Sables - 32.2kms

Welcome to the Adventure, Welcome to Deep RootsThe mission with Deep Roots is to share my journey to self realisation through the vehicle of extreme adventures and expeditions. The deepening of oneself through toil and hardship, dreams and purpose, and the pursuit of my physical, mental and emotional edges throughout the four corners of our incredible planet, surrounded and challenged by nature's wonders.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Damian BrowneTo be apart of the journey and get in touch with the podcast, contact on:Instagram &gt; https://www.instagram.com/auld_stock/?hl=enWebsite &gt; https://www.damianbrowne.com/<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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