Joe Rogan Experience #1635 - Katie Spotz

1. 0:00 – 1:06

   From nervous podcast guest to endurance mindset: why fear can be useful

   1. SPSpeaker0:00

      (drumming) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.

   2. SPSpeaker0:04

      The Joe Rogan Experience.

   3. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night. All day. (rock music plays) Okay. Hello, Katie. How are you?

   4. KSKatie Spotz0:16

      Hi, Joe. Good.

   5. JRJoe Rogan0:16

      What's happening?

   6. KSKatie Spotz0:17

      Yeah, not much. How are you?

   7. JRJoe Rogan0:18

      Not much at all? This is very uneventful for you. It's funny that you're nervous to do this, but yet you're not nervous to row a boat. Well, you might have been nervous. Were you nervous to row across the Atlantic?

   8. KSKatie Spotz0:29

      I definitely was nervous, and I think, like, that is a good thing to be able to channel that energy to, you know, make sure bad things don't happen, but that was definitely more my comfort zone than doing something like this.

   9. JRJoe Rogan0:41

      Is that the cra- ... Well, obviously it's the craziest thing you've ever done, right? I shouldn't say obviously.

   10. KSKatie Spotz0:46

       Um, well, I think that, like, the last endurance challenge, it was, like, running 33 hours straight and I think that hit my physical limit more than the row did. Like, after the row, I felt like my body could probably continue going, um, but it was just, yeah, more mentally challenging.

2. 1:06 – 5:23

   The “accidental adventurer” origin story: one mile that changed everything

   1. JRJoe Rogan1:06

      How did you get started doing these kind of things?

   2. KSKatie Spotz1:09

      Um, so I would definitely consider myself more like an accidental adventurer. So, um, I had to take a gym class to get my, um, high school diploma, and through process of elimination, I wanted to find, like, the easiest A. Because at that point I was, like, a benchwarmer and I didn't really excel in- in those team sports. So, the easy A was a walking, running class, and, um, I did the ... I signed up just, like, trying to do the bare minimum, and it was during that class where it was like, "Okay, I'm already forced to be here. I might as well try to run." And I set that target of running one mile straight, and, um, I never thought I could do that. And so when I did run one mile straight, it was probably equivalent to people who run a marathon, you know? Like, just feeling, like, really elated and that's the seed that planted all the adventures to come. It's really just that one mile and realizing that I was limiting myself by, um, what- what I thought was possible, and one mile turned into two, two into three, and that was really how I did my first marathon and every- every event was, like, started from really that place, that one mile.

   3. JRJoe Rogan2:35

      So you were sort of an athletic underachiever or a not interested in athletics person?

   4. KSKatie Spotz2:41

      So, uh, in middle school, I- I, like most people, did all the sports, all the team sports, and it was m- ... The focus was like, "Oh, hey, let's hang out. Let's make friends," and- and it ... My priority was definitely, like, just hanging out with friends. I didn't have that, like, competitive sense about it, and, um, once it got too competitive, I kinda checked out because I was like, "Why are you guys making a big deal about this?" Do you know what I mean? Like ...

   5. JRJoe Rogan3:09

      (laughs)

   6. KSKatie Spotz3:10

      When- when you see it, when, like, the parents are more invested-

   7. JRJoe Rogan3:14

      Oh, yeah.

   8. KSKatie Spotz3:14

      ... and you're like-

   9. JRJoe Rogan3:15

      That's bad. Yeah.

   10. KSKatie Spotz3:15

       ... "Settle down." Um, so when it became stressful and not fun, that's when I checked out and I didn't really have interest in that, and so, um, when it became my own, when it became something that was very internally driven and not anything other than the pure curiosity, I- I would say that, um, people who do athletic things, like, they could be driven by many things, and I would say at the core, one of the driving factors is just, like, a kidlike wonder of, like, "Can I climb a tree? Can I do this? Can I do that?" And it's, like ... I think curiosity is very underrated in that, like, it could really propel you to see what's possible, and so curiosity time and time and ag- again has, like, brought me to do things that I never imagined doing.

   11. JRJoe Rogan4:09

       Do you still think back to that first mile, like completing that first mile and that elation, that feeling of elation where you were like, "Oh my God." Like, a new door's opened?

   12. KSKatie Spotz4:21

       All the time. Like, some of my friends now that, like, I'm more in ultrarunning, it's like w- w- ... We'll- we'll hear ourselves. I mean, I'm- I'm not exempt from this, but saying things like, "Oh, it's just a mile," or, "Just five mile," or, "Just a marathon," or, "Just ..." Whatever you wanna adjust it, but, like, I still don't feel like I've lost sight of that because, I mean, I know this is kind of harsh, but, like, sometimes I say to my friends, like, "Well, tell that to someone who can't walk." Like, i- it really is worthy of celebrating every step, every mile, and so, um, I- I mean, yeah. I think there's, like ... (sighs) It- it's just one achievement opens the door to o- other ones, and so, yeah, I definitely, um, don't feel like I've lost that sense and I think that's important to keep just so it ... I don't know. It keeps you in that humble state rather than expecting that just because you did it, you can in the future.

3. 5:23 – 7:24

   Recalibrating boundaries: pacing, endurance basics, and the ‘metal mouth’ lesson

   1. JRJoe Rogan5:23

      Yeah, it- it really is interesting how people are limited by their own- their previous experiences and what they've sort of established as their boundaries.

   2. KSKatie Spotz5:30

      Yeah.

   3. JRJoe Rogan5:31

      And then you see them expand past those boundaries and then just ... It changes them.

   4. KSKatie Spotz5:35

      Totally.

   5. JRJoe Rogan5:35

      It changes who you are.

   6. KSKatie Spotz5:36

      I mean, like, one of the things that I'll get now is, like, "Oh, I could never run a marathon," and my first thing is like, "Oh, which ones have you tried?"

   7. JRJoe Rogan5:46

      (laughs)

   8. KSKatie Spotz5:46

      And of course they're like, "No, I've never tried," and I'm like, "Well ... "... there you go. You actually have to try and if you haven't tried, then you really don't know if that's truthful that you can't run a marathon. So, um, yeah, I think we get in our own ways more than, than anything else. And I'm not saying, like, (sighs) you know, there, it was ... My first mile running was very, like, not graceful. It was like, basically, I was like, "I wanna get this over with as fast as possible." So I was completely winded. I didn't know how to pace myself, and like, um, I don't know the whole, like, reason behind it, but it's like you have that metal mouth.

   9. JRJoe Rogan6:29

      Mm-hmm.

   10. KSKatie Spotz6:29

       Do you know about that?

   11. JRJoe Rogan6:30

       Yeah.

   12. KSKatie Spotz6:30

       It's like when something ... I don't ... Do you know the science behind that?

   13. JRJoe Rogan6:35

       I don't.

   14. KSKatie Spotz6:35

       Oh.

   15. JRJoe Rogan6:35

       But I know it's like there's like a metallic-

   16. KSKatie Spotz6:37

       Exactly.

   17. JRJoe Rogan6:38

       ... thing in your mouth?

   18. KSKatie Spotz6:38

       Yeah, it almost tastes ... And it's because, like, you're pushing almost, like, too hard and it's like bursting something in your, your, your lungs, but yeah, so, so clearly-

   19. JRJoe Rogan6:49

       Is that what it is? Really? It's bursting something in your lung?

   20. KSKatie Spotz6:50

       I think so.

   21. JRJoe Rogan6:51

       Maybe it's blood-

   22. KSKatie Spotz6:52

       Yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan6:52

       ... because blood does have sort of a metallic-

   24. KSKatie Spotz6:53

       Yes.

   25. JRJoe Rogan6:53

       ... copper-like taste to it.

   26. KSKatie Spotz6:55

       Yeah. Anyways, I didn't know how to pace myself-

   27. JRJoe Rogan6:58

       Oh, so you went-

   28. KSKatie Spotz6:58

       ... because stuff like that (laughs) would happen to me-

   29. JRJoe Rogan7:01

       Oh.

   30. KSKatie Spotz7:01

       ... like, "Oh, okay."
4. 7:24 – 10:44

   The spark: discovering ocean rowing and the allure of being ‘stripped raw’

   1. JRJoe Rogan7:24

      And then eventually, you decide, "I am gonna row across the Atlantic Ocean by myself."

   2. KSKatie Spotz7:33

      Yeah. So, okay, so the row. Um-

   3. JRJoe Rogan7:35

      (laughs)

   4. KSKatie Spotz7:37

      ... I was on a bus, right? And I was, like, talking to someone sitting next to me, and we were talking about endurance challenges and, um, I was a stubborn, know-it-all 19-year-old. So, of course, I was like, "Oh, I've heard it all. I know people climb Mount Everest. I know people sail around the world. I know about all these things." And then he mentioned his friend rowed across the Atlantic, and that was, like, that just stopped me in my tracks. Like, "What? Like, people can do that?" Like, I'd never ... It was so far beyond anything I ever imagined, and, um, I think, like, with endurance, what's so cool about endurance is, like, at a certain point, everyone's body hurts, right? So what makes endurance, like, a really cool experience is seeing how the human will and how, like, determination and how a strong mind, like, you ... It's a requirement because everyone, no matter how fast or slow you are, is going through that, that mental wall. And so, um, yeah, I found out about ocean rowing, and I was really captivated not only by, um, that mental component because, like, if you do a marathon, you go home, you take your shower, you, um, you have people cheering you on, but, but ocean rowing, you're stripped raw of that. And, and something about that was intriguing to me because it's like, okay, how can you dig deep internally when you don't have the, you know, the finish line, um, you know, whatever, uh, party and, like, the swag and the people and the nice co- cozy bed. And I just kind of, I liked that idea of, like, being so stripped raw that you have to dig deeper than you ever would if you didn't have all those other externals. So yeah, I found out about it on a bus. I went home and went and Googled everything I could about ocean rowing, and it was at a time where I did my first ultra-marathon, so it was like 100-kilometer run or 62 miles, and it was, again, one of those moments where I was like, "I never thought I could do that," and my body proved otherwise. So what are all the other things that I'm saying I can't do but maybe I can? So, it was really that information at that particular time where I was, like, really open to the idea of, "Wow, maybe it is possible." But, um, it was a matter of, like, researching everything. It wasn't like, "Oh, I gotta do this." It was, "Oh, I gotta find out everything." Because, I mean, if someone told you, "Oh, someone rowed across the Atlantic," wouldn't the first thing be like, "Is that really true?" Like, so, I mean, uh, that was the first place I, I looked, like, are people legitimately doing that.

   5. JRJoe Rogan10:37

      How much time was it between you finding out about it and you actually doing it?

   6. KSKatie Spotz10:40

      Two years.

   7. JRJoe Rogan10:41

      That's not that long.

   8. KSKatie Spotz10:42

      No. No.

5. 10:44 – 11:57

   Training vs logistics: how to prepare for a solo Atlantic row

   1. JRJoe Rogan10:44

      Did ... What kind of training did you do?

   2. KSKatie Spotz10:47

      Um, so, like, physical training, like, compared to doing, like ... I've trained for, like, Ironmans and then trained for adventures, like physi- purely physical to, like, these more adventure-type things. And, like, training for an Ironman, 90% is, like, what you're doing in the gym. For ocean rowing and for, like, the more adventure-type, um, athletic pursuits, I would say that, like, 90% was, like, the logistics. Like, you could be the most fit person in the world, but if you don't have a boat, what does it matter? Like, so I spent most of my time just, like, sorting out through all the logistics, the sponsorship, getting the gear, training with the gear. But, um, yeah. Like, my training priorities for rowing and ocean were, um, injury prevention, so I did a lot with, like, strengthening my core and my lower back, and then on the weekends is when I would do, like, a six-to-eight-hour row, training row, just to get, more to get used to the boat and the equipment more than anything else. But-

   3. JRJoe Rogan11:54

      And you would go on a lake? What-

   4. KSKatie Spotz11:56

      Lake Erie.

   5. JRJoe Rogan11:57

      Lake Erie?

   6. KSKatie Spotz11:57

      Yeah. Yes.

6. 11:57 – 14:00

   The boat, the pace, and the math: 3,000 miles at walking speed

   1. JRJoe Rogan11:57

      Now, how fast do you go on this boat?

   2. KSKatie Spotz12:02

      Uh, like-... maybe I would go, like, 30 miles a day.

   3. JRJoe Rogan12:07

      No, no, no, how fast, like, per hour?

   4. KSKatie Spotz12:09

      Uh, three, two or three miles.

   5. JRJoe Rogan12:11

      Two or three miles per hour?

   6. KSKatie Spotz12:13

      So, yeah.

   7. JRJoe Rogan12:13

      So basically, like, the speed of walking.

   8. KSKatie Spotz12:15

      Yeah. So, um, my boat was a 19-foot rowboat. It was, like, 400 pounds, but once it was fully loaded, it was 1,000 pounds. So it did have, like, a sliding seat-

   9. JRJoe Rogan12:31

      There it is.

   10. KSKatie Spotz12:31

       Yes. Okay, so, um, I, I had a sliding seat, so that meant that, like, my legs and my back were the main source of, like, power. But, um, I think the best, like-

   11. JRJoe Rogan12:46

       You mean a sliding sea- seat, like a rowing machine?

   12. KSKatie Spotz12:48

       Uh, exactly. So, like-

   13. JRJoe Rogan12:50

       So that helps you?

   14. KSKatie Spotz12:51

       ... it, it, it means that, like, the power was coming from the most powerful parts of my body, not my arms. So some people assume, like, "Oh, it's just your upper body. It's just your arms." But in fact, it's more your legs and back. But, um-

   15. JRJoe Rogan13:05

       So this thing's going two or three miles an hour.

   16. KSKatie Spotz13:07

       Correct.

   17. JRJoe Rogan13:07

       And how many miles is the Atlantic Ocean? How many miles across?

   18. KSKatie Spotz13:10

       3,000.

   19. JRJoe Rogan13:11

       Oh. (laughs)

   20. KSKatie Spotz13:11

       Or th- yeah, 3,000, so-

   21. JRJoe Rogan13:13

       Jesus Christ. Oh my God.

   22. KSKatie Spotz13:15

       Don't think about it.

   23. JRJoe Rogan13:16

       Oh.

   24. KSKatie Spotz13:16

       Just don't even think about it.

   25. JRJoe Rogan13:18

       Oh my God, that's so far. (laughs)

   26. KSKatie Spotz13:20

       (laughs) Yeah.

   27. JRJoe Rogan13:22

       That's so far.

   28. KSKatie Spotz13:24

       It was the worst reaching the halfway point, just because, like-

   29. JRJoe Rogan13:27

       How long did it take you the whole trip?

   30. KSKatie Spotz13:29

       70 days.
7. 14:00 – 17:48

   Alone at sea: nights, stars, bioluminescence, and constant wildlife encounters

   1. JRJoe Rogan14:00

      What were those nights like?

   2. KSKatie Spotz14:02

      It was pretty amazing. Yeah.

   3. JRJoe Rogan14:04

      Yeah?

   4. KSKatie Spotz14:04

      So, of course the stars were amazing, like shooting stars and just, like, yeah, breathtaking. And then what surprised me, like I thought it was, like, "Wait, um, is this real? Am I hallucinating?" But the, the, I think the most stunning part was actually looking in the water because they had, like, um, this type of glowing plankton, so it was, like-

   5. JRJoe Rogan14:25

      Oh, yeah.

   6. KSKatie Spotz14:25

      ... a phosphorescence. So sometimes I would see things glowing in the distance, and then all around my boat, um, any time my oar hit the water, like, I would see all of that. And-

   7. JRJoe Rogan14:37

      Wow.

   8. KSKatie Spotz14:38

      Yeah. Like, I was so busy planning the trip and the logistics that I didn't know, like, what wildlife I'd see. And so that was definitely, like, a pleasant surprise to, to see that.

   9. JRJoe Rogan14:49

      That must've been really crazy.

   10. KSKatie Spotz14:50

       Yeah, have you ever seen?

   11. JRJoe Rogan14:52

       No. No, I've seen it on video.

   12. KSKatie Spotz14:54

       Oh.

   13. JRJoe Rogan14:54

       See if you can find video of it.

   14. KSKatie Spotz14:55

       Um-

   15. JRJoe Rogan14:55

       What is it called?

   16. NANarrator14:56

       Bioluminescence.

   17. KSKatie Spotz14:56

       It's bioluminescence, but there are, like, Puerto Rico is probably the closest place to here that has really good bioluminescence too. Like ... yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan15:08

       So that, it really looked like that?

   19. KSKatie Spotz15:09

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan15:09

       Like that, that bright blue?

   21. KSKatie Spotz15:11

       Around my boat, yes.

   22. JRJoe Rogan15:11

       That's amazing.

   23. KSKatie Spotz15:13

       Very trippy.

   24. JRJoe Rogan15:15

       That is so wild.

   25. KSKatie Spotz15:16

       But, um-

   26. JRJoe Rogan15:16

       Wow, look at that.

   27. KSKatie Spotz15:16

       Yeah, so I could put my hand in the water and, um-

   28. JRJoe Rogan15:21

       Did you take any photos or film it or anything like that?

   29. KSKatie Spotz15:23

       I did have some, uh, film and, uh, yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan15:27

       Of this?
8. 17:48 – 23:58

   Survival systems onboard: food, desalination, ballast water, and self-righting design

   1. JRJoe Rogan17:48

      It's really cool. What did you eat?

   2. KSKatie Spotz17:51

      Uh, so, um, everything had to be light just because I was pushing it, so I had, like, freeze-dried meals-

   3. JRJoe Rogan18:00

      Mm-hmm.

   4. KSKatie Spotz18:01

      ... um, which aren't like the MREs that have liquid in it. So-I had a desalinator, so I would convert the salt water into drinking water.

   5. JRJoe Rogan18:10

      Really?

   6. KSKatie Spotz18:11

      Yeah. Which is crazy because I was doing that journey to raise money for clean water, and yet I had a better source of water than a billion people. So that was just like... Yeah. Um-

   7. JRJoe Rogan18:24

      So this desalinator, I did not know-

   8. KSKatie Spotz18:27

      (laughs)

   9. JRJoe Rogan18:27

      ... that they had a portable desalinator that's that small.

   10. KSKatie Spotz18:29

       It was... So I had the main desalinator which works by reverse osmosis, and there were two solar panels that powered all the electronics. And, um, I had a handheld one, which fortunately I didn't have to use that, but that would take two hours to pump the water that I need. And then as-

   11. JRJoe Rogan18:48

       For the whole day?

   12. KSKatie Spotz18:49

       Correct. And then as my third option, I did also have wa- like ballast water that I could refill with salt water so it would help maintain the self-righting capability, because that was another thing. This rowboat wasn't like something you get in Dick's Sporting Goods. It was like, um, self-righting, so that meant that even if I had big waves, that it could flip and would flip back over again because of the design of the boat, and then the ballast water helped with that self-righting capability.

   13. JRJoe Rogan19:17

       So your ballast water was fresh water, just in case-

   14. KSKatie Spotz19:20

       Exactly.

   15. JRJoe Rogan19:20

       ... of a chance that you needed water-

   16. KSKatie Spotz19:21

       Yes.

   17. JRJoe Rogan19:21

       ... you can get that-

   18. KSKatie Spotz19:22

       Yep.

   19. JRJoe Rogan19:22

       ... and replace it with salt water.

   20. KSKatie Spotz19:23

       And then like the last week of my journey, I started e- just using the ballast water because it was easier and I knew I was about to finish.

   21. JRJoe Rogan19:31

       When you say, um, you replaced it with salt water, did you have containers that you would take the ballast water out and put it into some sort of a, a drinkable container?

   22. KSKatie Spotz19:41

       Yes.

   23. JRJoe Rogan19:42

       And then-

   24. KSKatie Spotz19:42

       Yeah.

   25. JRJoe Rogan19:43

       ... 'cause you would have to get it all out and then put the salt water... You can't mix it, right?

   26. KSKatie Spotz19:47

       Correct. So I had my own, like, water containers but they were in these like, I think it was like a platypus-type water-

   27. JRJoe Rogan19:54

       Mm-hmm.

   28. KSKatie Spotz19:54

       ... containers, so yeah.

   29. JRJoe Rogan19:58

       So who planned this stuff out for you as far as like the construction of the boat and the ballast water and all that jazz? Did you have to design all this yourself, or?

   30. KSKatie Spotz20:06

       So I was fortunate because I was able to buy it used, so there was-
9. 23:58 – 35:41

   Why row for water: fundraising, H2O for Life, and the solvable clean-water crisis

   1. KSKatie Spotz23:58

      So there were some, uh, Cleveland companies that were able to partner up. And, um, the purpose behind it, there's definitely a purpose behind why I do what I do, and that's always been water. And, um, so there were also some companies that shared the- the vision and passion that, you know, everyone on our planet should have clean water and there's ways to- to do that. So, um, yeah.

   2. JRJoe Rogan24:25

      We do some work with, uh, Fight for the Forgotten.

   3. KSKatie Spotz24:27

      Okay.

   4. JRJoe Rogan24:27

      It's my friend Justin Wren's organization. Do you know who they are?

   5. KSKatie Spotz24:30

      Uh-huh.

   6. JRJoe Rogan24:30

      They build wells for the Pygmies.

   7. KSKatie Spotz24:32

      Yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan24:32

      Yeah.

   9. KSKatie Spotz24:33

      Yep.

   10. JRJoe Rogan24:33

       Yeah. He's, uh ... He's a pretty amazing guy. He's been going over there for years and he spends months every year over there in Africa building wells. And he's immeasurably helped the lives of countless people over there.

   11. KSKatie Spotz24:46

       Yeah. It's amazing, like-

   12. JRJoe Rogan24:48

       Just something that we just take for granted, like here, water. Right? It's right there on the table.

   13. KSKatie Spotz24:52

       Yeah.

   14. JRJoe Rogan24:52

       You might drink it, you might not. We might throw it in the sink.

   15. KSKatie Spotz24:54

       (laughs) Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan24:56

       Mm.

   17. KSKatie Spotz24:56

       Yeah. I ...

   18. JRJoe Rogan24:58

       Delicious water.

   19. KSKatie Spotz25:00

       I mean, that is one thing that is very universal.

   20. JRJoe Rogan25:02

       It's crazy that some people don't even drink it. You know John Daly, the bo- the golfer?

   21. SPSpeaker25:06

       Mm-hmm.

   22. JRJoe Rogan25:07

       I was watching an interview. You know who he is?

   23. KSKatie Spotz25:09

       Mm-hmm.

   24. JRJoe Rogan25:10

       I don't golf, but he's a famous golfer, famous for being a guy who just gets hammered all the time and he smokes cigarettes, but he's a really good golfer.

   25. KSKatie Spotz25:17

       Uh-huh.

   26. JRJoe Rogan25:17

       Just a big fat guy who doesn't take care of himself, but he does not drink any water at all. And they did an interview with him and they said, uh, "How much Diet Coke do you drink a day?" And he said, "Somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 large Diet Cokes a day." So he goes to McDonald's-

   27. KSKatie Spotz25:36

       Ew.

   28. JRJoe Rogan25:36

       ... and he gets those extra large-

   29. KSKatie Spotz25:39

       Yeah?

   30. JRJoe Rogan25:39

       ... things of Diet Coke. He says, "McDonald's has the best fountain drinks." (laughs)
10. 35:41 – 40:59

    Women and children bear the burden: water collection, safety risks, and education barriers

    1. JRJoe Rogan35:41

       When you say that, obviously children, but why- why are women more affected by it than men?

    2. KSKatie Spotz35:46

       Um, because it's their responsibility to go and collect the water, so on average it's like four miles every single day that they have to go, and it's not just the fact that it's a long walk, but when you're coming back you're carrying the, um, jerrycans, which could be 40 pounds. It could also be dangerous. They could be attacked, there could be wild animals, so, um, they are the ones who are responsible for collecting it.

    3. JRJoe Rogan36:11

       And the men are out hunting or something?

    4. KSKatie Spotz36:14

       Yeah.

    5. JRJoe Rogan36:14

       Yeah.

    6. KSKatie Spotz36:15

       And, um, also, like, for females, um, if there aren't any, like, um, latrines, like once they hit puberty, um, and they're having their menstrual, uh, cycle, they will just not go to school anymore because they don't have a way to, you know, take care of themselves, so women and children are definitely the ones who are affected the most.

    7. JRJoe Rogan36:41

       Mm.

    8. KSKatie Spotz36:42

       Yeah.

    9. JRJoe Rogan36:42

       Well, all in all it's poor people.

    10. KSKatie Spotz36:45

        Yeah.

    11. JRJoe Rogan36:45

        And this, uh, organization has been around for how long doing this?

    12. KSKatie Spotz36:50

        Um, H2O For Life, over a decade? Yeah. So they have partners in the field building- building all the different projects and, um, there's been maybe 40 or 50 projects that were funded through all the different adventures, and then I have been able to, uh, visit some of them in Kenya and South Africa, um, after the fact, after the projects were built and... yeah.

    13. JRJoe Rogan37:19

        Now how do you, like, how'd you get connected with them and what... how does it work? Like, does- do your sponsors pay X amount per what happens when you complete this? Like, how does that work?

    14. KSKatie Spotz37:31

        Um, so for the row there were corporate sponsors that helped pay for the cost of the event, and then I did things like sponsor a mile, um, sometimes, like, I'll do work with Rotary Clubs. They've been super supportive and a good partner on hosting different events.

    15. JRJoe Rogan37:49

        I don't even know what a Rotary Club is, but I know that word.

    16. KSKatie Spotz37:52

        Oh. Okay. So there's 30,000 Rotary Clubs all around-

    17. JRJoe Rogan37:54

        Do you know what it is?

    18. KSKatie Spotz37:55

        ... the world.

    19. JRJoe Rogan37:55

        What's a Rotary Club?

    20. SPSpeaker37:56

        Sort of. Uh, my dad used to be in one, but I... it's like a group of guys that meets and hangs... it doesn't have to be guys, a group of people that meets, have lunch, talk about business sort of stuff.

    21. JRJoe Rogan38:05

        That's what it is? 'Cause it's one of those things-

    22. SPSpeaker38:07

        In the neighborhood, sort of, like community.

    23. JRJoe Rogan38:08

        I... until this moment in my life I've never even thought what's a Rotary Club.

    24. SPSpeaker38:12

        Yeah.

    25. KSKatie Spotz38:13

        Oh, well, let me tell you. (laughs)

    26. SPSpeaker38:14

        They sponsor may- I know the name of... yeah, she knows more probably than me.

    27. KSKatie Spotz38:17

        Um, so Rotary Clubs you probably have seen their signs, like, "Oh, we're meeting every Tuesday at 8:00." Uh, so it's usually, like, leaders in the community get together once a week and they do local and global service projects. So it's a- it's a service organization. Um, so there's your local one, then there's districts, and then they meet for, like, global conferences, but, um, basically, yeah, their- their focus is how can we make our community better local- locally and globally. And so we've partnered on different, like, fundraisers and, um, and then... so- so there's partnering with schools, partnering with ro- rotary clubs, and then part of, like, whenever I do speaking, I do it in return for donations to the cause, and then finally, um, some corporate sponsors will do, like, a matching fund challenge, so whatever other individuals raise, they'll match that. So it's definitely, like, seeing who's interested and who's also passionate about it, but there's definitely never been, like, this is how it's always been. Like it's kind of, um, working with w- what interests of others that- that, um, yeah, also want to do something.

    28. JRJoe Rogan39:35

        So you had a series of sponsors?

    29. KSKatie Spotz39:37

        Mm-hmm.

    30. JRJoe Rogan39:38

        And you have a series of sponsors for all your adventures?
11. 40:59 – 47:27

    What’s next: human-powered around-the-world vision, safety, and the 30-foot waves detour

    1. JRJoe Rogan40:59

       Are you gonna do something else crazy?

    2. KSKatie Spotz41:01

       Um, I definitely feel called to do... like, so, with ocean rowing, um, most people go from like one island to another because you're right within the trade winds, so i- it takes about 100 miles offshore until you're right in those trade winds. And so, um, I was very intentional about the row and going mainland to mainland, and the reason behind that is just because, um...I have always thought it would be so cool to go around the whole world by human power. Like, um, and when I, you know, when that idea came or whatever, uh, I, I basically said, "Okay, so what's the hardest part? What's the part you're most likely to fail?" And if you're going around the whole world, the row is the part that you're most likely to fail. Half of the people do, um, and it's the most expensive and I would never want to go on this around the world trip and then fail at the last, like, leg, you know. And so that, that was always, like, the original vision of just like going completely around the world by human power and, um, I think realistically it would be done in legs so, um, I would like to do the next leg which would be cycling from where I landed in South America, so I landed in Georgetown, Guyana, um, and then cycling from South America to North America and that would take probably about a year. But, um, yeah, so that was always, like, something but it's not... The reason I haven't done it is because I have a lot of other things that I've done and am doing that I'm, I'm interested in and I always thought, like, a journey like that is something that you could do much older and like, um, because, like, there's a certain kind of fitness you need for an Ironman versus cycle touring. Um, you really, like-

    3. JRJoe Rogan43:10

       You're not racing.

    4. KSKatie Spotz43:11

       Correct. And like, I kind of wanted my 20s to be more racing and more pushing. Like, I, I really enjoyed doing Ironman after Ironman after Ironman and, and just like feeling fast and like, the more I do endurance, the l- I'm losing that speed and so, um, it's kind of like a balance and so I, yeah, I think the around the world trip certainly would be something I'd love to explore doing. Um, I am also aware that like for endurance, being in my 30s is probably the best for recovery so although I think people could cycle around the world in their 60s and 70s, um, I think I would enjoy it more now just because of that r- ability to recover and like, sleeping in a tent and dealing with all like, the, um, climate and, um, just kind of living wild like that but, uh, yeah. Yeah, that would be one of the, like, challenges that I could see pursuing in, probably in legs rather than just doing the whole thing because it would be like three years.

    5. JRJoe Rogan44:22

       Now when you (sighs) th- think about doing something like that-

    6. KSKatie Spotz44:25

       Yeah.

    7. JRJoe Rogan44:25

       ... do you get concerned about your safety?

    8. KSKatie Spotz44:27

       Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, like I, uh, of course. Like I, I don't do these things because I don't, like have concern. I definitely was concerned about the ocean and I think that's why I spent so much time, like researching it and asking all those questions and looking at what were the backups and take, I, I definitely took it very seriously and took those risks very seriously but, I don't know. Like-

    9. JRJoe Rogan44:56

       Did you encounter any hairy moments while you were out there?

    10. KSKatie Spotz44:59

        Yeah, I had like 30 foot waves at-

    11. JRJoe Rogan45:02

        Holy shit.

    12. KSKatie Spotz45:03

        Yes. But-

    13. JRJoe Rogan45:05

        30 feet is a lot.

    14. KSKatie Spotz45:06

        Yes, it is.

    15. JRJoe Rogan45:07

        What's this, what's this roof? Maybe- Eight? Maybe 10. 10?

    16. KSKatie Spotz45:10

        Yeah.

    17. JRJoe Rogan45:10

        May- maybe. 10. Okay. Three times- The most. ... the size of this roof.

    18. KSKatie Spotz45:15

        But let me-

    19. JRJoe Rogan45:15

        Fuck that.

    20. KSKatie Spotz45:16

        Okay, but here's the thing about that. (laughs)

    21. JRJoe Rogan45:20

        (laughs) You're in a little row boat.

    22. KSKatie Spotz45:22

        But-

    23. JRJoe Rogan45:22

        30 foot waves is crazy.

    24. KSKatie Spotz45:23

        These boats are designed for it.

    25. JRJoe Rogan45:25

        I understand.

    26. KSKatie Spotz45:25

        So it's kind of like what's the point of having this fancy boat if you don't get to see the full possibilities and capabilities of it. So-

    27. JRJoe Rogan45:33

        You're kinda crazy. (laughs)

    28. KSKatie Spotz45:35

        (laughs)

    29. JRJoe Rogan45:35

        I understand what you're saying.

    30. KSKatie Spotz45:37

        Like, I could have been in a re-
12. 47:27 – 1:03:54

    Endurance culture tangents: Ironman naming, extreme records, and what impresses Joe

    1. JRJoe Rogan47:27

       (laughs) How many Ironman have you done?

    2. KSKatie Spotz47:31

       Five.

    3. JRJoe Rogan47:32

       Does it bother you it's an Ironman not an iron person?

    4. KSKatie Spotz47:35

       No, it doesn't.

    5. JRJoe Rogan47:36

       Why is it Ironman if you're, you're doing it?

    6. KSKatie Spotz47:38

       I don't know. You wanna-

    7. JRJoe Rogan47:39

       Seems weird.

    8. KSKatie Spotz47:39

       You sh- you should ask them. I don't know.

    9. JRJoe Rogan47:41

       Seems kind of weird.

    10. KSKatie Spotz47:42

        Yeah.

    11. JRJoe Rogan47:42

        And I'm not even one of those people.

    12. KSKatie Spotz47:44

        Yeah.

    13. JRJoe Rogan47:44

        You know, that complains about that kind of shit? But why does it have to be Ironman if like all sexes can do it?

    14. KSKatie Spotz47:50

        I don't know. But like ...

    15. JRJoe Rogan47:51

        What if you're non-binary?

    16. KSKatie Spotz47:53

        I don't know.

    17. JRJoe Rogan47:54

        What if you're asexual?

    18. KSKatie Spotz47:55

        I don't know.

    19. JRJoe Rogan47:55

        What if you're like a zur, and you're like, uh, (metal clanking) "I'm just an iron thing. I'm an iron they." (laughs)

    20. KSKatie Spotz48:02

        (laughs)

    21. JRJoe Rogan48:02

        Why don't they just call it iron they? No, doesn't sound as good.

    22. KSKatie Spotz48:06

        (laughs) Um-

    23. JRJoe Rogan48:07

        It's a problem, right, if you're a woman. Like, if I was a guy and I was competing in an Ironwoman Championship, I'm like, "Yeah, I took third place in Ironwoman." They'd be like, "Why are you in a woman's contest?"

    24. KSKatie Spotz48:18

        (laughs)

    25. JRJoe Rogan48:18

        Well, it's open for everybody. They just call it Ironwoman. What the fuck is that?

    26. KSKatie Spotz48:23

        Yeah. I don't know.

    27. JRJoe Rogan48:24

        Right? Wouldn't you?

    28. KSKatie Spotz48:26

        I don't make these rules.

    29. JRJoe Rogan48:26

        Now that you're thinking about it. Someone should start attacking them on Twitter, and they would change their name.

    30. KSKatie Spotz48:31

        It's possible. (laughs)
13. 1:03:54 – 1:57:31

    Training, recovery, and the body’s limits: hydration, hyponatremia, rhabdo, and tools

    1. KSKatie Spotz1:03:54

       So one of the coaches I worked with for Ironman... Like, I used to do hot yoga a lot and he, his concern for me in doing that on top of Ironman training was just like, "Okay, so you are already so dehy-... Like, hydration is already so hard with training, whatever, 20 hours of sweating, y- by running and biking and swimming." So that, that's the only thing that I've heard, like... I don't know. Have you heard anything about that? Like...

    2. JRJoe Rogan1:04:23

       You definitely can get dehydrated if you don't plan accordingly.

    3. KSKatie Spotz1:04:26

       Yeah.

    4. JRJoe Rogan1:04:26

       But what you really need is an electrolyte supplement.

    5. KSKatie Spotz1:04:28

       Yes. Okay.

    6. JRJoe Rogan1:04:29

       So I, I d- I use liquid IV. I just take... I g- I'll do two of those in a day, is genuin- generally what I do, 'cause I work out a lot.

    7. KSKatie Spotz1:04:37

       Yeah.

    8. JRJoe Rogan1:04:37

       But when I do the sauna, I do one after the sauna. Um, if, but if I do a hot yoga class, I'll do it before the yoga class. So I'll do, like, an hour before the yoga class, I'll drink 32 ounces of water with liquid IV. The only problem is having to pee. That's the problem, you know? We talked about that before the podcast. (laughs)

    9. KSKatie Spotz1:04:54

       (laughs)

    10. JRJoe Rogan1:04:54

        If you drink a lot of water... My daughter, my 10-year-old, has, uh, decided to drink massive amounts of water now. So she has this-

    11. KSKatie Spotz1:05:02

        Oh, the jug?

    12. JRJoe Rogan1:05:03

        ... jug.

    13. KSKatie Spotz1:05:03

        Yeah. (laughs)

    14. JRJoe Rogan1:05:04

        It is so big. It's huge. And she was laughing. And I go, um, "Why are you doing this?" And she goes, "Well, water's really good for you. And, uh, I just wanna see if I can drink this f- f- y- every day." And I go, "Well, you definitely can-"

    15. KSKatie Spotz1:05:17

        (laughs)

    16. JRJoe Rogan1:05:17

        "... drink it every day." So I go, "How many times do you have to pee at class?" She goes, "Oh, uh, every class, I have to, I have to get up and pee multiple times," and she's laughing. I go, "Multiple times during class." I go, "What do your teachers think about this?" She goes, "They laugh. They think it's funny, 'cause they know that I have this giant jug of water on my table." I'm like, "Okay."

    17. KSKatie Spotz1:05:34

        She might be going, uh, over-hydration, hyponatremia, like, that-

    18. JRJoe Rogan1:05:39

        No, she's not doing that.

    19. KSKatie Spotz1:05:40

        Oh, okay.

    20. JRJoe Rogan1:05:40

        Because she's doing it through the entire day.

    21. KSKatie Spotz1:05:43

        Okay.

    22. JRJoe Rogan1:05:43

        But that is a danger.

    23. KSKatie Spotz1:05:44

        Yeah.

    24. JRJoe Rogan1:05:44

        But that's when you're forcing water into your body.

    25. KSKatie Spotz1:05:47

        I mean, I've-

    26. JRJoe Rogan1:05:47

        Right? People have died from that. Like-

    27. KSKatie Spotz1:05:49

        I've had hyponatremia before.

    28. JRJoe Rogan1:05:50

        Did you really?

    29. KSKatie Spotz1:05:51

        Uh, biking across America.

    30. JRJoe Rogan1:05:54

        Wow.

Episode duration: 2:45:25