Ben Dhiman: Before he was a UTMB Champion

So today, I wanted to express something and then get into our guest.

So I'm actually going to replay an episode from January.

I very rarely do this.

Mostly, I just did it when I was on the Appalachian Trail and trying to continue to give some...

Content because this has been out for almost three years.

And so we have like 250 episodes and I feel like some of them get lost.

But I started this podcast.

with the intent of creating this community and well, I started it to get better at talking.

And what I wanted to talk about was this intersection of through hikers, trail runners, FKTs, outdoor people, even things like unsupported adventures and things like that that are outdoors, where it really focuses on these interesting people and why they do it, why they enjoy it in this mindset.

And then maybe eventually if it, if this podcast took off, have like a community or see the through lines that maybe you don't like sleeping outside or camping outside, but you can appreciate people that do the Pacific crest trail, or maybe you're a through hiker and never want to run an ultra marathon, but using the same trails as those who are on a trail run or, or, the coolest thing when you're through hiking is walking through the aid stations of a race.

This actually happened in 2011 on my first through hike.

On like day two of the trail, there was a ultra marathon going on and I walked through all the aid stations and they gave me what would have been, I guess we'll call it trail magic, but they gave me any extra food that I wanted.

And when you're a through hiker, you love that.

So I think there's this common theme through how and who likes to use these outdoor areas.

And I think it's so important to recognize that you don't just have to be one thing.

We all come from so many different places, so many different types of enjoyment of the outdoors, and we change over time.

How we are today is not going to dictate how we are in the future.

When I was 15, I was bullied in cross-country and quit and hated running.

Eventually, I found my way back to it, and running is quite a major part of my life, I would say.

The major factor that's driven so many things within my life, between connecting with people, between making an income, between having even a platform.

So I think keeping that in mind and just knowing that this through line of outdoor users, what we can become and just slowly gaining experience, building on that and having the drive and the mindset, even when no one else does.

Back early on, I didn't have a lot of belief in me from a lot of people, a lot of publications, lots thought I was... eccentric or ridiculous or crazy or weird.

And this goes back to college and stuff too, even doing triathlons and just approaching things a little different, but in a way that was motivating, captivating and fun for my mind, my mindset, how I did things, how I could do things.

Because even if you do something poorly, but you do it your way and you love doing it, That still counts.

A lot of people might try to follow the roadmap from somebody else and do it that way and might have a miserable time or they might quit.

So today, I wanted to express something and then get into our guest.

So I'm actually going to replay an episode from January.

I very rarely do this.

Mostly, I just did it when I was on the Appalachian Trail and trying to continue to give some...

Content because this has been out for almost three years.

And so we have like 250 episodes and I feel like some of them get lost.

But I started this podcast.

with the intent of creating this community and well, I started it to get better at talking.

And what I wanted to talk about was this intersection of through hikers, trail runners, FKTs, outdoor people, even things like unsupported adventures and things like that that are outdoors, where it really focuses on these interesting people and why they do it, why they enjoy it in this mindset.

And then maybe eventually if it, if this podcast took off, have like a community or see the through lines that maybe you don't like sleeping outside or camping outside, but you can appreciate people that do the Pacific crest trail, or maybe you're a through hiker and never want to run an ultra marathon, but using the same trails as those who are on a trail run or, or, the coolest thing when you're through hiking is walking through the aid stations of a race.

This actually happened in 2011 on my first through hike.

On like day two of the trail, there was a ultra marathon going on and I walked through all the aid stations and they gave me what would have been, I guess we'll call it trail magic, but they gave me any extra food that I wanted.

And when you're a through hiker, you love that.

So I think there's this common theme through how and who likes to use these outdoor areas.

And I think it's so important to recognize that you don't just have to be one thing.

We all come from so many different places, so many different types of enjoyment of the outdoors, and we change over time.

How we are today is not going to dictate how we are in the future.

When I was 15, I was bullied in cross-country and quit and hated running.

Eventually, I found my way back to it, and running is quite a major part of my life, I would say.

The major factor that's driven so many things within my life, between connecting with people, between making an income, between having even a platform.

So I think keeping that in mind and just knowing that this through line of outdoor users, what we can become and just slowly gaining experience, building on that and having the drive and the mindset, even when no one else does.

Back early on, I didn't have a lot of belief in me from a lot of people, a lot of publications, lots thought I was... eccentric or ridiculous or crazy or weird.

And this goes back to college and stuff too, even doing triathlons and just approaching things a little different, but in a way that was motivating, captivating and fun for my mind, my mindset, how I did things, how I could do things.

Because even if you do something poorly, but you do it your way and you love doing it, That still counts.

A lot of people might try to follow the roadmap from somebody else and do it that way and might have a miserable time or they might quit.