#011 - Climbing Mountains! Reach the peak of Everest & Kilimanjaro with Paul DeAngelis

2023-01-25

Paul DeAngelis joins today’s episode of the Endurance Cartel Podcast to talk about the attitude and mentality one should have to engage in endurance sports such as mountain climbing or triathlons. He shares a great deal of knowledge and wisdom based on his experience and teaches us what to avoid when challenging ourselves. Paul DeAngelis has committed his life to the promotion of health, well-being, and, most importantly, performance. Paul has prioritized training and education in his performance objective. He began coaching over 20 years ago because he is a firm believer in the POSE ...

Paul DeAngelis has committed his life to the promotion of health, well-being, and, most importantly, performance. Paul has prioritized training and education in his performance objective.

He began coaching over 20 years ago because he is a firm believer in the POSE method's life-changing effects. His purpose as a coach is to motivate people to make positive changes in their lives, and he discovered that the POSE technique is ideal for people of all ages and abilities.

Paul believes in sport psychology; perceptual development and psychical training are critical to the success of any program. He fosters a positive environment to assist individuals in overcoming self-doubt or perceived limits and reaching their full potential.

Paul has also travelled the world with the CrossFit Endurance certification team, teaching other coaches about good running mechanics, nutrition, injury avoidance, and programming. In addition, he uses the power of his motivational speeches to encourage and influence people in the health and wellness sector.

He is a skilled mountaineer with prior experience leading and handling tough logistics. He has an extraordinary capacity to inspire various groups and bring about constructive change. Never one to rest on his laurels or get comfortable in his pursuits, Paul has added designations to his name and has taken several disciplines to guarantee he can provide premium quality teaching to his pupils.

In today’s episode:

(01:35): Our guest Paul Deangelis coach, professional climber, and endurance enthusiast.

(03:45): What brought Paul back from Canada to Costa Rica?

(07:00): Javier goes down the memory line with Paul and remembers some amazing moments they had together.

(09:50): Where do we have to start to engage in activities such as mountain climbing?

(15:00): How mountain climbing can complete an athlete’s form and enhance their performance.

(17:00): The difference between risk-taking and risk management.

(20:00): The mindset that made Paul Deangelis and the mental component necessary for Mountain Climbing.

(25:00): The importance of training in nature when the conditions are harsh.

(31:00): The real purpose of training for Mountain Climbing and how it should outweigh the climbing itself.

(34:55): Paul’s experience as a guide on Mount Everest and the critical situations he witnessed.

(40:15): Paul shares with us the attitude and mentality of a good coach and guide.

(46:30): The process with which Paul trains his apprentice hikers.

(51:00): The importance of group dynamics in mountain climbing.

(57:40): How Paul handles stress and panic when hiking with a group.

(01:03:30): How to deal with mistakes and failures.

(01:08:20): The moment endurance sports made Paul feel superhuman.

(01:13:05): The person that inspired Paul to go the extra mile in his journey.

(01:17:17): Paul shares a good piece of advice with us.

Quotes:

“Some people contact me to climb the highest mountains and that becomes a trophy case to them…In our consumer work here it’s the more things I achieve, the better it makes me feel. That’s a troublesome group because they are not doing it for authentic reasons so to speak…”

“Part of the journey in mountain climbing is finding who you are in the middle of a journey.”

“There is a second group of people that contact and want to do it because they want to know who they are…and that’s amazing…They come to me with something not going right in their life and with a need to be exposed to nature so they can think.”

“My process was: When the shit hits the fan I would get myself up and I would go outside and train…I always love to train when the weather is harsh because…We have these perfectly heated gyms with perfect machines to work with while the world is not that perfectly adjusted.”

“If anyone has ever climbed at altitude, it’s almost like you’re drunk or hangover. We tried to simulate that when we trained with a 150-pound backpack on Olympic stairs by drinking mixed shots of liquor.”

“We wanted to stop, curl up and go to sleep all the time, we puked all the time, but that’s how we trained and enhanced our performance.”

“We have to recognize when to call it a day in front of danger…When all of these bad things happen in mountain climbing I bring my clients down. So instead of having that trophy on his belt, he has his life now as opposed to 20 people that died that year.”

“People today use their technology to swipe and scroll and mindlessly go through things, and that’s why they want this immediate gratification when engaging in a challenge. People born in the era of the 60s or 70s had to work hard to achieve anything….We need to mix that mindset with the abundance of technology today.”

“You have got to be authentic to your why as it goes back to your vision as a coach and guide. If I would have taken anybody into the group just because of a price tag, how would my business have succeeded macro-wise?”

“Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face, and it’s all about how you still manage to get up and keep moving forward.”

“When making a mistake, It’s only over when you choose to stop. If you keep moving forward, you’re not failing man. You keep learning about yourself.”

“We all go through points in our life when we have to rely on people, and that’s where mentors and friends come into play. When you can find your tribe, you can be a stronger person.”

“It all comes down to simplicity in life. When you reach for simplicity, you have clarity.”

Links selected from this episode

Ironman: An Ironman Triathlon is one of the World Triathlon Corporation's (WTC) series of long-distance triathlon competitions, consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) bicycle ride, and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2 km) run conducted in that sequence, for a total of 140.6 miles (226.3 km). It is commonly regarded as one of the world's most demanding one-day sports events.

The Edge: Movie with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin stranded in the wilderness and trying to survive.

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