Sleep Like a Champion
Sleep like a champion. Because that’s what you are.
Three weeks. Three commitments. One series wrap, plus a Mother’s Day shoutout to some of the toughest humans on the planet.
“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” – John Steinbeck
Three weeks ago we started talking about sleep, the Phoenix heat, the alcohol quietly wrecking your recovery, the caffeine still running laps at 9pm, and the screen you keep picking up when you know better. I know because I keep picking it up too.
Did you see the fun-loving, warrior spirit of Rachel Entrekin right here in our own backyard?!!
COCODONA 250 · ARIZONA · MAY 2026
Rachel Entrekin, 34
She didn’t just win the women’s race. She became the first woman in history to win the Cocodona 250 outright, beating every man in the field and shattering the course record. 250 miles through central Arizona. On foot. In under 57 hours.
56:09:48
Finish time: new course record
1st woman ever to win overall
19 min: total sleep over 2.5 days of racing
“I just think that it’ll maybe make people think twice before they decide that a man is going to win. I hope it makes people think twice.” – Rachel Entrekin, Runner’s World, May 2026
Here is the part of Rachel’s story that connects directly to everything we’ve covered this month. Over two and a half days of racing, 250 miles, hallucinations, a 3,500-foot mountain climb alone in the dark, Rachel slept for a grand total of 19 minutes. Three “dirt naps” on or next to the trail. Five minutes, seven minutes, seven minutes.
Here’s the part that matters most for us. Rachel’s body will spend the next several weeks (maybe months) recovering from what she put it through. Ultramarathon athletes routinely report that their immune system, heart, hormones, and joints take 4–6 weeks to fully rebuild after a race like Cocodona. That is the tax on 19 minutes of sleep over 2.5 days. Her pacer saw it in real time, the moment she stopped and rested five minutes, he said:
“Wow, you’re running so much better.”
The body responds immediately when you give it what it needs.
Our team doesn’t get 4–6 weeks to recover. We are back at it tomorrow. That is exactly why protecting your sleep isn’t optional – it’s how you stay in the game, protect your heart, and show up as your best self every single day.
THE POWER NAP – A SIMPLE TOOL WORTH USING
Jocko Willink – retired Navy SEAL commander, not exactly a man who takes it easy – talks about a 6 minute nap when his body needs it. No apology. No drama. Just a quick reset that supports heart health, lowers cortisol, and sharpens focus for the hours ahead.
We can take 5 or 10 right when we get home. Even if you don’t fall asleep, this is great for our heart and nervous system.
“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” – E. Joseph Cossman
THREE WEEKS. THREE COMMITMENTS.
- The Phoenix heat will break you if you don’t recover. Alcohol destroys sleep quality even when it feels like it helps you wind down. Protect your recovery like a job site.
- That afternoon coffee is still awake at midnight. Caffeine’s 5-7 hour half-life means your 2pm drink is a 9pm problem. Nothing after noon changed everything for me.
- The screen can wait. Your sleep can’t. Blue light cuts your melatonin by 50% and pushes your sleep back 2-3 hours. No screens after 7pm. I’m still taking this one on – join me.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! TO EVERY MOM ON THIS TEAM
Rachel Entrekin ran 250 miles through the Arizona wilderness and made history. Our moms have been running their own ultramarathon for years, managing households, raising kids, showing up here every single day, and doing it without a finish line tape or a finish-line crowd.
To every mother on this team: what you carry, what you sacrifice, and what you show up for every single day does not go unnoticed. We see you. We are grateful for you. Happy Mother’s Day.
Take care of yourselves this week. Sleep well. Show up rested. That’s how we take care of each other, and our customers.
