When You're One of Three People on Earth Who've Done Something, Pay Attention - with JD Tremblay

I've had a lot of guests on KneeToKnee. Each one brings something that sticks with me. But when I finished my prep for my conversation with JD Tremblay, I sat back and thought, "Okay. This one's different."

JD is one of only three people on earth who have completed the Epic Deca, ten Iron Man-distance triathlons over ten days on six different Hawaiian islands. For context, each Iron Man is 140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running. Multiply that by ten, throw in flights between islands, and you start to grasp what we're talking about.

What struck me in those first few minutes wasn't the achievement itself, while that was definitely impressive. It was how clearly JD understood why he could do it. Not talent. Not genetics. He grew up in a family without much money, with parents who weren't athletes. What he had was a system.

He calls it the DECA framework: Discipline, Energy regulation, Capacity, and Action. Layered underneath that is something he calls BRAIN, which stands for Blood chemistry, Recovery, Attention, Inflammation, and Nervous system. It sounds complex, but the way JD explains it, it's surprisingly practical.

Take the morning smoothie example. Most of us think we're doing the right thing by blending up spinach, berries, and bananas first thing in the morning. JD gently dismantled that. If your cortisol is already high in the morning (which it naturally is for most people) and you haven't worked out yet, dumping a wave of fructose into your system spikes your insulin and puts your body in a state that's the opposite of focused or calm. He's not anti-smoothie. He's anti-timing-it-wrong.

The fix is almost laughably simple. If you eat carbs and don't immediately use them for a workout, take a five-to-ten minute walk. That's it. That's the tip.

He said something that hit me: "You don't need to go for an EpicDeca every time you eat a dessert." That got a good laugh. But the principle behind it is real. Move a little. Let your body use what you gave it.

We also talked about inflammation, and this is where things got deeper. JD pointed out that inflammation isn't just about food. Stress from toxic relationships, conflict at home, or a community that doesn't bring out your best creates real, measurable physical damage over time. He knows from personal experience. At seventeen, he had to distance himself from his father, not out of hate, but out of understanding that the environment wasn't serving either of them. He's since rebuilt that relationship.

That took some courage to share. And it reminded me of what KneeToKnee is about: men being honest about the things that shaped them.

At the end of every episode, I ask guests the same question. What is one thing our listeners can do today to build deeper connections with those around them? JD didn't hesitate. Values before goals. Know what you stand for before you decide where you're headed. Goals can shift. Values, when you've actually defined them, travel with you everywhere.

He's right. And I think about how that applies not just to endurance sports or elite performance, but to the way we show up as husbands, fathers, and friends. When you know what matters to you, you stop drifting toward things that don't.

If you haven't heard this episode, go listen. JD Tremblay is the real deal, grounded, clear, and generous with everything he's figured out. I'm hoping to have him back soon.

Because no man does his best living by himself.

Check out the complete episode: https://youtu.be/BsAhsmoU2UQ