Bailey Baldassari: Welcome to the Chaotic Runner Podcast, where the miles are messy, the stories are real, and perfection got left at the starting line. Whether you're chasing a personal best, chasing your sanity, or just chasing your kids around the house, you have found your people here. This isn't a podcast about having it all figured out. It's about showing up anyway. We're talking running, life, failures, victories, and Ugly finish line cries, hilarious disasters, and everything in between. Because sometimes the strongest runners are the ones who almost quit but didn't. So lace up, turn the volume up, and let's embrace the chaos together. Laugh a little harder, run a little farther, and remember, the road doesn't care where you started. It only rewards the courage to keep moving. Hi, I'm Bailey, and this is the Chaotic Runner Podcast. Let's run with the chaos together. The Chaotic Runner: Hey everybody, welcome back to the Chaotic Runner podcast. I am so excited to have everybody here today for what I am going to be calling the grappling hook method, which is pretty much finding positivity and resourcefulness when things feel hard or impossible. And I have a very special guest with me. I have Ryan here with me today. Michael Baldassari: How's it going, everyone? The Chaotic Runner: So I'm so happy that you're here because not only have you been here since the beginning, because you are my brother, but I figured this was a very appropriate episode too, because it's a Gravity Falls reference in the title for anybody who's interested in Gravity Falls. so I figured because you've been around since the beginning, you've had some adversities when you've done your sports. Like you were a very active child growing up, Michael Baldassari: Yeah, no, I was. it was off and on. Like I was super active when I was like really young. Then there was a period where I fell out and became less active, less mobile, and then I got back into it later on in life and found the benefits. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. And you're active in different ways now. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, I'm The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, and you're on Michael Baldassari: I'm somewhat yeah, I'm somewhat active now I in what I do for hobbies. So The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: the gym never really worked out for me. just because I can't stay confined within four walls and staring at a mirror while I'm lifting weights nonstop and yeah, running into roadblocks of just not finding interest in it. So I found my own ways. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, and that's and that's important. Is finding finding what works for you, hence the grappling hook method. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: Grappling hut. It works for everything. Michael Baldassari: Grappling hook. It saves the day. The Chaotic Runner: Saves the day every time. so what we're gonna do is we're gonna kind of dive into your lore a little bit and then I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions based off of the the title or the topic that we're going to be doing today. And yeah, we'll get to kind of swap stories and maybe inspire people out there who need some inspiration and need a bit of a boost and need to find their grappling hook method. Michael Baldassari: Perfect. Let's The Chaotic Runner: So Michael Baldassari: get into it. The Chaotic Runner: let's do it. so first things first, if you want to tell our listeners here all about you, like where did it all start? what drew you into the world of fitness and activity? Michael Baldassari: so where it all started was that if you remember we grew up in a very social neighborhood. Like we grew The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: up in a neighborhood where every every parent on the block had at least two to three kids that we could hang out with and roam around and explore. And we were very fortunate enough to have a big backyard and so All of the kids in the neighborhood would all gather together and we'd play on the swing set, we'd chase each other around, play tag, we would have our bikes and we'd roam the streets with the bikes. we would go for nice little walks. The Chaotic Runner: This was also back in the this was also back in the early nineties, early two thousands too, when there was more freedom, I thought, to be able to do stuff Michael Baldassari: Yes. yes. that was one thing that I I reminisce about daily is the lack of social media conflicting and confining people inside. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: you had to make your own fun. Even like The Chaotic Runner: yeah, for sure. Michael Baldassari: even something as gaming back in the day when kids would sit down and they would all just sit in the same room on the same couch and we would have T V with split screen and we were all just like even just kidding about with that in person. It's just a it was a whole different world back then. The Chaotic Runner: it truly was. And it's something that I think people would find very alien now. Like we weren't on cell phones all the time. We had an imagination. We had to create our own fun. Like, yeah, we did have Mario Kart Michael Baldassari: Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: in one of our neighbors' basements and they had a pool table. But that I think that was the most indoorsy stuff we really did, besides the times when we go home a and we watch Disney movies at the end of the day. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, exactly. Like I I hardly remember a time that we were stuck inside. And besides like The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: it being like super stormy out, we would even be like even in a snowstorm on a snow day, we would even be outside playing. Like I hardly ever remember a time when we were indoors. And I remember being The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, just Michael Baldassari: indoors and we would just be bored out of our minds. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, and it wasn't until we were like in middle school that it really started to snowball where we were more indoorsy people. But looking back, I I find it really funny because you were kind of on this path of athletic potential more than I was. Like I was the lazy child, I guess you could say. which is a bad way of putting it. I w I was out there doing stuff, but I wasn't doing stuff like you were doing stuff in school more so Michael Baldassari: Well, it was more along the sense of like I wouldn't say that that I was more athletic than you like on the athletic path than you were in school. It was more along the lines of like when we moved neighborhoods, we didn't have many friends anymore. Like we had to basically start from the bare bones again. And The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: I feel like at like me being a little bit more social, I was able to kind of pick up slowly again a friend circle and become more active. But The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: it took us like almost two decades in order for that to take effect. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, for sure. Michael Baldassari: So it wasn't like you were more self motivated, self driven, more independent. I was more reliant on the like working out with friends, like playing sports with friends, rather than The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: me running alone or working out in the gym alone without any social contact. Like I had to be socially engaged while also making it fun. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Yeah, and that's what works for you, right? Like it all it's all relative for what works for everybody. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: so do you remember what sports you did growing up? I remember, but for our listeners, if you want to share that. Michael Baldassari: Yeah. Well, yeah, like so I mean, I was into a lot of outdoor activities. Like, I was involved in elementary school, I was involved in the volleyball team. I really enjoyed volleyball. I was also in track and field when I was in elementary school. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: so like long like cross country running. I was into that even. And The Chaotic Runner: I remember you're being really good at that too. Michael Baldassari: I was. like I had the stamina for it and I w I claimed a few titles in a couple of races and it just I don't know, it seemed to have clicked to me. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: because again of that social aspect and that competitiveness that's in my nature. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: I I felt like I wasn't running to enjoy myself. I was more running so I could Compete against my fellow classmates and my friends and see who could like win in the in the end. And The Chaotic Runner: And that's okay too. Like you have that drive to them. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, exactly. Like people have different ways of driving themselves. Like people are again are more self motivated or it takes it takes a community to get them motivated. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Michael Baldassari: and I remember like growing up, it so there was track and field day at school. If if any of the viewers out there remember track and field in elementary school in Canada, or even Ontario more specifically, The Chaotic Runner: It was fucking health. Michael Baldassari: it was absolutely hell. Like it was a whole day taken away, and we The Chaotic Runner: Which is great because you got new classes, but they treat you kinda like you're a show pony a little bit, where they're I I bet I Michael Baldassari: Yes. The Chaotic Runner: I just swear to God the teachers in the break room they all had bets placed on certain kids. Michael Baldassari: yes, a hundred percent. Like I'd bet like they were like putting down like five dollar bets on who kid was like which kid was gonna come out on top, like who which one of their students was gonna be the best. And if one of their The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Which Michael Baldassari: students is gonna come on top above all other classes. The Chaotic Runner: Which was personally never me. I was never fast. And I remember they put me in a grouping with the really fast people. One of our mutual friends was one of them. And up against another star athlete too. So I got annihilated during the sprinting portion of track and field and I was just sobbing by the end. Like, why would they do that? Michael Baldassari: Yeah, like I remember, yeah, your yeah, like your self esteem was completely shattered because you were you were matched up poorly with people who were like twenty twenty y paces away from you at any given point when The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: you could have been in the league with like normal people who weren't aspiring track stars. And it would have probably helped you out in the long run growing up. The Chaotic Runner: Long run. No Michael Baldassari: In the long run, yeah, but I'm The Chaotic Runner: pun intended. Michael Baldassari: And so with with that, I remember like our father when we were growing up, he decided that the week of track and field day was the week that we would do we would begin doing like our annual camping trip. And so we would still be fit and active and canoeing The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and fishing and hiking. all mind you, while we were at the ages of six and seven when we started this, The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: we became very active, but in a different way. Not in this not in the traditional sense. Yeah, exactly. In the in the outdoorsy way. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. More of the outdoorsy way. Yeah. Yeah. It was in it was more in the functional way, I guess you could call it. Because we were active in a functional sense where we ha we had to be able to carry something heavy from point A to point B. We Michael Baldassari: Precisely. The Chaotic Runner: we had to have the shoulder strength to be able to paddle through water. We had to be able to stand for long periods of time. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Exactly. We had to pitch the tent. We had to help out any way we can, carry firewood, fishing, even. We had to train our upper bodies to make longer casts, we had The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: to train our legs to hike, to walk, to sightsee. and so that in mind, like it still kept us active. And it was in a more well, this is how I actually wound up getting into being outdoorsy in the way that I am and how I truly like went to like looking back into my foundations, I realized that this is how I preferred to exercise. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and the it's it's important to find your your why. Your why am I doing this, what is gonna keep me motivated and and Yeah. Yeah, like your you Michael Baldassari: Yes. It it's more rewarding in that sense. To me anyways. The Chaotic Runner: yeah, your activity level is so much different than my activity level. Like it's it's funny how the tables have kind of turned a little bit in that respect. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, you're more athletic in the sense of that you're competing in in in these long distance runs, where I was doing that when I was in elementary school, but you the tides have kind of changed and I've become more like laid back and a non-traditional The Chaotic Runner: It is. Michael Baldassari: active sense. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, but you're still being active. Like there you don't realize what muscles in your body you're using until you're actually using them in a different way. So w I know you've gone portaching Michael Baldassari: Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: where you're you're carrying a fucking canoe over your head. That's hard. That shit is hard. Michael Baldassari: Yeah. Yeah, I honestly I didn't know what muscles I would be working out until feeling how sore I was the next day in those certain muscles and I was like, Okay, I worked those out that day. Kind The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Michael Baldassari: of sense. The Chaotic Runner: Like I I remember you and I both did outdoor ad when we were in high school. Like I went the year before you did. And I remember I I kind of got you interested in it because I was telling you about how we were doing like canoe rescues in the pool, like the pool at our high school and how we were doing learning how to put the canoe over her head to go portaging and getting ready for this trip. And it it was hard because we had to do a couple laps around the track outside with this canoe over our head. And I remember it was me and one other girl and she was much shorter than I was. So the canoe was kind of tipped up and she's trying to raise her arms up so we could balance it out and her shoulders were shaking and I'm trying to like squat down so I'm she can get a break so then it's on her height and so I'm walking while I'm squatting, which I don't recommend because doing that while you're walking through the woods, you you could easily trip over something. Michael Baldassari: a hundred percent. And those trails were grueling that we would go on for The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. They were. Michael Baldassari: the the final trip. The Chaotic Runner: they were. Like it was a beautiful place that they would take us to. But yeah, you had to be very, very careful because it was very wild and untamed. Michael Baldassari: Yes. Very, very wild and very untamed. And you and not just the canoe anymore, but you also had your rucksack. You had like clothing, paddles, life preservers, you had the full gear and you were also carrying this hundred pound canoe that was very awkward to handle and very tough The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: on the shoulders. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, and and I'm already accident prone to begin with, so I had to be extra careful during that trip. one story I like to share that it's it was a couple of years ago and this was my next kind of introduction to being in the woods per se and it was during a trail run. And I fell during the trail run because I wasn't watching where my feet were going. Like I was too busy talking instead of focusing on where my feet were going. And trail running is hard. Like that is a whole brand of running that it's not for me. Cause you're so worried about falling. And sure enough, I did fall and I did like a burpee where I had my hands out. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: And I bounced right back up off the rock that I tripped over and I was up and running again, and I'm just like, okay. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, I do remember that story. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: It's it it you have to yeah, with these kinds of things, those are kind of like the hurdles that you have to like you came across a physical hurdle that was a metaphor to a hurdle that you may experience mentally. And The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: it's a perfect it's a perfect comparison to how you just have to get back up immediately and pursue it further. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: For sure and you gotta keep going. Yeah, you gotta keep going. Because those mosquitoes they will catch you and they will carry you away in the woods. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, those mosquitoes are huge at those altitudes. The Chaotic Runner: yeah. Size of those cats. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah. And the black flies, for example, too, like night shift, honestly. Like they the day shift is black flies, the night shift is mosquitoes and it's just The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, they they take turns. Michael Baldassari: relentless. Yeah, they do. The Chaotic Runner: They go to the local bar in I don't know, the treetops somewhere and they're like, hard day it hard day during the day shift, all right, tag you're in and go. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: so what other sports did you do growing up as a kid? 'Cause I know I Michael Baldassari: so The Chaotic Runner: again I remember. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, you remember. yeah, so there was basketball. I I remember I think I remember saying volleyball as well, but yeah, basketball was another one growing up. because I was taller than everybody in the school, I was able to have The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, you had gone from a bit of a growth spurt. Michael Baldassari: that advantage. Yeah, I had even when I was younger, I was still like above average in height. But The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: when I went into the summer between grade seven and when I was going into grade eight, I went from five four to five eleven. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: And then the next year, so in two months I went and shot up to five eleven. And then within the next year and a half year ish, I went to six two and I stabled at six five. So I was always I was always in the advantage for height. And I enjoyed basketball when I even when I was a kid, my our father, he would always take us to basketball games. we would go see the Toronto Raptors and The Chaotic Runner: Well, you were more into basketball than I was. It was the it was the shoe thing for Michael Baldassari: Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: me that used to bug me. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, the the squeaky shoes on the floor would always bug you. But The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah. Used to drive me crazy. Michael Baldassari: I was I was really into the the fast pace game that basketball was. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and so I decided okay, well, I'm I'm I have the advantage for height. I enjoy basketball and I was I was good at it. too. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: we we had a basketball net on our driveway and I would always like shoot hoops every once in a while and I just enjoyed it like being out there for like an hour or so and just shooting hoops and so that's how I got into basketball The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and then later on in high school I also played baseball. Which I fell out of love with basketball for numerous reasons, which I can address later, but I was more into trying to find a sport that was a good community, had The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: a a heavy a heavy tone on teamwork, as well as you're outside. And a mix of casual as well as being physically intensive, which baseball very The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. And Michael Baldassari: much was. The Chaotic Runner: and I found it to be pretty competitive for you guys too. Like even just with the parents, like it was really funny to see how intense everybody was into it. Michael Baldassari: Yes. Yeah, everyone was super into it. Yeah. I remember some of the best times of my life was just waiting in the dugout, waiting for my turn to be up at bat in the lineup The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and just getting so excited, like this time I'm gonna hit a home run. This time I'm gonna ring it into the outfield, this time I'm going to hopefully drive some runs in. This time I'm even some days when I was horrible, I was like, all right, this time is the time I'm gonna get on base. Like The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, yeah. Michael Baldassari: I'm not gonna strike out this time. Like stuff like that. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, I'm not gonna get hit by the ball this time. Michael Baldassari: I'm not gonna get sacked by the ball. I'm not going yeah, exactly. I'm not going to scrape up my knee this time. yeah, and The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. I'm gonna catch it this time. Michael Baldassari: yeah, I'm gonna catch it this time. The lights are not gonna interfere with my eyesight. Like The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, yeah. Michael Baldassari: so. It was like that that push, that drive. but it was all part of the community that I was in that supported me through playing these sports. That was so that was the huge difference between basketball and baseball. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: basketball, I was very much into it. I was very intense on on the training regimen. I would always show up to school at four in the morning. And we would practice from four until our classes started at eight. So this is when The Chaotic Runner: I do remember that. Michael Baldassari: I was in my peak physical condition when I was in early high school. I would show up at four in the morning, go to training, be there until eight, and then I would have my my gym class immediately after that, which was nice because we had We were fortunate enough in our high school that we had an Olympic sized swimming pool. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: And there was a course that we took called aquatics. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: And it was nice because I could I can work out, I can train on the court and do heavily intensive exercises. Like we would do burpees until we were blue in the face, until some people were The Chaotic Runner: two hate rookies. Michael Baldassari: you know, some people passed out for those. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: We would run drills until we were sick of just hearing our coach screaming at us to work harder on these drills. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: we would do layups, we would run laps around the court, and we were just we were just drained for four hours. And then I would have my aquatics class, and that was nice because I could just swim laps. And so I wasn't just working out muscles. and stamina, but I was also working out like balance and just like learning how to basically pace myself too and then I would go through classes in the morning and then lunchtime would ha occur and I wouldn't eat lunch. I missed lunch because I would go to the gym. And we also had a gym at our school for those who The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: are listening. And I would work out for an hour. The Chaotic Runner: We had it all at high school. It was awesome. Michael Baldassari: yeah. It was great. Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: I was we were very fortunate. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, we were very lucky with that high school. Michael Baldassari: And it was it was a large, it was a very large high school. It was multiple buildings. It was about the size of a of a large college. And The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, it it truly was. Michael Baldassari: it was. It wasn't a private school, mind you, either. It was a public school and anyone could go. but we were just The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Yeah, we even had a Michael Baldassari: very fortunate. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. yeah, we were very lucky. yeah, that I I do remember you having the early practices, which was funny because I I did volleyball the same year that you were doing basketball. And it was it was a different schedule for me because I'd be after my classes, which worked out really, really well for my practices. Because I I could go home and shower if I got really sweaty, which never was the case. I was a bench warmer pretty much for volleyball. Like they'd only pull me out during the last round when we needed the points. because I would serve the ball in such a way where it would go over the net and then it would just kind of dive right for the floor. So nobody could return it afterwards. Yeah, I I do remember you having the early practices and doing aquatics and I and I remember the days that we would go to to baseball and you we'd ask you sometimes like how how do you think it went or how did you have fun? And there were there were days where you're like, yeah, that was great, that was great. And then there were other days where you were just like, I just wanna go home, I don't want to talk about it and typical Michael Baldassari: Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: teenage angst, right? Michael Baldassari: Well, that was exactly it. So the thing was that it wasn't just practice in the morning, but it was also practice in the evenings too. We would practice The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and until six in the evening. And then some nights I would also have to go for math tutoring. And so I was just I was just bloody drained by the end of it. And I hadn't eaten like anything since like four in the morning. And and The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. And usually that was just a bowl of cereal. Michael Baldassari: yeah, usually it was just something light and then I would finally have dinner. I would just remember scarfing it down. So I was like physically, I was extremely fit in high school, but I worked myself way too hard. Even though I tried to learn how to balance, I was I was exhausted by the The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: end. but the rewards I did see the rewards pay off well. Like I was incredible with basketball. I was I was able to outrun some of those I wasn't able to keep up with in school. And I was able to do it for longer. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. do you think it was the consistency that kinda helped with that? Michael Baldassari: It was the consistency. I stayed on top of it five days a week. my my rest days would be the weekends, but I also would hang out with friends. So we were still kind The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: of active in a way, but it was like less active per se. Like we would bike everywhere because we didn't have cars, obviously, because we didn't drive. So we'd bike, we'd go for walks, we would play in the winter we would like still like do stuff like King of the Hill where it was like heavily physically intensive work like throwing people off this hill. Well, it wasn't a hill per se, it was more of like a giant snowbank. And The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Still a hill. Michael Baldassari: so still a hill. We were very active still. The Chaotic Runner: Anything with an incline in my mind is a hill. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, exactly. The steep hill too is like, yeah, that was exactly it. so the downside the downfall though was like with basketball was not the intensity of which I was I was performing, but the payoff was I noticed that up front my community compared to baseball, like I was saying earlier. the payoff in the community. The community I found to be very toxic. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: personally, in my opinion, who I was playing with, they weren't team players. They would only pass to their teammates, like the the teammates that they were friends with. they would never pass to me, even though I outran on the court. I would every pass that was sh given to me, I would shoot it into the net, without hesitation and it would go in flawlessly every time. no one could block me because I was way too tall for anyone else, even close. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: and so it was just the community. I remember just having my wits' end at that point. And then our mother being very supportive. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: she decided, okay, well, I'll just roll him into a basketball camp in the summer. And he can hone up on his skills and he can come back and he could be even better. And I remember that was the seal of the deal on there because even the coaches were were toxic. I remember one coach The Chaotic Runner: I remember that. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, I remember one coach grabbing me by the arms and shaking me and being like, What's wrong with you? Because I kept accidentally touching the my opponent. when I try to like block them when they were in possession of the ball. And when you do that, that's a foul. The Chaotic Runner: Okay. Michael Baldassari: And so the game kept constantly being stopped, and then she just absolutely blew up on me. And I remember at that point, that was the end of it. I got so discouraged from the community that I gave up basketball for good at that moment. and so there was a period of time where I didn't really have any sports to fall on to because I didn't know what to do, where to go. And The Chaotic Runner: Like it continued on with baseball for quite quite a few years after that. Michael Baldassari: Yeah. but there was a The Chaotic Runner: Years before you went off to college. Michael Baldassari: period of time where I didn't have any sports to fall on to. so but I got into baseball because in the period of time where I didn't play any sports, I was just being a teenager. I was just going out and playing with friends, and then we'd hang out in their basements and we'd play video games for the evening. And I remember we played MLB the show. I think it was MLB08 at the time. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: And I was super into it. And I started honing up on the rules of the game. and the the rules were to me, they all made sense. It was very straightforward. And then I saw the the teamwork in even watching the game. And then I just fell in love with baseball. And to this day. I still love baseball. I will watch their games. I will play catch. I will go to batting cages. Haven't found a team yet, to play in the beer leagues, but The Chaotic Runner: I was just about to ask if you have thought about going into a beer league at all. Michael Baldassari: I've looked into it. but with the city I live in currently, it's it's hard to come by because everybody loves baseball and they don't wanna open up new teams. And so it's like a waiting list of like three years. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. So The Chaotic Runner: I mean, it doesn't hurt to get on that waiting list still and Michael Baldassari: I am. Don't worry. I am. And The Chaotic Runner: Or maybe find a in maybe find a beer league in a town or a city close to you. Michael Baldassari: Yeah. Yeah, like even in a in a country town would be would be nice because I I very much am country at heart. being in the city was just kind of a necessity. But The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, yeah at the Michael Baldassari: being yeah, but being in a town that is small in nature really fits my social my social The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: quota. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, that I I f I I know I find I appreciate being in a small town much more than being in a city. 'Cause I know our hometown where we grew up, it kinda blew up around it didn't physically blow up, but the population expanded. got a poor choice of words there, but it expanded like three times the amount of what it was in the beginning. And I just Michael Baldassari: Yes. The Chaotic Runner: thought even with that it was too much for me. And I'm like, I can't do this anymore. Like it was Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: too suffocating. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, it was. It was claustrophobic in a sense. And I mean growing up and r both in the city and living many years in the countryside, it there was a saying that stuck in my head where in the country you never get any privacy. In the city you're never lonelier. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, for sure. Like you would think it would be the opposite, but Michael Baldassari: Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: it's it's not. Like you you have a smaller community and everybody knows everybody and everybody's business. So yeah. definitely. Yeah. And I find people Michael Baldassari: You yeah, you wave to each other in the street even and yeah. The Chaotic Runner: are just genuinely more helpful in a smaller community. Like I find the community that I live in, like people are so quick to lend a helping hand, like, you're having an You're having problems, you're having issues, here let me help. I've got I've got a toolbox in the back of my truck and I can help you I can help you put something up or a picture frame up or or whatever. And yeah, you don't necessarily get that in a city. It's more like, Mm, what can you do for me kind of mentality and it's very disheartening. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Yeah, there have been a few times now that you bring that up, yeah, like I'll help you hang a picture frame if you need. there have been a few times where and this is one of my favorite my favorite stories of being in the countryside. was I was working on I was working on my car and I was doing an oil change on it and I was underneath on the underside and I just see footsteps walk up the driveway and I just hear, Hey bud, how's it going? And it was one of my it was one of my buddies who lived a c like a couple of blocks over and I just The Chaotic Runner: Cool. Michael Baldassari: said to him, I just said, Hey, grab a chair. there's beer in the fridge in the garage. Go for it. And he would just go in and crack open a beer and he'd just sit down and we would talk. And then another one of my buddies like heard heard our voice and he came up the driveway too. And he sat down as well. And he cracked open a beer and we just all kind of just chatted while I was working away on the vehicle. And then when I was done, I The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Which is a sight we see more around here, not so much up where you live. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. Like it was a very much a different a different pace than in the city. And it's honestly like one of my most cherished memories was that time because you don't get that even in the countryside a lot of the times anymore because The Chaotic Runner: Not often. Michael Baldassari: people are more confined to their own worlds. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. All right. So we're gonna kind of fast forward to the present now, now that we've talked about your history. So was there or has there ever been a time where you've had to find your positive when whatever you've been doing in a sport or in an outdoor activity and you've had to find the positive in order to keep pushing. Michael Baldassari: Well, yeah, like I'm I'm way too critical of myself when I'm in when I'm in sports. Like it The Chaotic Runner: Which is natural, like it's part of human nature, right? Michael Baldassari: it is. We are our own worst critics. The Chaotic Runner: for sure. Michael Baldassari: And so that was why it was so discouraging in basketball when people would just tell you what like what's wrong with you or they wouldn't pass to you. Like you it The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: may it gets into your head after a certain point. in baseball you would hear people in the dugout, like you would hear your teammates and they'd say, like, Come on, man, you got it this time. Like it you you can you can slug it out of there, you hit it out of the park, like to put those arms into work and and when even if you struck out they would say nice try you'll get them next time or if you The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: hit it it's just like way to go like yeah you run those bases like it was even when the team itself was full of people who weren't in it a hundred percent in the game a hundred percent and they were just there for like just to goof off even The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: when it was them All the way up to when the team was way more competitive, a good coach, and he saw all the potential in us. And it was just that was the way I saw through the negativity of my own inner thoughts and me pushing myself to the point where I just like in a sense just like lose it and I wind up falling out of love with something and being. too critical. It was the camaraderie and the socialization. And I always will go back to when we were really young. even like my coach in baseball, he saw that I had the power to drive it out of the field. But The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, he saw the potential in you. Michael Baldassari: he saw the potential in me and he would even set up one on one practices. He would pull me aside and be like, okay, So practices at this time on Sunday, but I also want you in an hour before, and you The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and I we're gonna go in and we're gonna do batting exercises. And I will always remember doing that as well as going to baseball training sessions off of the team and going to like this training facility in Mississauga, and they had the batting cages. They had the pitching machines. We ran exercises. And it was always, always, always so supportive. And that's what always got me because I will never, you will never see me working out alone ever. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: And you will never see me exercising alone ever because I always am community-driven. I am very social with that aspect. and so The Chaotic Runner: Meanwhile there's Michael Baldassari: That just The Chaotic Runner: there's me where I I work out and I like to kinda it depends on what I'm doing. Like I I work out alone when I'm lifting weights, but I I run in a community and I'd much rather lift weights on my own because it's not pretty and I kinda crawl into a dark corner somewhere like a little gobbling creature and wait until my time is up. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Like you're you're you you you isolate yourself because when you're lifting weights, yeah, you're making faces, your face is beat red, and I understand that sense The Chaotic Runner: Or maybe. Michael Baldassari: of or or really sweaty, exactly. So yeah. It's all to each s like every like to everybody. The Chaotic Runner: Everybody has everybody has their their way of going about it for sure. And you're more the Michael Baldassari: Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: the social aspect of things. Like even when you go out into the middle of nowhere and like you drop yourself into the middle of nowhere, like you you always check and see if people want to come with you. Like you're definitely more that Michael Baldassari: Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: that social person. And I think that's important for people to know that y to find your reason. You gotta figure out what motivates you to kind of get there. Like is it working out with others, like going to a class with others and working out and having fun with others, or more or are you more solitary in how in when you work out? And then just Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: finding a way to stick with it. Like you you have your coaches, your personal trainers, and you you find the people that help get you there. in a positive way and it's gonna help you stick with it. And there's also like all sorts of tricks in your arsenal that you can have too to kind of help you stay motivated and make sure that you keep doing what you need to do, whether it's packing a gym bag and leaving it in your car and just going straight from work or straight from home and it's You gotta find your people and you gotta find your place that works best for you, even if you have to take some time to figure that out. And Michael Baldassari: Exactly. And even like finding the time to do such things. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, yeah, and it's just finding the time like even five minutes sometimes and Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: I I always remind myself that there's always enough time for at least one hour to yourself. If you can't allot yourself one hour, you're doing too much. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, and you're doing something wrong. 'Cause The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Absolutely. So Michael Baldassari: like it you need time for yourself, or else The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. And truly when you're Michael Baldassari: you're gonna lose yourself. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, exactly. And truly when you're being active, you are doing something for yourself. You or you should be doing something for yourself. Not to improve a girlfriend or a boyfriend or spouse or partner or whatever it may be, whatever the case may be in anybody's social situation. It shouldn't be to It shouldn't be to impress your friends and and go up a status rank of any sort. It it you should just genuinely show up for yourself and and find find your calling in in that. Michael Baldassari: Well, yeah, exactly. Like you need to treat yourself like you would like you need to treat yourself like yourself is your partner or your The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: best friend. If you don't commune with yourself, and if you don't treat yourself properly, you're gonna lose yourself. So if you don't set The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Michael Baldassari: the time out for yourself, you're gonna lose yourself like you will lose a partner, like you will lose your best friend, right? Or you would lose family. Like it it's if you can't set at least an hour out of your day just to improve yourself, The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, just to show up for yourself. Michael Baldassari: show up for yourself, be there for yourself, mentally, The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: physically, however you need to see fit, then you're gonna lose it. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah. And find a way to be healthy for yourself. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. It can't be The Chaotic Runner: Because if you're not if you're not taking care of yourself, then it's it's it affects everything else around you. It's like a huge domino effect. Like if you're not taking care of yourself, it affects your it can affect your sex life, it can affect your social life, it can affect family, friends. it it just it like if you're not able to keep up with your kids, grandkids because you're so winded or you can't get up and down the stairs or you You may Michael Baldassari: You have to have a sense of empathy for yourself. You have to The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Michael Baldassari: feel you have to feel what your body needs. So that's an that's one thing that I've grown accustomed to with being like setting up those times to be alone with nature, like going camping and Backpacking and all the The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: the outdoor activities that I do take into account. It's taught me a lot of about myself. So The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: I used to struggle a lot with migraines, and that's my body telling me that it's missing something. or another it treat it like a craving. So let's just say, for example, Like you're y all of a sudden you're craving cheese pizza. And it's like, Okay. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, pizza. It's like I The Chaotic Runner: The we're recording around dinner time right now, so this is a dangerous game that we're playing. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, exactly. So but i when your body craves something, it's missing something. So if if it's craving The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, it's creating that comfort. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, so if it's craving pizza, what are the vitamins that you would find in the ingredients in pizza? So for example The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, it could be that your sodium has an imbalance and you're craving something salty. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. Or you're you're missing calcium or you're missing protein, magnesium, The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, magnesium. Yeah. Michael Baldassari: vitamin C, vitamin D, you're missing fatty acids, you're missing antioxidants. Your body is telling you that it's missing something and it's picking something that it was The Chaotic Runner: The human body is so smaller. Michael Baldassari: able to it's so smart. It knows what it wants without telling your brain, and it'll only send something specific to you that The Chaotic Runner: Mm hmm. Michael Baldassari: it needs. So if it The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah. Michael Baldassari: even needs omega-3, let's just say you're walking down the street and you just suddenly get slammed with the craving for sushi. The Chaotic Runner: Hm? Yep. Michael Baldassari: It is missing, it's probably missing omega-3. It's probably missing protein. It's probably The Chaotic Runner: Yep, probably. I Michael Baldassari: missing healthy fats, you know? The Chaotic Runner: I found out that because I'm a huge I have a huge sweet tooth and I I I crave chocolate a lot. And I found out that it's a magnesium thing. Michael Baldassari: Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: When you create chocolate and and it's like, shoot, I have not stocked up on my magnesium in a while. So I need to get on that. I'm out of chocolate Michael Baldassari: And so off to the store you go. The Chaotic Runner: chips. I'm in crisis mode, I'm Michael Baldassari: Yeah, and you The Chaotic Runner: out of chocolate chips. Michael Baldassari: And you're a baking fiend when you're not when you're not running. So The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: and that probably stems to it that you love chocolate so much that you're put and you're missing magnesium that you're baking it into your food and you're The Chaotic Runner: Maybe Michael Baldassari: eating it and it's satisfying that direct craving. The Chaotic Runner: Well, I used I should say I used up all my chocolate chips today because I made a I do h my meal prep throughout the day. And we're recording this on a Sunday, so Sundays are usually when I do my meal prep. So I'll meal prep my breakfast and I'll have whatever I prep for the week as well for breakfast and then I have something for lunch and then something for dinner. And I've also been making like a snack or a dessert of some sort. And I found this recipe for a high-protein cottage cheese cheesecake online. And it is delicious. So I just I I tried altering it. So I added dates to the cottage cheese and yogurt mixture and put it in my food processor. So it should taste like caramel. Hopefully it tastes like caramel and not ass. So we'll try it. And then I made a dark chocolate ganache to go over top, and I used up all my chocolate chips for it. Michael Baldassari: But a chocolate ganache though, that is that is fa something fancy. So and it's so worth loot using up all your chips for. The Chaotic Runner: Very fast. It and all I used was a microwave and a soy and a little bit of soy milk. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, you thicken it up and you just like spread it on and you got yourself like The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, exactly. Michael Baldassari: the you got yourself your magnesium right there. You just you you scoop The Chaotic Runner: There we go. I need help, guys. Michael Baldassari: you're just spoonful like spoon feeding yourself this chocolate ganache. It's okay guys, I'm just stocking up on my magnesium. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, that is that is the justification I would use too. Like it's fine guys, I'm fine. This is I'm just getting my vitamins right now. But even if Michael Baldassari: And that's and that's something that I got into a heavy craving of when so I go on I go on these on these deployments into the Arctic and I started craving fish in the worst way. So I found out that I was losing Omega. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: And The Chaotic Runner: And the fish up there would be fresh too. Michael Baldassari: Fresh, fresh fish. And so I ate all that and coming back down to Ontario again after after my time up there, I came across I stumbled across this video on YouTube. I was into the unhealthy habit of doom scrolling YouTube. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: And there was this gentleman who was in Portugal and he stopped by a sardine store. The Chaotic Runner: Mm, okay. Michael Baldassari: And he got some of the healthy, like some of the freshest sardines packed in a can that you can get. And he was given the directions from the shop owner to go out and buy a baguette, put the sardine on a baguette, drizzle some olive oil on it, or even use the oil that came with the in the can, cover it in butter and just eat it. And I The Chaotic Runner: okay. Michael Baldassari: was like Okay, so I'm going to go to the store right now. So this was about 9 30 at night. The grocery store closed at 10. I ran into that grocery store, picked up a can of sardines, a ciabatta, some pesto covered goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and black olives, and I made probably The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: the best sandwich I've ever made in my life. And from that point, it was just like I was craving sardines, like nobody's business. People were like, my god, that is absolutely disgusting. Like, how could you crave something like that? I was even eating them at work. Turns out I just had an omega three deficiency because I probably burned through about forty-five cans of sardines before my body was like, Okay, I've had enough omega three. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, enough of the fish. Michael Baldassari: Enough for the fish. You've had too much of fish. The Chaotic Runner: No more fish. No more fish. Auto reject. But Michael Baldassari: Auto reject. The Chaotic Runner: isn't it funny how you can crave something for so long and you have like this total I don't want to say binge fest with it, but yeah, it's just some it is pretty much a binge fest where it feels like you just want it all the time and then all of a sudden it's a switch is flipped and you're like, nah, I'm good, I don't need that anymore. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: So so funny. Yeah, Michael Baldassari: Like your your body flips a switch. The Chaotic Runner: the human bodies are are are really an interesting thing. Like I I something that I do now that I didn't do when I first started running was I now work with a dietitian and she really dives into like what what each craving could possibly mean and even dehydration can cause cravings and lack of sleep can cause cravings. Like when you have lack of sleep, you crave sugar like it's nobody's business. So if that's the case, I must be chronically exhausted. because I am Michael Baldassari: Well, exactly. The Chaotic Runner: a sugar fiend. I love sweets and but I also love savory things too. And she told me that if you crave carbs, it's because you need more protein in your diet, which I eat a lot of beans and I eat a lot of tofu and eggs and dairy. So I'm getting my protein through that avenue. But she's like, No, you need to start incorporating more protein powder. So you need to start packing smoothies in your bag. And so I pack like a protein smoothie with all sorts of and my smoothies are like a meal all on its own. Like I I don't even break down my calories anymore because my brain would be like, my gosh, girl, what are you doing? You need to stop. But my body needs it. Cause you're burning it off constantly. but since I've been working with her, I now get my blood work done once a year. I should probably get it done more often, like twice, but I do get it done once a year to make sure everything is level. Like my iron levels are good and everything is functioning normally like my kidneys because when you run as intensely as well I shouldn't say I'm intense but I wouldn't even consider it intense. But yeah, if you're if you're running or doing any active sport, you want to make sure your kidneys are functioning properly because you need to make sure you're getting proper water intake and your ab your body's able to process it properly. So yeah, I that's something I do now is I get blood work done and maybe and that's something I'd recommend to people if they're thinking about doing any healthy active regime because they you wanna make sure that things are functioning on a normal level in some sort. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. I I agree wholeheartedly. Like you have to do your frequent checkups in order for you to know exactly what your body needs. Cause if you're dealing with these effects of let's just say you're not peeing enough, even if you The Chaotic Runner: Okay. Michael Baldassari: are active and you're drinking lots of water, then there's something wrong there. If you're craving something specific, there's something wrong there. If you're like not getting enough sleep, okay, why? The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, why aren't you getting enough sleep? Because believe it or not, overtraining can cause lack of sleep as well. Which Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: I definitely don't have a problem with overtraining, I think. But it's it's good to know because your your body is very good at sending all those warning signals when something isn't quite right. It kind of goes into that survival mode where it's like, Michael Baldassari: Precisely. The Chaotic Runner: you can get headaches or aches and pains when you don't normally get aches and pains, you get you get put on the injury list if and you get more prone to more more injuries more frequently when you're overtrained and if you're not getting the proper nutrients and sleep and everything. So it's a very scientific thing that you have ever have to have everything balanced out for. so next question I got. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, it's not you can you can work out until you're blue in the face, but you also need to diet with the exercise. And you can't The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: you can't also diet without exercise too. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, it all goes hand in hand and you wanna make sure that you're feeding your muscles the proper nutrients that it needs in order to be able to keep improving. Cause we're Michael Baldassari: Uh-huh. The Chaotic Runner: constantly tearing our muscles when this is gonna sound scary for people, but trust me, it's it's totally normal when you're working out. But you're constantly tearing your muscles and when you're lifting weights and stretching and and And in order for it to repair, it needs that protein in order to repair the muscle. And when it repairs, it becomes stronger. It's look at me going with my anatomy here. I'm so smart. so my next Michael Baldassari: Well, it's true though, because our bodies are organisms made up of of billions upon billions of cells. And cells The Chaotic Runner: Yes. He Michael Baldassari: are also living organisms that also talk to each other. So and they do their own part. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. My brother is a very scientific guru kind of person. Like I I'm not very scientific, but Ryan here is more scientific than I am, so he knows his shit. You're the science guy. Michael Baldassari: yeah, I'm Ryan the science guy. The Chaotic Runner: nye the science guy. Michael Baldassari: Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill. That was something that we that we grew up with. Yeah, exactly. The Chaotic Runner: Blast from the past. so my next question I have for you here. So just kind of tying into the topic here with the grappling hook method. So was there ever a period of time, and this can be for anything, sport related, life-related, where you were having a hard moment. And Could and you've had to find the humor in it. Like w a funny story of a moment when things were hard and it wound up being a lesson learned. Michael Baldassari: Well, with that The Chaotic Runner: Really tickling your brain here. Michael Baldassari: well with that in mind. Well, there was a time when I was was playing baseball The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and I was on the field and it was a hot day, sweltering day. And I looking back now, realizing how dumb this was, I only had three bottles of water in my bag at the time. And it The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, it was it was gnarly. Like I was sweating buckets and then I stopped sweating. And that's dangerous. So The Chaotic Runner: So yeah. Michael Baldassari: I s I stopped sweating and it was in the middle of the sweltering heat and I had exhausted my entire water supply. I didn't need to pee. I stopped sweating and I remember my head was pounding. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: And we were in the middle of the outf like I was in the middle of the outfield. And I remember leaning over, puking my guts out onto the ground, absolutely just just just clearing everything out. And then I fell over. I fell backwards and I passed out. The Chaotic Runner: my god. Michael Baldassari: And I remember they didn't stop the game because My coach at the time was a bit of a hard ass. they didn't stop the game, but it was the other team's coach who noticed, hey, your one of your players is out cold, The Chaotic Runner: Is on the ground. Michael Baldassari: out cold on the field. He needs attention. The Chaotic Runner: What the fuck? Was Mum and Dad at this game? Michael Baldassari: And so they were everybody was. The Chaotic Runner: I could just imagine mom like hurtling that fence because you're her baby. Like you are a total mama's boy and she would have hurdled that fence and Michael Baldassari: Ha ha. The Chaotic Runner: clocked him. Michael Baldassari: Yeah, quite a bit actually, 'cause I remember her going out and getting more water and they benched me for the rest of the game because of that, 'cause I worked myself too hard that game and I didn't carry The Chaotic Runner: we're gonna grab it. Michael Baldassari: enough water. So I passed out and they had to like the both teams ran over and they were assisting with me. Like my fellow players, they were getting me up in their supportive nature. They got me back up and they carried me The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: in and everyone was applauding like they normally do. And And then the two coaches, they had it out in the middle of the field. Like they had a spitting match in the middle of the field. over The Chaotic Runner: Because one of them was a stupid jackass who didn't think like their what, thirteen, fourteen year old player wasn't laying down on the field and the other one noticed like Michael Baldassari: Yeah, he's like picking daisies in the field. No, he's not even moving. So like the opposing coach was screaming at my coach saying, How could you let your player like how could you continue the game and tell the players to continue the game even though you are yeah, even though your player is incapacitated. Like, how could you do that? And so I remember all that. They benched me. Our mom gave went out and came back with I think like like half a case of water. And The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: I remember just kept just chugging, chugging, chugging. And yeah, and then that was the end of that. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Which maybe in maybe in hindsight, yeah, 'cause water is great to rehydrate you, but you also would have probably needed like a power aid or a gator aid just to get your sodium levels back up again because you were sweating so much. Michael Baldassari: Well yeah, that was it. But at the time, our family didn't believe in Gatorade and Power Raid because they thought it was like The Chaotic Runner: They still don't. Michael Baldassari: they still don't. And so never had any of that. It was just straight water. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: so there was there was that moment. There was also another time too. This was going back just not not too long ago. This was about a couple of years back. And I remember I was portaging solo up in up in the wilderness and I was on this one lake and normally you can listen to this lake and you can tell what kind of day it's gonna be. And yeah, remember it had rained nonstop the day before, The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and I was contemplating packing up early and taking off. The Chaotic Runner: Okay. Michael Baldassari: And I thought, no, I'm gonna bear through it. I'm gonna bear through it. And I remember the storm that day was just absolutely just god awful. I didn't go out of my tent. I didn't do any fishing like I normally would. I didn't even swim in the lake. I didn't kayak. Did nothing. I just sat there and I starved because I just didn't leave my tent and I didn't eat The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: a single ounce. I wasn't active. I was lethargic that whole day. And then the next day came. And there was a break. So the lake gave me a break in the weather. The water was calm. And The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: there was no wind. And it's like you leave now. And so I went, This is your window. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, this is your window, you get going. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. And the lake is very good at doing that. And I'm very good at listening to the lake. The Chaotic Runner: Mm. Michael Baldassari: And so I packed up everything I I had. Threw it all in my kayak, all while, mind you, I had not had a single thing to eat in over 36 hours. And didn't have a single ounce of coffee, which I am a coffee addict, needed my coffee, The Chaotic Runner: You are a coffee king, said Michael Baldassari: coffee king, and didn't have a single ounce of coffee, didn't have a a lick of water besides what was left in my in my in my pouch, The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: and I took off. Well Halfway up the lake, the lake turned around and said, Okay, your window is now closed. And the w The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, this is it. Michael Baldassari: and this is it. And the waves kicked up and they were crashing over my kayak. My boat was full of water. I thought I was going to topple over and sink. And The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, 'cause kayaks are pretty tippy to begin with. Michael Baldassari: kind of, yeah. And if you load it down with about 300 pounds worth of gear and yourself, you're dealing with about five hundred capacity and that thing was just low in the water with with if I made five feet of progress it would blow me back ten. And like the wind was was howling, the rain was coming down, the waves kicked up, probably to about three feet, which is a lot when you're in a kayak and a lot on a lake that has stumps in it that could knock you over at any moment because they're sticking out of the water like icebergs. They The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: could tip you at any point. And I remember it took me five hours to get off that lake. When The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: that lake would normally take me about an hour to get to where I would need to go. It would take me five and a half hours to get home, and my arms were aching, my head was killing me. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: Everything was sore. I was exhausted. And I could barely walk all because I pushed myself just way too hard. I didn't listen to the lake. I didn't listen to myself. And at that point I knew that I needed to listen more to myself. I need to listen more to like my surroundings. I just needed to be more attentive. And honestly, looking back now, that story is funny, but it's also I'm proud of that story in a in a weird sense because I challenge an adversity I thought I never could get through. But when it's your survival on the line, your body's willing to go through any any attempt The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: to get out of it. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Like it's the adrenaline that kicks in and the survival mode where you're like, I need to just get this done. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. So that was the nail in the coffin apart from that story with baseball where y I you just cannot push yourself that hard. The Chaotic Runner: No. No. And moral of the story, when it's hot, pack not only pack a water, but have some sort of form of electrolytes with you. Like I I have a few horror stories about a couple of summers where I did not bring any hydration of any sort with me on a run. And I felt like shit afterwards, like total shit. so now I I don't go anywhere without some sort of form of Fruity powder in my water bottle that I run with, because it has some sort of form of electrolytes in them or sodium. Like I have one that has carbohydrates, so a little bit of sugar for my longer runs, but it also has 400 milligrams of sodium in them, which is real really high for an average person. But when you're being active and you're sweating profusely, it it replaces everything adequately. That you've burnt off. And when I run, my god, I am so slick. Like everything is very well lubricated. I am very aware of how slippery I am after a run. Like I sweat down my scalp and I can feel my hair dripping. It is disgusting. Michael Baldassari: You ever seen a seal run before? Yeah, that's you. Slippery like a seal. The Chaotic Runner: That would be me. That is me. I am very slippery. If somebody gave me a hug, I would just like I'd probably slip right out of that hug. It's really, really gross. so I I know it's very important to pack a survival kit with you. No matter what, like if you know you're gonna be out for a really long period of time. Just making sure you have everything you need. And I go through the night before and make sure I have all my my gels and everything all on my counter. And I have my water bottle filled with the powder that I'm going to be using for my long run and even my short runs on throughout the week. It's it's I I've learned the hard way because muscle cramps are not fun. Headaches are not fun. The last time I did a half marathon distance just for a training run. I don't think I had enough water with me and I had a pounding headache. Like I I came home and I put my air conditioner on and I just laid there on the couch and I could not move. I was so sore and everything was so crampy and my head was so it was just pounding. So yeah, pack water guys and make sure you have if if you think you are at the right amount, you don't have enough. It's always good to over things. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. Always, always overpack. It's fine to bring too much when The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. It's good to be over prepared than under. Michael Baldassari: you forget it. Exactly. It's like think about it like packing for a vacation. Like if you underpack, then you're gonna be upset about it. It's gonna be annoying if and something could happen, something could go wrong. If you overpack, you're gonna be upset about it. But only briefly and then you're gonna just have to bring it back with you. And that's all that's the only worst The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Michael Baldassari: part about it. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. So I think my grappling hook method that I had, I I have a couple, but I know the first winter I ran out here, like we get some pretty harsh winters being off the water. And it was the first winter I had run and I learned that having proper shoes with grip on them are a huge, huge asset to have. And Even though it's cold outside, make sure you have water. but this run was just brutal. Like it was a straight out and back, and I was with a group of friends, and my water bottle isn't insulated, so it froze. And we all stopped for a water break. Like we were we were doing a bit of a walk break and we were stopping for water. And I went to go and get my water and I couldn't get it, I couldn't get a sip of my water because I had completely frozen. The cap was frozen shut. so I got one of my friends to screw it off because they had the grip strength to do it. My hands were frozen because I didn't I don't have insulated gloves to run with. Like they're fairly thin, thin gloves. And it was yeah, my hands were frozen. I couldn't open my water bottle, the wind was howling, it was snowing and sleeting on us, and we'd get through some tree cover and we'd be fine for a little bit, but then the wind would change direction and we get pelted in the eyes with ice cubes. It was just brutal. And I like the positive thing about it is, if you can find a positive thing about it, is that I was out there. I was still out there doing a run. That felt impossible. Like I couldn't open my water bottle. I had to suck on the ice cube at the entryway of my water. So I'm sitting there like looking at like it's a possible on the side of the road. it was so bad. And my hands were frozen into like little raptor claws. And in order to talk to each other, we had to scream at each other because the wind was so strong. It was icy and people were driving like maniacs and the road is very slopy on that route. And yeah, it was just like all the things that could happen on a winter run were happening to us and it was just not fun. But we did it. And the positive thing about it was was that in the springtime when you when we were able to run on bare pavement, I wound up PRing on my first tank at 10K. Michael Baldassari: Which that's The Chaotic Runner: And Michael Baldassari: really impressive. The Chaotic Runner: yeah, so it it like it all pays off in the end if you if you don't let let those bad moments kind of dictate how you're going to move forward. Like it's very easy to throw in the towel and be like, you know what? Fuck this, forget it, I'm done. I'm just gonna crawl into my tent and not come out and maybe starve to death out here. I'm going to just curl on the side of the road and let the wind take me and and or I or just not run at all in the winter and have to start off from ground zero and be an absolute misery for everybody else around me. Or you can just kind of laugh about it eventually. And once you unthaw, dry off, get whatever you need into your system, you You keep going. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: so next question for you. What would you recommend for people who have bad moments? well, I shouldn't say bad moments, but yeah, have their have their more challenging moments that may make them want to quit. What would be your recommendation or your motivational input to help them keep going? Michael Baldassari: For motivation, I mean like a bad day in the office, like if you have, let's just say, just like Just an off day. Are you The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: going to quit work? Think about it the address it address The Chaotic Runner: Well, no, because you need the money. Michael Baldassari: it well, it depends on the situation, right? It just all depends. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah. If it's a really bad yeah, if it's a really toxic situation, then maybe quit your job and find another one. Michael Baldassari: But yeah, change your mindset with like approach it like you would with work or I don't know any other instance where you have to make that decision. Like look at it in the sense of like you find the joys in what you do, right? Like if you're if you have a bad day in the office, what is it that you enjoy about work? The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: If you can't find anything you enjoy about it, then okay, maybe it's not for you. Maybe go off and try to find something else. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, maybe it's time to start reconsidering things. Yeah. Michael Baldassari: Exactly. But if you find a lot of things that you enjoy about it, then The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: you just have to just take a take a break for the day. Don't push yourself. Because if you push yourself, you're not gonna enjoy it at all. And then it's just gonna worsen your directive to quit. So The Chaotic Runner: But I mean still show up. Michael Baldassari: Still show up, just take a break at the end of the day and then The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, you you don't have to go as hard. Michael Baldassari: exactly. And come back to it tomorrow. It'll The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: be a better day tomorrow. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah. A bad moment shouldn't dictate Michael Baldassari: Yeah. The Chaotic Runner: your whole outlook. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Guaranteed, 90% of the time, if you just come back tomorrow, it'll be a better time than that day. 90% of the time. Of course, it's always gonna be that 10% where if you push yourself too hard, you might hurt yourself. Well just The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Absolutely. You just gotta pivot and modify. Like if you're having one of those off days, which we all do, just modify. Cause y y it's very easy to kind of turn over and be like, absolutely not. I'm not going to the gym. I'm not going for my run. But even if you do just like a light workout, you don't have to go as hard on your training plan if you have a training plan. Or if you had a plan that you were originally going to do, like, I was gonna do this really intense workout at the gym that included like box jumps and sprints on the treadmill, maybe dial it back. Just just a little bit and you know, like still show up for yourself and but just dial it back Michael Baldassari: And it The Chaotic Runner: and pivot. Michael Baldassari: if I may also add too with that The Chaotic Runner: Hm. Michael Baldassari: it's With the exercise that you're gonna do at the gym, let's just say it was given to you by a fitness professional or a training coach. The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: They don't know you too well. Only you know your body, and only your body knows itself. And The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: everybody's different. So if you're tackling something and you're not seeing any progress, you are on the ropes. You switch it up because it's not you find what works best with your body. Maybe like you're doing this regimen that was prescribed to you, and you found that one exercise had incredible results, but the other one did not. Focus more on that one and only focus on the improvements. Don't focus on, I'm not seeing this improvement with this one workout. Drop that The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah. Michael Baldassari: one workout and find something else. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, something similar. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Just gotta be Michael Baldassari: Something that The Chaotic Runner: flexible. Michael Baldassari: yeah, something that works out that that same area, but The Chaotic Runner: Mm-hmm. Michael Baldassari: with a different tactic. That targets The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Michael Baldassari: it, different tactic. If it works with that one, keep it. If it doesn't, move on to next one. It's it's like exactly. The Chaotic Runner: Find a way to modify it. So you're not going at it at full tilt. Like work your way up to it. Michael Baldassari: Mm. Like if it's hurt if you find it's hurting you, maybe you change your positioning on that exercise and maybe it'll work better. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, change your positioning. Lighter dumbbell, resistance bands are always good. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. You're doing machines switch up to free weights. Precisely. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, there when there's a will, there's a way. Yeah, yeah, there's a when there's a will, there's a way. And ask for help. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. Or if you're like me, if you're like me who hates working out at the gym, The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: find something outside that does the same thing. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. all right, so final question I have for you here. So I have been asking my guests w the first time they come on, just to kind of give people an idea to help build an epic workout playlist. so when you played baseball, Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: just think about it this way. You're imagine you're going in a beer league and they give you the opportunity to pick your walk out song. What would be Michael Baldassari: Ho ho. The Chaotic Runner: your epic walkout song? Michael Baldassari: You know, I I'm a huge music buff in the sense of things like things that pump me up. When I was in baseball growing up, it was definitely radioactive by Imagine Dragons. The Chaotic Runner: that's a good one. Michael Baldassari: Every time the bass would drop, I would always have it in my head when I would go up to bat and that was usually the one where I would slam a dinger and it The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: would be I I would I would hear that song in my head and I would hear the bass drop just as the ball comes across the plate and I would smash it. That The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: was my walkout song for sure. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, absolutely. Like I think my finish one of my finished long songs, I have a very interesting playlist that I have for my races. It's very up and down in a sense, but it's it's all pretty fast paced, but it's varying genres of music. And I I One of them w for me would be Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons. So sticking to the Imagine Dragon theme, it Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. The Chaotic Runner: would be whatever it takes for me for a finish line song. Michael Baldassari: Mm hmm. Yes. And I do remember you saying that a ma whatever it takes was the one that you would always stick with. Cause it it is literally true. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. And Well, I mean there's a line there where it's like, whip whip, run me like a race horse and I'm just like, Yes, I'm a racehorse. I can do it. I know Michael Baldassari: Exactly. And The Chaotic Runner: when I had dad on here, he said, Here comes the sun by the Beatles and then I come out with, burn it to the ground by by nickel back and he's like, What? Michael Baldassari: Yeah, well he's very much an old The Chaotic Runner: Very Michael Baldassari: in old time in sense of the word. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Yeah, very Zen and I'm just like, not me, I'm not Zen. I'm just like, I wanna finish this shit. Get my banana and my cookie. Michael Baldassari: Now for now for those of you out there who also want something away for from the beaten path, if you ever look up the blue stones, look up don't miss by the blue stones. You will not regret it adding it to your your playlist for working out. The Chaotic Runner: I'll I'll have to look that one up and see if it works on mine. Maybe add it on there. Michael Baldassari: yeah, no, it's it's all up be upbeat and it's very much a badass song that is heavy on the rock and it has good beat and it's intense. So if you're into an intense The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Michael Baldassari: workout, it's one of those where you just absolutely will have a great time with it in there. You won't regret it. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, anything to pump you up. It's that egg what they call it ex extrinsic motivation. So it's that exterior from yourself kind of motivation. So there's the intrinsic, which is within yourself, your mind, your emotions, and then there's the extrinsic. So the music Michael Baldassari: Precisely. The Chaotic Runner: is always a good motivator. Michael Baldassari: Mm. Precisely, or else it'll just be like again, you and the four walls in silence. Just doesn't make sense. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah. Hello silence my old friend. Michael Baldassari: I've come to talk to you again. The Chaotic Runner: Yeah, but you could just go to a dark place really, really quickly. Yeah. that Michael Baldassari: Exactly. Exactly. The Chaotic Runner: person must be meditating, meanwhile they're having like some sort of internal crisis. Michael Baldassari: Now, but the thing is, if you don't like rock and you like more rap as it, you can always do Rocket Man The Chaotic Runner: yeah. Michael Baldassari: featuring featuring Elton John, not Rocket Man by Elton John, but there's a rap song featuring Elton John, and it's it's really good. It's like a little low-key, but it has The Chaotic Runner: Okay. Michael Baldassari: a good beat to it, and it's like something to if you're like An emotional person when you work out, like if you're working through emotions when you're lifting The Chaotic Runner: Hmm. Michael Baldassari: weights, that's a song that it got me through. The Chaotic Runner: Okay. That's good to know. Michael Baldassari: Mm-hmm. And you're just going The Chaotic Runner: All right, so Michael Baldassari: through all the fun things on your on your end there. You got an ice cream truck, you have a honking car. You had seagulls at one point, I heard them. The Chaotic Runner: I know. Yeah, I've got it. Yeah. no, that was that was the dog. Michael Baldassari: And the dog. I heard the dog too. The Chaotic Runner: the dog, the cat, yeah, the whole damn zoo. So anyways, we are gonna call it there guys. I just wanna thank you so much for coming out today, Ryan. it was awesome having you here. Michael Baldassari: Glad to be here. I'm glad to help. The Chaotic Runner: And I'll catch you guys on the next one. Take care, y'all. If you like what you're hearing and want to be part of the chaotic runner community, you can now subscribe to a weekly newsletter at the chaoticrunner.substack.com/slash subscribe, where you will get bonuses from each episode that come with tips, tricks, recipes, sent right to your inbox. You can also comment and be part of the community and help inspire others. You can also send an email directly to me at the chaoticrunner podcast at gmail.com where you can send your stories from the good, the bad, to the very, very cringy, to the absolute downright hilarious. Because again, you never know who you're going to inspire with your stories. And you never know if they may be on the next podcast episode. Bailey Baldassari: I just want to start by giving a big thank you to everybody who tuned in to today's episode of the Chaotic Runner Podcast. Now, while we like to give our opinions, we are not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you wish to start a new healthy active regime, please make sure that you are contacting your doctor or physician. And with that being said, be kind yourself, be kind to each other, and we will catch you guys on the next one. Take care, y'all.