He Did a Marathon With ZERO Training (Bad Decision)

I want to learn about a little bit. How did you start getting into these, like, really hard physical challenges? First of all, like, what, what races have you done? What's been the hardest ones you've done? And how did you start getting into that stuff?

So got to go back to my wedding day. About a week before my wedding day, I hear about my dad running a marathon. So this was 24 years ago, 23 years ago. And my dad told me he was training for a marathon and I really didn't even know what that meant. And so he ran the marathon, him and my stepmom Kim, they actually ran that marathon, the Honolulu Marathon, a week before my wedding. Wow. And that was when I was like, ooh, okay, that's kind of interesting. And so fast forward, my dad signs up for a half and he says, hey, I want you to come do this half with me. He signed me up. Didn't train for it. Worst idea you could ever do is try to run a half marathon without training. And I did it. And my wife would always joke that I went straight from the couch to a half marathon. Paid the price, blisters, the whole nine. But it was an accomplishment. So the next year I did it again. I vowed to train and I didn't. And I went and did it without training. And it was the worst decision once again.

Wait, when you say the worst decision, how bad was it? How hard was it?

It's hard because everything hurts because you haven't trained. So I remember, I think it was the first time I got to— I was running so hard for so long. And again, when you don't train, you don't know how fast to run. You don't know pace. So I just took off with the crowd and thinking, this is so fun. It was the Rock 'n' Roll. There's a band every mile. And you're just all excited. And then I got to mile 8, and I had to go to the restroom. So I stopped running. Once I stopped running, I could no longer run again. That was it. I was done. Like, my legs just— my knees hurt, my feet hurt. So I learned from that stupidity. And then, you know, you fast forward to 2016, I was in the worst shape of my life. I was about 190 pounds, and I was really struggling. Like with the weight and struggling with just energy. I was a basketball guy. I played basketball all the way up to my 30s and did a lot of leagues and stuff. And so here I was at, you know, I was 40 years old and I just wasn't really happy with where I was at just with my body, you know? And I knew I needed to make a change. I knew I needed to make big changes. And so, you know, you fast forward to my boxing coach who I'd boxed with before. I finally got a why big enough to make me really stretch. And the why was, if I don't change something now, I'm not gonna live to see my granddaughter. And I specifically, I remember writing this down, it was my granddaughter, her name is Jordan. I need to figure out a way to live long enough to see her. And that became my why for my fitness journey. And so every time that I would been in the boxing gym and things were really difficult, I would think about Jordan.

That was like an anchor point for you when things got hard.

When it got really, really hard, that became the anchor point. And so then that grew from that to I would jog. So I'd do 2 a days. I would run before boxing and then I would box. And then I was getting more and more shape. And then I had my friends, they were talking about Ironman and they were talking about this. And I was like, again, Ironman was foreign to me. That didn't even make sense.

And just clarify, what is an Ironman? A full Ironman?

A full is 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and then a full marathon, 26.2. Yeah.

So it's a lot harder than a marathon.

A lot harder. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot harder. And it's— yeah, it's interesting on how that works. I'll get to that. But so I go through all this boxing training, and I realize that my friends are doing this Ironman. And I was like, they had done— I had a buddy that had done a full marathon. I hadn't done one at that point. And I'd done some halves, and I was starting to run. It just kept escalating. Like my running group, it would escalate from 4 miles to 8 miles. And then one weekend, a buddy of mine, Binkan, who's an agent here in San Antonio, we just decided, why don't we run a half marathon in the morning on Saturday and we'll do a half marathon on Sunday? And we literally did it. And we both were like, looked at each other like, we can't believe we just did that. Wow. I ran over 1,100 miles that year. That was in 2008. 18, either 18 or 19.

Let me, let me zoom in on that year for a minute. Yeah, so that's a year where you grew a lot personally. Yeah, I'm sure there was— how, you know, when you go to run, you always have conflicts. There's always a part of you that doesn't want to do it, and you're overcoming this. How many days, just real quick, how many days per week were you running during that?

At that point, I was probably running 3 to 4.

And you did 1,100 miles for the year?

Yeah.

How many times did you have to overcome the internal mind? Was it every time? Like, what?

Yeah, because, you know, the first mile is— I don't care if you— I don't care how long you've been a runner, the first mile always sucks.

Yeah, right.

Sometimes it could be 2 miles, just depending on the wear and tear you put on your body, what you did the night before. But that first mile always is a bear to get through.

Yeah.

And it, it, it But it always became for me like one of those mental hurdles of like, if I get through this mile, the next 5 are nothing.

Yeah. Did you ever catch yourself slipping where you're like, you took like a week off and you're like, I'm gonna start, like, did you fall off at all during that year?

No, I mean, since 2016, I've been really, really steady working out, you know, at least 4 days a week, you know, Maybe the minimum with like vacation, 3. But even when I go on vacation, I have running shoes. I just went on a trip to DC. I did a 5-mile run all throughout the monuments of DC. I mean, I have to be working out.

What is your world like when you first wake up and you know you have to go and get that workout in? Like, what are your first thoughts in the morning?

Well, typically I will, when I know I have a workout, I sleep with my workout clothes on. I have a routine where like I wear my workout clothes. And I know this is not feasible for everybody. I know.

It's not too bad.

Right? But I have the running shorts. Well, I'll sleep in my running shorts. I'll have my shirt ready typically, you know, right by the sink. I have my shoes laid out with my socks and there's no excuse.

So you just get up and go.

I get up, have a, you know, like a decaf espresso, kind of like, you know, wake up, do my morning routine, and then I take off, you know? So typically within about 45 minutes, I'm out the door to try to get that workout in.

Yeah, what is your— I want to go a little deeper into your world more, 'cause you have like, you're always a very happy guy, you have great energy, and I know, you know, first thing in the morning for people, a lot of people that I've spoken to, including myself, like I'll wake up and like all the negative thoughts will start flowing in. And it's not always an overwhelming sense of it, like it depends on what's going on in life, but like when I'm tired and I first wake up, like you almost have like this like moment of like, oh my God, I don't know how I'm gonna do this today. Right? Do you get that, or do you just not get that at all?

I, you know, I don't want to be the, like, a weirdo, because my wife always makes fun of me because it's rainbows and unicorns. I really— I, I— the morning is really like, I, I, I can wake up and I'm just like, I'm excited.

Yeah. How did you make that happen? Honestly, were you always like that your whole life?

Um, I'd have to ask my dad, but I think so. I mean, man, I remember as a kid just I always had something to look forward to. It's like there's always something to look forward to, whether it was the baseball game or the basketball game or the trip. My wife and I and Enzo are going on a cruise with my mom coming up in a week. There was always something to be excited about no matter what, or just the fact that my eyes opened and we get another shot today.

So you naturally wake up and think about something that you're excited for or something to be grateful for.

Oh, 100%.

So that's just a natural pattern for you?

Just a natural pattern. Yeah, I think I've had that, you know, you know, my whole life.

Yeah. So, okay, I want to go back to that year where you ran 1,100 miles, and I do want to learn more about, you know, the— how that became into an Ironman and stuff like that. But first, I want to know, um, when you started going down that path and really going in deep, was there a change in your career at the same time? Like, did that— did that change your When did you go from being a schoolteacher to—

Oh, and then the training? How did that connect?

Yeah. Like, like, how did you become— when did you become an entrepreneur and how did the training affect your, your life as an entrepreneur and your success?

Well, when I was a teacher, I played basketball. I didn't have any kids while I was a teacher. Well, not till later. So while a teacher, I just— I would literally get off of work, I'd go to Lifetime and I'd play basketball and I would play for 3 to 4 hours, 3 to 4 days a week. But the problem was that is I would get injured and then I couldn't play. And then I'd dislocate all my fingers, you know what I mean? Twisted ankles. But then when I started my career as an entrepreneur, starting at Luxury— starting the publication that we started, I knew that exercise was important. But I felt like I was so busy that I didn't have time. I would always make the excuse that I didn't have time. When was I going to do it? How was I going to do it? And I, I made every excuse in the book why I couldn't work out.

So did you take time off of working out when you first started the business?

Well, you got to remember. So like when I first started the business, I was 36 or 35. So yeah, so this was 12 years. So I was 35 years old. My son was maybe 6 months. And at that time I really wasn't working out right. And this was in my 30s. At this point, I was like I said, I was kind of a retired basketball gym rat that had gotten to the point where I'd gained a bunch of weight and I really wasn't working out. I laughed because my workout had— I'd basically started this walking. Because to me, I guess you got to know a little backstory. Jogging to me was the dumbest thing that anybody could ever do. Like, my dad would jog and I would just— this is the dumbest, most— like silly workout. I was like, I hoop, I play basketball, I run up and down the court. You know what I mean? I'm breaking a sweat. And jogging to me was just stupid. And so I'll never forget, this was probably 2014, 2012, I was walking. So I had a little track around my house, little, you know, a thing that I would, a routine that I would walk. I'd walk 3 miles in the morning. And I felt great about those 3 miles. I did that for a year and I didn't lose not one pound, Jared.

Wow.

Now I was religious with this walking.

Yeah.

And I thought I was doing something.

Yeah.

You know what I mean? I'm listening, I'm walking, and nothing happened to my body. Like I kind of got to the end of the year and I was like, dang. So then fast forward, I was starting to box a little bit, but I really didn't dedicate myself to it. And then '16 is where I really realized, that's when this whole thing happened where I was like, okay, I'm 190 pounds, I've gotta make changes. And that's the point where I needed a why. I was like, what's going to motivate me? That's when I came up with my why is my granddaughter. And then at that point I was in a boxing class and there was a lady in the class, there was 4 of us and there was a lady in the class, her name is Jamie. And Jamie Spanley, one of my advertisers in the magazine, Jamie looked at me and she goes, you just need to go run. And I said, I don't run. I don't jog. Running is stupid. And she goes, I challenge you to run 3 miles tomorrow. And I looked at her and I said, unless somebody's chasing me, I'm not running. Like, it's not gonna happen. That sat with me all day, all night. I literally woke up and I go, I gotta run 3 stinking miles today. And I was like, I don't know how I'm gonna do this. I put my shoes on. The first mile was horrible. The second mile was worse. The third mile, I was like, I hate Jamie.

You know what I mean?

Like, this is stupid. And I finished, but it was like there was a sense of accomplishment that I was like, okay, I didn't die. And it wasn't— I mean, it was bad. So I see her the next workout and she's like, did you run? And I go, yeah, I did. I did run. And she goes, how was it? I said, it sucked, Jamie. I hate it. I said, but it really motivated me. Well, what she— I've now told her, we've talked about this, that led to me making jogging like a passion. And it led to 2018 full marathon in San Antonio. That was the year that culminated in the 1,100 miles of running the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon. 2019, I ran the Vegas full marathon. The Rock 'n' Roll with a buddy who wanted to run one. So we ran one and finished it. And then I had another buddy who I had been telling all year long, Bing Khan, 2019, hey, you need to run the Fool. You need to run the Fool. And we've been running all these miles. Let's do it. So in 2019, he and I ran the Fool in San Antonio, the Rock 'n' Roll. But just think about it. Like, this came from somebody who didn't want to run at all.

That was a pivotal moment in your life.

Pivotal.

So first of all, also, you got me to sign up for this Triathlon Sprint.

So I really—

I know, I really appreciate that. It's like having something to train for is another why. Yes, it's another, you know, framework. I like to think of, for me personally, and I think a lot of people can resonate, if I don't have a framework, if I don't have something I need to do, I lose the inner battles. I'm like, yeah, I could do that, worked out yesterday, whatever, and I don't do it. But if I have something I must do and it's in my schedule then the inner conflict comes up and it's like, well, it's already in there. I have to do it.

Got to do it.

So giving me that, I thank you for having me sign up for that. Yeah. I also will say that some of the highest highs of my life have been after a long run. Yes. And I'm a horrible runner.

Yeah.

I got back from a plant medicine retreat one time and I went for a run and I was like, really in my soul. I was really like in my body, very present. I was in a really good state of mind. And I was very aware of like my mind and my ego, and I was like, you know, in a good, great place. And I had never ran more than 4 miles in my entire life at that point, and 4 would kill me.

Yeah.

So I got out to go for a run. I'm like— and I was like so present that I didn't even plan how far I was gonna run. I was like, I'm just gonna go run. And I literally put on music. I didn't— I had no judgment for the music. I wasn't like, oh, the song sucks. I was like, no, whatever's on is on. I'm running. I'm just gonna be present. I'm gonna keep running until I decide I don't want to anymore. And every time a thought came up and it was like, your leg hurts, well, I don't need that thought. I gently put it down. I wasn't getting frustrated. It was just a gentle quieting of the mind.

Yeah.

And then next thing you know, I'm at 4 miles. So I broke my record.

Yeah.

Next thing you know, I hit 5 miles and I'm like— and I still felt at that point I started feeling good.

Yeah.

And then I'm like, I'm going to keep— and at this point I was really far from my house. So I'm like, I'm like, how am I going to get back? Yeah. I'm just going to keep this mindset of not thinking and just keep going.

Yep.

Next thing you know, I'm at 7 miles.

Yeah.

And I'm like, holy, holy crap, I'm at 7 miles. I'm gonna run 10 miles today. So next thing you know, I'm at 9 miles, and I'm like, all right, I'm getting pretty tired. Yeah. So then I start looking at my phone in the distance, and it's like 9.1, and I'm like, oh crap. And I'm running for like— I'm like, let me look again. It's like 9.14. I'm like, oh no. And every time I started looking and hoping I'd be closer, I got more and more tired.

Yep.

But I finished the 10 miles. And it was funny because, uh, Madeline was like hanging out in the house and she was— I walked back in, I'm like drenched in sweat, I'm like so much energy, and she was recording me. I didn't know. And I went—

I have to see this video.

Oh, you guys, it's hilarious, bro. It's hilarious. I went in the bathroom and I go, yeah, like as loud as I could, just out of like just a pure high of energy. And Madeline got it on video and it's the funniest thing. I'll show it to you later.

I want to see this.

Yeah, so, so the experience of running has brought me to some highs that I just— I like the confidence you get afterwards. So it's a great tool.