You'd think fear is what stops you from doing hard things. At 25, with zero rowing experience, Taryn Smith crossed the Atlantic alone. 3,000 miles, 46 days, and I learned that the fear was never the obstacle. It was the signal she was finally in the right place.

In this episode, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and Taryn Smith discuss:

• Why fear is a "metric of success," not a stop sign, and how to train yourself to move toward discomfort instead of away from it
• How food becomes visible performance fuel when you're the only engine, and how to preserve muscle on limited calories using protein and daily amino acids
• The "long-term optimist, short-term realist" mindset that carries you through a slog with no end in sight
• The post-achievement crash nobody warns you about, and why the low after a big win is predictable

Whether or not you'll ever touch an oar, you'll walk away with a portable mental framework for facing anything you've been avoiding, and a clearer sense of who you are when no one's watching.

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📱Connect with Taryn Smith:

Website: https://www.tarynsmithmovement.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarynsmithmovement/

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⏰Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro of show

02:44 - From landlocked Nebraska to the ocean

03:37 - Chasing discomfort and stacking bigger adventures

05:17 - Fear as the real metric of success

08:57 - The unglamorous first steps of training

10:51 - College, family, and why criminal defense

14:06 - Trusting the instinct and the "calling"

16:00 - Impermanence, grief, and losing her grandfather

19:08 - 46 days, the weather, and the daily slog

21:05 - Training the body: ERG, lifting, injury prevention

30:11 - Solitude and the voice in your own head

31:12 - Food as fuel: eating to power the boat

36:08 - Supplements, aminos, and protecting muscle

38:37 - The storm that almost capsized the boat

43:17 - Sharks, marlin, and the real ocean dangers

46:36 - Music, dolphins, and the bird named Jo

52:11 - Long-term optimist, short-term realist

59:41 - The question no one asks her

1:00:50 - Five beautiful things: a journaling reframe

1:11:17 - The post-row crash nobody warns you about

1:19:02 - Recovery, appetite, and relearning hunger cues

1:24:02 - Training now: flexibility over rigid discipline

‼️Disclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.

This episode includes paid sponsorships.