#225 Greg Schaefer: Keep racing forward when life doesn’t go as planned

<p>The Marathon Podcast is now proudly sponsored by Saysky Copenhagen. Use code TMP15 for 15% off at saysky.com.</p><p><br></p><p>Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN</p><p><br></p><p>Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb</p><p><br></p><p>Kristian sits down with Greg Schaefer, a 20 time Ironman finisher, former college basketball player, and Kona qualifier who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson&#39;s at 48 and has no intention of being defined by it.</p><p><br></p><p>Greg takes us from his first Ironman in Nice to the Kona race where his body started &quot;whispering before it screams,&quot; through the phone call on a family vacation that gave him his diagnosis, and the strange sense of relief that came with finally having answers. He talks openly about medication, balancing advocacy with not wanting Parkinson&#39;s to be his whole identity, and how he fought his way back to training. We also get into running the Boston Marathon as an adaptive athlete two years in a row, including a first ever negative split on a sore Achilles, and what he&#39;s looking forward to at Kona this year.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode:</p><p>- Racing Ironman Nice while recovering from surgery</p><p>- From college basketball to 20 Ironman finishes</p><p>- The Kona race where his body started sending warning signs</p><p>- The phone call that brought his Young Onset Parkinson&#39;s diagnosis</p><p>- Why he felt a sense of relief, and what the disease actually is</p><p>- Not wanting to be defined by Parkinson&#39;s</p><p>- Getting back to training and racing after diagnosis</p><p>- Running Boston twice as an adaptive athlete</p><p>- Raising over $100,000 for the Ironman Foundation</p><p>- Why Kona is the Super Bowl of the sport</p><p><br></p><p>Content note: this episode includes an open discussion of a serious medical diagnosis and living with a neurological disease. Please take care while listening.</p><p><br></p><p>Timestamps</p><p>00:00 Welcome and why this conversation stayed with Kristian</p><p>01:26 Kristian&#39;s own training update</p><p>11:08 A quick word on Saysky and the TMP15 code</p><p>11:59 Welcome to Greg</p><p>12:26 Racing Ironman Nice after hernia surgery and a torn ankle</p><p>16:19 Greg&#39;s introduction: 21 Ironmans, business, and family</p><p>18:44 Letting go of the basketball dream</p><p>29:15 How he got into Ironman</p><p>36:10 How his perspective changed over time</p><p>