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Deep Roots
Day 81: Take it from me. It's a good thing to keep striving for more from yourself
Season 5, Ep. 13
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Day 81 of preparing for the Million Euro Lap—a 3,000-kilometer run around Ireland’s coast to raise €1 million for charity. Today, Damian Browne faces the final session of cycle two, a run he’s been dodging all week. Fear of another breakdown—rooted in 80 days of nagging Achilles and calf issues—has him reluctant to push. But with a hike in Ireland looming in two days, he laces up and goes for it.
What unfolds is a gritty victory: 40 minutes of running, split into two-minute sprints (up to 13 km/h, his fastest since injury) and longer five-minute efforts at a quicker pace than last week. That’s nine minutes more volume than the previous session, with every variable—speed, duration, intensity—cranked up. The Achilles holds, the body responds, and the mind wrestles with doubt but emerges intact. Tune in for a raw take on overcoming fear, inching toward mastery, and the quiet power of persistence.
In This Episode:
✔️ Fear’s shadow: How past breakdowns fuel reluctance to run—and how Damian faces it
✔️ Run recap: 40 minutes total—two-minute sprints at 13 km/h, five-minute efforts, 9 minutes more than last week
✔️ Achilles watch: Paper-mache mornings vs. a solid session—what’s real, what’s phantom?
✔️ Strength & lean gains: Visible body comp shifts and a plan for more mobility in cycle three
💡 Take Action: Want to fuel Damian’s mission to conquer Ireland’s coast? Visit https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ to support his journey and stay updated on this epic endeavor.
Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor of baLORE Media https://www.baloremedia.co.uk/
✔️ Chopping wood, carrying water: The mantra of progress through steady, unglamorous effort
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1. Welcome to Deep Roots
24:11||Season 1, Ep. 1Welcome to the Adventure, Welcome to Deep Roots The mission with Deep Roots is to share my journey to self realisation through the vehicle of extreme adventures and expeditions. The deepening of oneself through toil and hardship, dreams and purpose, and the pursuit of my physical, mental and emotional edges throughout the four corners of our incredible planet, surrounded and challenged by nature's wonders. - Damian Browne To be apart of the journey and get in touch with the podcast, contact on: Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/auld_stock/?hl=en Website > https://www.damianbrowne.com/ Produced by baLORE Media Executive Producer: Niall Killeney Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2. Shook To My Core
47:24||Season 1, Ep. 2Day 1, the day everything that could go wrong, went wrong. After 588 days of preparation, plus 2 extra days because the start of the race, the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, got put back due to weather conditions, I pushed my 7 metre (23 ft) ocean rowing boat away from the marina in La Gomera (Canary Islands) and rowed into the unknown. I felt prepared for many things, but I was not ready for what happened after only 6 hours into a 5000km trans-Atlantic crossing To be apart of the journey and get in touch with the podcast, contact on: Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ >https://www.instagram.com/auld_stock/?hl=en Website > https://www.damianbrowne.com/ Produced by baLORE Media Executive Producer: Niall Killeney Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
3. Rebound
48:58||Season 1, Ep. 3Days 2, 3 & 4 - What is in this week's episode? Mental redirects, clarity on what had gone wrong on Day 1, learning to live, the solo mistake, losing the fight to sleep, the mentality, "I want it to be as hard as it can possibly be" and why, not ungrateful but, the trade winds secret, a BGAN, and building an association between hard and it's rich rewards. Video Clips: Day 1 - https://youtu.be/fVcSRMrpST4 Day 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4HSrb-OQrU&list=PLzeIfDFiyHOeHgXTvX3kv2kyqGupppjYj&index=2 Day 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyFIQcAmNQ8&list=PLzeIfDFiyHOeHgXTvX3kv2kyqGupppjYj&index=3 Day 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZw5iZ96O_c&list=PLzeIfDFiyHOeHgXTvX3kv2kyqGupppjYj&index=4 To be apart of the journey and get in touch with the podcast, contact on: Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ >https://www.instagram.com/auld_stock/?hl=en Website > https://www.damianbrowne.com/ Produced by baLORE Media Executive Producer: Niall Killeney Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
4. Freedom
34:39||Season 1, Ep. 4Days 5 - Dreaming awake, the pressures of time, foulies on and the cabin dry, arse dry battle, Denali journal, the interesting consequence of low-level discomfort, dropped standards. Day 6 - Wired to find solutions, the introduction of routine and structure = mental resolution, space and freedom popping the emotional cork, good mileage, rowing my little heart out, a pushing to my edges. Day 7- One week doing just one thing, unfathomable, living. Video Clips: Day 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgI7ikAbjc8&t=7s Day 6 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UDcPLW1crc&t=6s Day 7 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGwz56e3XbU To be apart of the journey and get in touch with the podcast, contact on: Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ >https://www.instagram.com/auld_stock/?hl=en Website > https://www.damianbrowne.com/ Produced by baLORE Media Producer: Niall Killeney Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
5. The Dark Consequences of losing an oar
52:25||Season 1, Ep. 5Days 9 - The biggest conditions the TWAC has seen in 10 years, the battle with no moonlight, an overnight storm, waking up to find you are minus one oar, self-loathing, deep reflection and analysis with brutal honesty, lazy and sloppy standards, the uplifting process of holding myself accountable & to a higher standard, a tough lesson, the incredible stories of Team O2 and Team Tenzing, the beautiful clarity a simple life of survival and existing brings and a simple 3 step process to change anything in your life. Day 9 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC8bqHMyZ2s&t=10s Here are a few links to things I mention during the episode Alan Colville blog on his GWR for most vertical metres cycled in 48 hours - https://www.teamjmc.uk/2020/10/reaching-new-heights/ Team Tenzing's TEDx 'Fire & Water' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szym3hKe0QQ The story of Team O2 - https://www.beyondtheragingsea.com/ To be apart of the journey and get in touch with the podcast, contact on: Instagram > https://www.instagram.com/deep_roots_podcast/ >https://www.instagram.com/auld_stock/?hl=en Website > https://www.damianbrowne.com/ Produced by baLORE Media Producer: Niall Killeney Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Bonus Q&A #1
45:18|In this episode I answer listeners questions sent in over the first 5 weeks. Tune in to hear questions answered on goal setting, purifying water on the Atlantic, what I did with Darien (my boat) after finishing, daily routine & mindset practices on board, my thoughts on building mental toughness and getting out of a rut, sponsorship & personal investment in the project and some questions from former British & Irish Lion Stephen Ferris asking about my experience with giving up and self-doubt See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
6. Goose Sandwiches & Anne
46:38||Season 1, Ep. 6Day 10: Lack of choice and its rewards, patterning habits & building associations, choosing the hard road and shitting into a bucket. Day 11: A close encounter with a tanker, a visit from a beautiful lady, the endearing story of Oliver Crane and the eve of the day I dreaded most. Day 12: A spectacular sunrise to welcome me to Christmas day, expectations vs. reality, "out of this world" rowing conditions, how the memory of goose sandwiches thwarted my attempts at a family xmas video, a hopping Sat-Phone and flow state. Day 13: Silence, huge swells, sitting on top of a 6-metre wave for a nano-second, sliding up walls of water, getting to grips with steering, targeting more miles and flying fish. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
7. Craziest Day of My Life
01:09:39||Season 1, Ep. 7Day 14: Imagine being woken up as you are catapulted, face first, into the side of a solid wood cabin during a capsize as a ferocious wave turns your boat over 360 degrees in a raging storm. Welcome to Day 14 on the Atlantic, also known as the craziest day of my life. This was a day spent at the edges of life as I battled my wits, fears and mother nature. 2 full capsizes, one where I hung onto the boat with one hand as I rode the capsize 180 degrees under water, calmly repeating to myself a practiced mantra for the very scenario, "squeeze your grip". 3 more capsizes were narrowly avoided as I stared a face full of Atlantic Ocean in the eye and Darien teetered on the brink but held firm, much like my grip on a vital piece of equipment. Then there was the whale. The curious, playful adolescent who revived me from a minor state of shock with its visit and subsequently stirred emotions I didn't know existed as it circled my boat and made eye contact with me on one of its final passes. Simply, a day I will never forget. Day 14 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhhlH-_crRM&t=55s Day 14 (night) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4h0EuJK_hg&t=4s Produced by Niall Killeney Taylor See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
8. Catastrophic Steering System Failure
01:10:40||Season 1, Ep. 8Day 15: Loss of memories and connection, issues and frustration with my steering and lack of control over the boat, getting weight into the stern of the boat, 3 Mars bars for breakfast, a gift from A-Team Adventures, a new waypoint 1350 nautical miles, a hopping mind and the focus shift from performance to survival. Day 16: A large period of my morning taken away from rowing and progress trying to sort out my steering problem, outcome orientation and the pressures of time, the mental hack - "extended limit" and manipulating our control over perception, and the power of a perspective change and visualisation over self-absorption, letters from home and a lovely addition by my mother. Day 17: Opening up the cabin hatch to another unwelcome surprise, complete steering system failure & consequentially my favourite memory of the whole crossing, getting a very clear window into my own character, calling Justin my boat builder, an unfortunate sequences of events equally steering failure, only 2 or 3 boats in the whole fleet rowing with the traditional set up and the rawest way to row an ocean, pride in taking the bravest road and not looking for easy, respect for the pioneers, the visit of the first support boat, Manny and Kyle on Skye, confirmation of my 'fucked' steering system by Manny when he swam to Darien, the contradiction of ocean rowing, rowing into the sunset; committed to a new race. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.