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From Sobriety to the 70.3 Worlds — The Josh Vernon Story · At Your Own Pace

• MikeRunsMarathons: Hey, everybody, welcome back to At Your Own Pace, the podcast where every single runner has a story worth telling. I'm Mike, your host, your running coach, and the person who's going to keep you company for the next hour or so. We are officially in the middle of the greatest week in the sport of running. That's right. The New York City Marathon. Five boroughs, five bridges, fifty five thousand runners, two million spectators. Honestly, the greatest race on earth, and it's just days away. And all week long, I'm going to be dropping surprise episodes to celebrate the people who make this sport go. The runners, the achievers, the builders, the storytellers, and the ones who show up and change the game. This is drop number two. And trust me, you're gonna want to stay close because more are coming before Sunday. So lace up, press play, and let's run this race at your own pace. And my guest today is someone who has built an entire life inside the endurance world from the inside out, both professionally and personally. So let me run you through the resume in one breath because it is a lot. Partnership manager, Super Try, host of another triathlon podcast, swim, bike, and run coach, marathon sports ambassador, on ambassador, athletic brewing ambassador, a 304 marathoner, a Boston qualifier, a 2026 Iron Man 70.3 World Championship qualifier. And Proudly, publicly, right there in his bio, sober since 2019. My guest today is Josh Vernon. Now, today's guest is somebody who lives inside the sport from every single angle. An athlete, a coach, a podcast host, an industry insider, and one of the most honest voices on sobriety and endurance you will ever hear. He is heading to he was supposed to head to the Iron Man 70.3 World Championships in Nice this year. Unfortunately, got canceled due to the intense heat that was happening over the summer. But he just ran the Berlin Marathon. And last year, ran the Chicago Marathon with a new PR of three four. And he brings a perspective to this conversation that only somebody who has built their entire world inside endor and sports can be. You're gonna love this one. So without further ado, let's jump into the interview. So let me run you through today's guest in one breath because the resume alone tells you we are in for a very good one. So we have partnerships manager at Super Tri. We have a host of another triathlon podcast. We have a swim, bike, and run coach, marathon sports ambassador, on ambassador, athletic brewery ambassador, a 304 marathoner, Boston qualifier who also just qualified for the 2028 Boston Marathon last week. A twenty twenty six Iron Man seventy point three world championship qualifier So he is a twenty twenty-six Iron Man, seventy point three World Championship qualifier who was heading to Nice before it got canceled due to the heat. And proudly, publicly, right there in his bio, Sober since twenty nineteen. My guest today is Josh Vernon, and here is what I love about his story. He is not just an athlete, he is somebody who has built his whole life around this sport. The training, the career, the podcast, the partnerships, the sobriety journey, the fundraising for team longevity. All of it stitched together into one really full, really intentional life and endurance. So Josh, I am so excited to speak with you. And for those of you that don't know this, Josh was one of the first people I ever spoke to in the early stages of this podcast last year at the Boston Marathon to discuss his experience with it with his wife Janine. so I'm really happy to have you on at your own pace so that we can talk about your story. Josh: appreciate that intro. First off, no, I'm gonna have to work on my intros when I interview people on the podcast. And MikeRunsMarathons: Ha ha ha Josh: really, really good. Yeah, it was it's been quite the journey since we first met and had a chance to talk about this opportunity that you were thinking about doing and then literally running into each other at races. So happy to be here. MikeRunsMarathons: Yes, for those that we we actually last year Josh was pacing a celebrity actually, and I was in Central Park, so about mile 25-ish or so in the marathon, kind of like at the edge of my rope, like really exhausted. And all of a sudden I see Josh right next to me. And it was like a really surreal moment to like run into somebody that you know during the race. Like it's one thing to run into somebody that you see like on the sidelines watching. But this run into an another runner that is just absolutely insane. so it was it was really all you gave me that last extra boost of energy because you said go finish strong and I just was like, I'm gonna do best I can. Josh: I I think that's the key thing too. no matter where you're at, when you see somebody you actually know on a course in a race, it gives you this little bit of boost of energy. You forget whatever pain you're in or how long you've been out there and and you get lost in in that. And I think that's what's magical about the whole running community and endurance sport community is when you're around other people who are like minded doing the same things that you tend to get lost in what you're doing and that pain and that struggle. gets a little easier and next thing you know you're done. so yeah. I whenever I see anybody on the course that I recognize or or even people that I don't like there was a guy in in Berlin that was wearing an athletic brewing like ambassador tang MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: singlet and he was walking. And it was probably around twenty miles in. I I'm I'm getting back into miles too, by the way, Mike. I I've been in kilometers. I really MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: was focused on doing everything in kilometers when I was over there and and I'm coming back out of it now. I actually just switched my watch off of kilometers back to miles. But it was later in the race and he was walking and I remember saying, Hey, fit for all times, man, you got this athletic brewing, let's go and sh you know, thirty seconds later here he comes by me again. And We kinda yo yo'd the rest of the race and I ended up seeing him finish, going through the gates and and all that. So it was kinda neat 'cause he was he was buried at that moment and you never know. some people like, leave me alone but MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: I don't stop saying or patting somebody on the back if there's a recognition o moment there. MikeRunsMarathons: yeah, absolutely. as as you're a runner that's on the course, you know exactly what is going through their head at that moment, because we've all been there. So to be able to give them that extra boost of energy, I think is is it's such a gift to be able to do. but I want to I wanna talk about the beginning. So your bio says that you've been sober since twenty nineteen. And I know that that's a line that you've chosen to put out into the world. You've talked about it before, and I also really appreciate it because I've been sober for what year is it? Almost five years myself. Josh: Nice. MikeRunsMarathons: can you walk me through what the journey looked like for you? 'Cause I know that your sobriety plays a large part in your your athletic journey. Josh: Yeah, for sure. It is it was a word that defined me for twenty or so years, pretty much from the middle of college when I got hurt in my sophomore year and from that point on, till twenty nineteen drinking smoking cigarettes, all of these things just kinda defined what I did and who I was as opposed to the athlete that I grew up being and the community person I grew up being and and just kinda lost touch with that. So when the switch finally flipped again in the positive direction, it I latched onto it pretty hard and could see the people that helped pull me through and and Obviously at that time in 2019 we were clear, but twenty twenty, year or so in, now into COVID and and AA meetings became a little different. So I was very lucky that when I left the Virgin Islands in twenty eighteen of Jan January twenty eighteen, I had already slowed down drinking at some point just because of the natural lifestyle and back into life and it was I didn't need to go to rehab, I didn't need to do a lot of things, but I need to rely on a lot of people and listen to a lot of people and and confide in a lot of people and I still chat with the the few people that were there for me in those those initial meetings in Watertown Mass and he and I check in all the time and and Janine was there. So my my wife was with me that that whole time and saw both sides of it, the end and the beginning. And and he she even took a year off of drinking just because it just it was easy for her to do. why do I need this? And I want to prove to myself I can do it. And at this point, it's just something that it I get messages every once in a while and they're out of the blue. People I don't know, people I've known growing up, people that have seen my Facebook posts, seen my and it just became natural for me to put it out there and and it had become one of those accountability things for me. And it might piss a lot of people off. It might it rub people the wrong way. But for me, it only takes one person. Message me to say, Hey, I really appreciate it. I've been thinking about it, or I'm now three months sober and I remember your posts and and and those are the types of things that like in that community of recovering and and alcoholism and addiction, any of that, you need to see other people walk the walk and and and then be able to talk about it and and actually show that it can work and can do it. I mean, I literally moved back from the Virgin Islands with a backpack and my dog. And that was it. I had MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: nothing. And that was January twenty eighteen. And and now I have five stars. I've competed in the Ironman seventy point three World Championships. I have my own podcast. I work in endurance sports. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: And all that stuff happened in a very short time frame compared to where I was and where I'm at now. And like you said in the intro, it was the intention behind it all and really grabbing a hold of what was something I believed in and was passionate about and and finding a way to make that more and more part of my life going forward and and intentionally said I am done working in this world as a full time basis and and how do I get to where I would like to. And a few opportunities arose and and working for Super Try in the partnership world was the one that I landed with last year. So almost a year and a half ago now. So yeah, really, really important piece of my journey and really without it, none of this we don't have this conversation. if that day in twenty nineteen doesn't happen. I say if any days before that happened or changed, this conversation does not happen either. So like even on the bad days, even in the bad times, if I change one of those days, this isn't happening. Like I just look at it that way. So I don't go to church anymore. I don't do any of that stuff, but there's a higher power out there that has been on my side pushing me and and I often MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: say it might be my grandma, but and and Janine's got her mother who we lost before I got to meet her, which is what we're doing a lot of that running for with longevity and and lung cancer awareness. So I believe there's a reason for all of this and and I'm just gonna keep rolling with it. and and it it's making me happy. It's making the people around me happy and sometimes maybe a little crazy about what I do, but it's all paying off and and there's still people reaching out to me. Every other day, every other week that are are saying that they appreciate what I'm doing and inspiring or or you helped me stop drinking. Those are the things that matter. MikeRunsMarathons: I love that. I have had people message me too, actually, about, you know, the the fact that I I share my sobriety journey. So I don't I don't share it as as much as I probably should, but I do, you know, when I hit milestones or something like that, I I I talk about it and I I have my my five year anniversaries coming up in about less than two months. as long as I don't drink. But it's it's it's a wonderful thing once you start to live life on life's terms. And like I've been to the rooms as well. I've done the steps. And like I I I like what you said about, you know, I don't go to church, but I think there's there's a higher power there somewhere. And I feel the same way. and I do feel like everything's being pushed in a certain direction by something. And it's it's pushing us in the right direction because we are trying to be the best people that we can be. And I mean that's all that's all we can do. and the you're not your your sobriety is really shapes you who you are as an athlete in terms of, who you've become today. Do you think that the Josh I know you were an athlete beforehand and then you got injured, and then, you know, the everything kind of happened after that, but do you think the Josh of twenty nineteen would recognize the Josh that you are today? Josh: Not a chance. Not a chance. because endurance sports at that point had never been part of my life at all. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: I played soccer, I played basketball, I played baseball, I played ball sports, I played team sports. I didn't run in high school. I didn't I none of this was part of who I was except for punishment. And we hear that story all the time. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: And especially in the trathon world, like it was we ran for punishment and MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and all of a sudden we're we're triathlete and and going crazy distances or ultra marathoners and or marathoners or or five Kers. I think at that point in 2019 I had probably done a couple turkey trunks. And they probably started with a beer and ended with a ton of beers. so that was my definition of running in 2019. if it if it started and ended at a bar. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: And that person would yeah I would recognize them a little bit but the the the there's no way that I could have ever foreseen any of this coming because I hadn't even gotten on a Peloton bike yet. I hadn't I hadn't done anything to get in shape at that MikeRunsMarathons: No. Josh: point. The only thing I did was put down the bottle. And and that when you start to do the work And also shift your mindset. And I I say this to everyone, people I coach, people I talk to, and this i it you can do all the right things and and continue to stop drinking, but if you can't shift your mindset, there's always gonna be that extra ounce of opportunity that you go back to the old way. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: But if you shift your mindset at the same time and you start to think positively and you believe that these good things that are happening to you are going to continue instead of like it's gonna stop. And I've already MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: said in this that it I'm just gonna continue to roll with it. Right. And and I believe that has really helped me get to where I've gotten and and not having a lot of that negative mindset that comes with alcoholism or addiction. It's like when is this gonna when when am I gonna lose? When w when is something bad gonna happen? MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: And I've removed all of that talk. and it it's been positive to the to detriment. Some people are like, Well you gotta have a little bit of both sides. You gotta Well, I'm down to earth, but at the same time, I do believe the weather in Chicago is gonna be better than you look and think it's gonna be this weekend. And MikeRunsMarathons: Ha ha ha. Josh: it those are the things that I if you just start to think that way, it does make a difference. MikeRunsMarathons: I 100% agree with you. I love showing people pictures of me from twenty eighteen, which is where I I when I first started running and I dabbled with sobriety here and there during that time period, like a year or so here and there. And then 2021 was when I really like put my foot down. But yeah, I mean, I show people pictures, not just like I tell them, Yes, I look I looked physically different. I was about like sixty pounds heavier than I am now, and like you could just see in my eyes that it was like I was dead. I was just like there was nothing there. But I also tell them my personality was a 180 from what it is today. there was no positivity. There was no hope. It was just everything bad is happening to me. My life is shit. And that's just how it is, because that's who I am. so I I love your positive mindset. And I I think it obviously I like that you said you're down to earth too. because you always get those people are like, well, you can't just always be positive because like this, that, and the other thing. It's like well, I've course, it's life and you have to deal with it, but you don't you you you roll with what's as you pointed out, you roll with what's happening in life because the you have no other way. there it's gonna move forward regardless of what you do. You might as well Josh: Can't control it. MikeRunsMarathons: move with it. Yeah. But one of the things that I love is that you you're you're sober but you are an athletic Burbie ambassador, which is a really great fit for who you are now. Can you talk to me? Cause I know that this this partnership means a lot to you. So can you tell me how that partnership is reflects on your your actual life? Josh: I I mean it I I I was actually thinking about this today. and I forget why, but it's part of a lot of my life. And and being over in Europe too, I was actually super surprised at how much non alcoholic beer there was. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and and in restaurants and and everywhere we went. And it's like you're getting a liter and a half of the Erdinger non alcoholic alcohol fray. beers over there. And I was actually really surprised by that. And and then you go and you think about what alcohol what athletic brewing has created in this market and and and the mindset they've created in some of these bigger brands and bigger companies that have the bandwidth to to produce those types of opportunities and non alcoholic and and zero beers and all of that. It's nowhere near as good as athletic brewing. But They came into my life early on in my endurance sport journey. I think it was probably towards the middle of twenty twenty-two. So I had done my first sprint triathlon at that point, or maybe even just before it. and I came across some content through my algorithm. And one of the girls, Hunter Ralston, was an ambassador for athletic brewing and we started chatting and she's like, You should join. They just opened up a new ambassador around and I was like I I was at the point where I could go to bars and play trivia. I could I could go to bars and have sodas. It I wasn't triggered by any of that. So for me it worked, not for everyone. Right. and I understand that. But for me I was able to to have a non alcoholic beer and and be okay with it and and have one. and they tasted good. So I was like, I'm gonna jump all over this and with that came the opportunity shortly after I joined They put out an announcement to the ambassadors that, hey, we're the title sponsor of this Ironman 70.3 in MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: California and the the full Iron Man in in Lake Placid, New York. We want our partnership, Bibbs, they get like 11 or 12 of them, to go to our ambassadors. And you you set out you put a you fill out an application, a Google form, and you and you submit it. And next thing you know, I'm like, there's no chance. There's thousands of ambassadors and I got picked for the Ironman seventy point three oceanside team in April twenty twenty three. So okay, I've done a sprint triathlon and now I gotta train for a half Iron Man and then I knew nothing, man. I did that first triathlon, that sprint triathlon in a in a bike kit, not a triathlon suit, not like I was wearing my bike kit underneath my wetsuit. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: I I had no clue what was doing. on my road bike with with cr i I just looked like a fool. I look like a first time triathlete should look MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: in twenty twenty two. These days there's a little bit more information accessible and people are getting a little bit more dialed in for their first triathlon, like what we're doing with our first timer program at Super Tri. Those things are out there. But athletic brewing really took me from, okay, I've done a triathlon, and maybe I'll do another one with my brother down the line, to okay, I start to identify as a triathlete. And and it really took me to that next level. And I fell in love with the community of the team, our OSide nine. We still literally are on an Instagram chat, the nine of us that were on that team that year in in twenty twenty three. And we're all good friends and still get together whenever we're around each other. One of them is one of my best friends and co-captains of my my triathlon community that I'm part of now. so the two of us run that. So athletic brewing led me to all that stuff. I became relatively close with the executive team as well. and and introduce them to one of the Peloton instructors who became an ambassador for athletic brewing and so many other friends through Peloton and through other networks and who followed me have now become ambassadors for athletic brewing. So it's like it's really cool to see the network grow that way naturally, same MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: as I did. I I I saw somebody I knew and I joined and then it's just been spider webbing since then as they grow into this multiple million dollar half a billion dollar company and and continue to grow to really change and and and align with the mindset of the consumer in this MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: day and age. And and I I I liken it to whenever I go to the gym and go to the pool, these sixteen year olds, seventeen year olds, eighteen year old kids just getting after it. And it's a Friday night. It's a Saturday night. And like the they're not out riding their bikes. They're not out going to their neighbors. They're not going out partying It's they're in the gym. Yeah, maybe they're gonna go hit out hit a party later, but the focus is their health and fitness. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: And athletic brewing aligns with that perfectly. Like you you can have an athletic brewing beer, wake up the next morning, no repercussions whatsoever. You're actually MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: maybe getting a little bit of electrolyte and hydration at the same time, and it's it's truly fit for all times. And it tastes good. So it just aligned with everything I believed in at that point, and they they love showing up at finish lines. And before I started this job at Super Try, I had connected Athletic Brewing with Super Try. And lo and behold, about a couple months before I ended up getting the job I got with Super Tri, I was actually in interview with Athletic Brewing as well. So that's how important they became. MikeRunsMarathons: No. Josh: there was a chance I was either in work with Athletic or Super Try. Super Try and Athletic Brewing partnered and I had put them at MikeRunsMarathons: Money. Josh: the table. I ended up getting a finder's fee and and literally two weeks later from that check landing I started my full time job at Super Try. So again, athletic brewing played a huge role in me landing this job as well because I was able to prove I know what it takes and and who would be the type of companies that would partner with us. MikeRunsMarathons: That is amazing. I love that full circle moment. That is wonderful. and I remember last time I spoke to you was was it was last April, I think, or May. It was that was right around the time, right? When everything was Yeah. Josh: Right when I was starting, yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: 'Cause I remember you telling me, that is that is awesome. And I'm so glad that you're doing so well there because Josh: Yeah, now they're my client. Now I now I work with them and they they they ask me questions and and and activate on our stuff and and they actually just re upped for next year as well. So very happy client and really, really excited. Like it just yeah, it's a total full circle moment and and they're a great company to work with MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and and their employees are are super happy being a part of that team. I've known so many other ambassadors now too and It's just really neat to to track and follow each other in that world. And like I said, it it ended up being a big part of my Berlin and and and seeing somebody take themselves out of that moment where they were walking and and then go on to finish the marathon and finish around the same time I was finishing. So MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: pulled himself right out and and if he doesn't have athletic brewing singlet on, that that moment doesn't happen. MikeRunsMarathons: True. I I like what you said about like the change in the mindset of society now because I I think beer companies are are plummeting in terms of the amount of product that they're able to sell that's actual alcohol. There a lot of them are shifting towards the non-alcoholic beers. And the with Athletic Brewery, I will I I'm an ambassador for them too now, but I will be at like random restaurants. I was at a random Italian restaurant in South Jersey the other day. And I'm looking through the the list of the alcohol, trying to find non alcoholic beers and lo and behold, athletic brewery. And I was like, of all places in in an Italian restaurant that mostly just does wine, I was like, This is so cool. and yes, their beers taste Josh: It's gonna be hard to it's gonna be hard to not see it at and and I'll tell you, when we visit places, especially in the States, my wife and I, and especially in cities that we've been to like New York, a bunch where you're like, Okay, I don't wanna go to the same place. We'll use the Athletic Brewing app and they have MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: a find my rest find a restaurant or find a store that MikeRunsMarathons: Okay. Josh: sells it and you use the the find the restaurant and you use it based on your location and you find a place that has athletic brewing on their menu and that's where you go to eat. And it tends to be a pretty good restaurant and you get to find somewhere different in New York City or somewhere else that you've been before. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. I'm gonna have to download that app. I didn't actually did not know that that existed. That's a that's a good thing to do. Josh: It's on the website as well, but the app is easier. MikeRunsMarathons: Okay. That's much that's awesome. I'm gonna have to check that out. it's really funny. I have questions on here about Super Try, I have questions about you being obviously an Iron Man Tri Athlete and about your your the amount of fundraising that you do. But I don't have anything on here about Peloton. This is so odd. So you are the leader of the but it is called the Wicked Smart Zone. Josh: Yep, we could smart zone. MikeRunsMarathons: and you guys are a pretty big group. I the for those we are Josh and I are are part of the Peloton team captains group. So we get invited every once in a while to the Peloton headquarters to do some market research and do a class and be able to mingle with Peloton team members, have a great time and talk to other captains that are having, you know, success with their groups as well. talking about Wicked Smallstone, 'cause I'm you said at the beginning, when you first started exercising and getting into adored sports, th this was all before even a Peloton. What got you into Peloton and what what brought you to to start your group? Josh: Yeah, so in twenty twenty I started to get in shape. We were our wedding was in September that year, so as COVID kind of dropped some of the regulations, we were able to actually have an outdoor wedding. but that summer I had gotten in touch with one of my friends in the Virgin Islands. He was doing a virtual fitness health challenge, transformation challenge. And that was the first time I was like I had a structure. and and did something and that was April or May it started. I think it lasted all the way through the summer and ended the weekend of our wedding and and I won this transformation challenge. I I went from whatever weight it was, the body changed, the the weight dropped, I got lean and and for the first time I I got in shape. Now running was still not a huge part of it. It was hard. But I started running. and I would laugh at Janine 'cause she had bought the the Peloton bike when we first moved into this house in February of 2020. And I told her that was her fake workout she was doing. And I'm doing the real hit workouts and and crazy interval training and I'm going outside and running. And I signed up for the BAA medley, the virtual medley that year because they did the 5K, 10K half as a virtual during COVID. And I was like, well, never done this before. But that was my first delve into endurance sports. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: And I could do it at my under on my own control and virtually and as I was ticked off the five K of the ten K, I got injured shoveling snow in the late fall, MikeRunsMarathons: Hmm. Josh: and wasn't able to run like I wanted to for the half marathon training. So I was like, Let me hop on this bike and I think I did a Tune Day arms and intervals class or something crazy for forty five minutes and was totally tapped and was like, What is this? But fell in love with it. At that point I was like, well, I gotta use this bike a little bit more and there's gotta be something out there. And I just happened to click on to the power zone training, build your power zones, or whatever it was called at that point, discover your power zones, and and started taking that and fell in love with that type of structure. And from there it was okay. I'd love to be a part of this power zone pack community. And and I had a friend who I used to work with ask me to join their team. It's like, but I didn't know anyone, so I was like, but there's this huge Opportunity here in Massachusetts. there's gotta be people in the region and we can have a mindset. And so I said to Janine, let's create a a team. I I need about a hundred and twenty-five people in order for Angie to allow me to have a team. And she's like, You're freaking crazy. and within the first couple of days, we had 250 people signed up. And I created a Facebook community called Wicked Smart Zone. We came up with the logo, she created it, and From there the community has grown to I I I don't even look at the numbers anymore, three thousand plus probably, twenty five hundred somewhere around there. But very close knit niche community where people are constantly getting together. The power zone team is still alive, still going, and we we rotate who are the team leads and and keep that going. We do gatherings. we started to do fundraising flash mob type breakfast tip MikeRunsMarathons: Hmm. Josh: parties. coming out of COVID, we'd start raising money and and leave a huge tip at breakfast for for waiters and waitresses and would move that around the New England area and and that got a lot of wind. And Peloton really loved that at aspect of our community and the fact that we were pretty passionate and and local. And I just kept going to the studio and bringing the crew and and we'd do some live class rides. We were the first first community to be invited. after COVID when they opened the studios for the first time to do the Matt Wolper's thirty minute power zone class. MikeRunsMarathons: well. Josh: so Rigged Smart Zones got to open the doors in in the power zone world back in the the PSNY and from there we fell in love with it. We don't go as much anymore. We go a couple of times a year and and when we are there we try and take as many classes. So like even on Marathon weekend coming up, we'll I think we're both on the wait list for a couple classes. We're gonna take the Wilpers Saturday sixty and ride, even though it's the day before the marathon. MikeRunsMarathons: Right. Josh: It's just it's part of who we are and and literally it is the biggest part of our friend community MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: to this day. I mean, we were at Nice and I was talking to Peloton members that were also doing the seventy point three with me. We were in Berlin and we're a big part of Jeffree Shakeout run and and went MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and took part in that and I did an interview for Peloton there. so it is who we are and it has definitely defined our lives and and the the reason why we are able to do what we do in terms of endurance sports. It was all through Peloton that got us going and and continues to keep us going. Janine just applied to to be one of the the three people that they track for the New York City Marathon. So hopefully she'll MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: get selected to be one of those. And her story is unbelievable and and she came, got injured, came back from it. And as she was coming back from her ACL injury, Marcel got injured and had the same thing and the two of them connected in a different way and and Maddie Majiacomo and and so many others have been a big part of it and and for me, Wilpers and I have become pretty good friends as well. And he'll answer questions for me and then call me out way too much when I'm in a live class. And MikeRunsMarathons: No, I love that. you and I had the same mentality of when, you know, Peloton started to get big in twenty twenty. I was like, who's gonna ride a bike inside Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: and have a class with someone when you could be around other people or go outside? And finally at the end of twenty twenty is when I got my my Peloton. And I remember taking my first live class, I think it was with Dennis. and I was just I was hooked as soon as I took it. I was like, This is insane. And I I rem I cried so many times on that bike. It's it's ridiculous. I never thought that I would get emotional riding by myself in a class with all these people, either virtually or I would see people in the studio and then talk hear the instructors talk and share their stories. And I wouldn't think that I would treat them kind of like celebrities in a sense Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: when when I would like run into them. it would it would I remember the first time I met Alex, I was speechless. My wife had to speak for me because I was just like, I don't know what to say at this moment right now. Josh: He's a he's a different level, yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: but it was it it it's Peloton is a wonderful, wonderful community. I've never I the group that I've created, the positive Peloton group, is is one that I did not see growing to what it is today. I made it as kind of like a one off as like yeah, I'll just make this and kind of leave it at that. But it's grown into something that I and really proud of and we have people in there that are, really supportive of one another, which is exactly why I created it. And you know, we push each other to be the the best athletes that we can, regardless of, you know, whether it's your first ride or if it's your your thousandth ride. You know, everyone belongs and we're all moving in the same direction. So Josh: And there's a community for everyone. That's the cool part about these MikeRunsMarathons: Yes. Josh: sub communities and all that too. And I think it's a huge part of what Peloton has become and grabbed onto and told the story about. And I think they're only getting better at it. And and these communities, there's something for everyone. I think MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: the shift now too towards the running focus and the high rocks focus MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: and and the strength. And we're not a bike company. they've been fighting that for so long and it and and now for the first time it actually seems like it's definitely an an initiative to get rid of the fact that we're this bike. the name Peloton is a biking term and it's and there's been MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Josh: some legal battles about that as well. But it is it is definitely an endurance company. We're even seeing that in Trathlon. There was just a huge partnership between Iron Man and Solomon. Who everyone knows in the trail running space and MikeRunsMarathons: Hmm. Yeah. Josh: skiing space. And that partnership wasn't about triathlon specifically for Solomon. It was the two of them coming together and saying, No, we're we're partnering to to reach more endurance athletes. And using this word, and you're gonna see it more and more, I guess, is MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: a high rocks athlete is not a hybrid athlete, they're an endurance athlete and and they will tap into five K, ten K, half marathon, marathon. They're going to wanna do a They see so many other hybrid athletes doing half Ironmans and Ironmans. They're all intertwined. and and that word endurance athlete is gonna be a bigger thing going forward and I think it's gonna mean a little bit more. MikeRunsMarathons: Yes, yes. I I it the running the sport of running just exploded after twenty twenty. And now we've gone into like overdrive in my opinion. We've gone to the high rockses. We've got people talking about, you know, I've never run before, but I'm gonna do an Iron Man. like they just they just go there now because that's just what they see. and I I think I think it's fantastic 'cause it's getting more people out there to be healthy and, you know. push themselves and become stronger and better people. But I want to talk about you because you are a hybrid athlete, obviously. But you are a very strong endurance athlete and when it comes to marathons. I remember last year you ran a three four in Chicago, right? That was your that's your PR? Josh: Yep. MikeRunsMarathons: And did you was it three seven you just ran in Berlin? Josh: 30746 in Berlin and then I ran a three six something in Tokyo this year as well. So yeah. Three four is still the mark. Three four seven. MikeRunsMarathons: Listen, I have been gunning for a sub three ten for two years now. And so I'm hoping one day I get to to where you are. I want to grow up and be like you. So I I hope I get there. But Josh: No no no no no no. Be like Mike. MikeRunsMarathons: so you've got and you we were just talking about this before the show. You are aging up in the Boston Marathon qualifying time. So you have a over a fifteen minute buffer now with twelve. it's twelve. Josh: 12 now. So it went from so yeah, this year I the 304 was for 2027 qualifications, which we all just found out about the buffer was five seventeen. That three four seven was a ten minute and fifty-three second. So I was MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: I I was very confident that that would clear no matter what. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: The number was five seventeen. So I was like double away. So but when I just ran Berlin and I finished and I was like the what got me to that finish line because I I went out really, really hard. And I'm typically a pretty smart runner and I don't push out and and slow down. I typically know what my paces are and and my best races are usually going to be a negative split. And this one just the way the whole thing worked from doing the the Iron Man 70 point three world champs and then taking a couple days off doing nothing, but then feeling really good. Over this next 10, literally ran 11 days straight into Berlin. I was like, none of my fitness shows me that I can run faster than a seven-minute mile, but it feels good today. And it got to the point where I was like, all right, well, let's see if we can set our first set our half marathon PR, which we did. And then I was like, okay, now I'm not gonna get to the line at this pace and go sub three. But Can I hold on to that 304? Maybe. But what pulled me no matter what was a Rob Dalto flying by me with 2K to go and saying, come on, let's go. And MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: he was on pace for a 310, 315, he said that day, because Chicago's his big one. so I knew at that point, I was like, picked it up. But the BQ and and and how much buffer could I give myself still meant. Like if I could set that number, because who knows what happens between now and the end of the next qualification period next in in next September, right? So if I can get a mark on the board, great. And and it really did pull me through. And you can see like if Strava's got this new feature now where like your projected finish time. And MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and if you look at it, I think it was at like three ten, three eleven, three twelve over that last with like three or four miles to go. And I slowly pulled it back to a three seven. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: And what that did was at the point, I thought I had a seven minute and fourteen second buffer. That's pretty good. We just had five seventeen. And I think we we hadn't even found that out yet. Five seventeen came a couple days later. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: so I was like, all right, I'm gonna be fine. And then literally yesterday realized or two days, yeah, yesterday, realized that I will be fifty on April seventeenth, twenty twenty eight, which means MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: I now have a twelve minute and fourteen second buffer. MikeRunsMarathons: That is Josh: So check your birth dates. If it's before April especially in twenty twenty eight, you might be aging up. MikeRunsMarathons: don't remind me how old I am. This is 'cause I'm gonna I'm aging up too. Josh: And I'm February, so works. Hey, I'm fifty, so it doesn't matter what you say. I still got you beat. MikeRunsMarathons: But I mean, could you have imagined I mean, we we talked about twenty twenty nineteen Josh, right? Could you imagine twenty nineteen Josh Josh running a three four Chicago, three seven at Berlin, three six at Tokyo, like all in the span of what's that? A year almost. Not even. Josh: Yeah. No, and and even my first marathon was at the end of twenty twenty three. It was just over three years ago. So no, not not a chance in hell. And literally the w I I run the route I first ran back in MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: twenty twenty. And when I started getting in shape and I couldn't run a mile without stopping and walking. And now it's like okay You do a long run and you start getting into a taper and your coach is like, you you only have fourteen today. Yeah, I only have fourteen. I only have twelve. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: I only have ten it's like w what the MikeRunsMarathons: Yep. Josh: and but that's the world that we've put around ourselves and and those miles do become a little easier and and and at least in your mind, like, I can break that down. there's no way I I could have ever have seen that. And then to think about not only running a six forty five mile, but to do it for thirteen miles, fourteen miles, MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: fifteen miles, hopefully twenty-six miles by April next year, right? So that's insane. And and now I have this opportunity now to to to pace my wife in New York. I I have been I like to say hired, but chosen to be an official pacer at the Marathon Project in December. And from MikeRunsMarathons: Nice. Josh: there my entire focus will for the first time ever be on a marathon and a goal time. I've done good blocks into Chicago before and but there was always triathlon involved. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: There was a triathlon coming up or or there was a triathlon training involved or I was doing a try in between and literally from the middle of December, end of December this year to April nineteenth is going to be a strict marathon block. And to me that's like I need that. At this point and and Trathlon's MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: always gonna be there. It's gonna be a huge part of what I do. I'm gonna probably hop in one in June if I can after Boston, but the focus is gonna be Boston and maybe I'll swim once and maybe I'll bike once or twice a week just because it's healthy to do as a runner, but I wanna see what a hundred K week or a sixty-five mile week or seventy mile a week can look like. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Yeah. I remember when we talked last year after Boston, I asked you what was next and you listed the triathlon Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: and then you had an Iron Man and then you had Chicago and I was like, that's absolutely wild. and it makes sense that you you know, you obviously you get marathon training in when you train for an Iron Man, and then some. I I say and then some, but it's it's more than that. And so it's it it's I I can't wait to see. how much you're gonna grow up until April next year. Cause it I I can already tell. you set your mind on that, you're gonna get it. I can I can tell just just from knowing you for this past year, I you are that kind of person. So I'm really excited to see you finish in a sub three next year. because I'll be there too. And and maybe we'll run into each other on the course, but we'll we'll celebrate one way or another. And and I have no Josh: It's a celebration anyways, running that race. and it was two years ago when I got to run it for the first time. this will be even different just because it's the first time I'm running as a qualified runner and it's a just a different level and it's the start line's twenty five minutes from here. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: so th we I will run it so much and just God willing that I I stay healthy and and I think it will be a special day. People are like, You're crazy, it's Boston, like why are you trying to go sub three there? And I was like I ran a PR there already. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: when I ran that race, it was a PR coming out of Chicago. And I've MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: learned more. I think it f suits me well. people are like, You're crazy for constantly putting numbers out there. And I was like, No, that's my accountability and and it and it's motivating to me and I don't mind doing it. Now, what I do find fascinating though is the amount of people That finish within a certain amount of time around that three hour mark or that three five mark or that three ten mark. And then you go 30 seconds or a minute outside that three hour mark. And at 301, there's two percent. One like it's MikeRunsMarathons: Really? Josh: fascinating when you look at like what the human mind tells you that you can do and how many MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: people actually finish around these cluster times. And you can look at it on finish times and marathons. It's insane. And then all of a sudden you get like a trickle of people at 301 or 302. nowhere near MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: the clusters that you get around those big milestone times. So hey, to me MikeRunsMarathons: that's so cool. I'm gonna I'm gonna have to check that out. Josh: at the day, like I would love to be in two fifty five shape, and I've said this to my coach a number of times. Two fifty five shape gets me to a sub three. no no matter what. And on the day, can we go can we go faster? MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Yeah, my god, that was Josh: If we get weather like last year, let's go faster. MikeRunsMarathons: perfect weather. I was really afraid with the amount of people that qualified at Boston just this year alone. I was like, what is the cutoff gonna be just because of Boston? Because it was insane. Josh: Yeah. Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: now you did just complete an Iron Man, correct? Josh: Yeah, so that was a a huge I mean that was literally after we talked last year. that was my big A race was the Ironman seventy point three in Oregon that I did last July. And that was the goal was to go out there and and set my fastest race in the seventy point three distance and potentially qualify, but that was kind of like a secondary thing and sure enough MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: I qualified for this race similar to Boston. I qualified in July last year. The race was September thirteenth, just a couple weeks ago, MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: in in Nice, France. So I had to last minute fly over to Europe for work, to an event just off the UK in France and the Channel Islands. Flew back, was here for 24 hours on September 8th. My wife and I had everything packed up for three weeks in Europe and flew over to Nice, France on landed September 9th and spent the next three weeks in the Central European. time zone and it started with my race at the seventy point three world championships. So literally the greatest trahes in the world on the pro side are there. All of these athletes have been doing this sport for fifteen, twenty, thirty years, are there racing and or they're doing it for multiple like their fifteenth time. And and there's obviously a slew of us that are there for the first time. And and then I look and I was like, I had the hardest bike ride of my life coming up. And I also have MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: to swim in the ocean without a wetsuit because it's too warm in the water. so you couldn't do that. No wetsuits allowed. bike rides 4,000 feet straight up. and then you have to come straight down. MikeRunsMarathons: God. Josh: windy roads in France, and we don't ride those around here. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: but I practiced for it and I was I was ready for it as much as I could. And man, it was the best swim of my life, even though it wasn't the fastest. It was the best bike ride of my life, even though it was the slowest, and it was the best run of my life, even though it wasn't my fastest half Iron Man. And it was my slowest 70.3 ever, but it was the best race ever. of any triathlon I've ever done execution wise from start to finish. And what a cool atmosphere to be around that. the Simo from Peloton also completed it the day before on the 12th. The ladies all went on the 12th and the guys went on the 13th. So we got to cheer for each other. So another badass in the Peloton community is also leading the the the the whole thing as well. So there were a lot of us and then I found out there were a few of us who were actually doing what I called the the European double the Seventy point three Iron Man World Championships on September twelfth, thirteenth, and then Berlin on the twenty seventh. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: so and the action actually happened to be raising money for longevity as well. So it was a very small world coming together, MikeRunsMarathons: Okay. Mm-hmm. Josh: with some friends that we met over there and have now become lifetime friends with. but yeah, really, really cool opportunity to race at that magnitude. with Just so much going on in the world of partnerships and brand. I was also MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: there covering it as a podcaster. so much just and I had media access. I was literally in the finish shoot area for the ladies' race, filming the the pro fa pro athletes, interviewing the pro athletes. got to be a part of the the announcement of Solomon becoming a partner. Like I I got a free pair of shoes because I was in the media to to be there. So 2019 Josh would not have recognized that. That Josh and Nice by any means. what a cool experience. And then we made the decision like it would have been stupid and expensive to fly back and then go back to Berlin. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Josh: so we found an Airbnb in Vienna, Austria that was gonna be available for us for eight nights and gave us the opportunity to work remotely and train for Berlin because my wife was running Berlin and with me. So We did that and it ended up being one of the best places that we've ever been to and we loved it. And I ran on the same road that Kipchogee went sub two on. MikeRunsMarathons: Nice. Josh: I rode my bike on that road and really, really cool city. And then we took the train up to Berlin and ran the Berlin Marathon two weeks after literally two weeks after doing a seventy point three Iron Man. So I think a lot of MikeRunsMarathons: That's awesome. Josh: that fitness was absorbed and just kind MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: of started to come out and I did a lot of short runs with a lot of pickups and strides and On race day in Berlin I walked into the B Corral and there's Rob Dalto and we just kinda shot the ship for forty five minutes to an hour and next thing it's like, All right, sub three attempt we go. MikeRunsMarathons: That is that is awesome. And I I love that you you said I remember you posting about it saying that it was the best execute iron you've ever done, even though it wasn't your fastest. I love when people celebrate things like that because it it shows that the PR isn't everything. You know, it's it's the it's how you actually progress through the race and getting to the finish line that matters the most. you know, I ran a Josh: I never I never I never it was the I never stopped during the swim. I never backstroked during the swim. Things that I've done in almost every race. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: Perfect swim. And I I have no wetsuit and I am a not a great swimmer, so that's a huge crutch for me and I didn't have it. so that swim went really well and I looked at my watch, I was like, crap, still forty three minutes. well, whatever. Get to your bike MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and go have fun. And and then I knew what from my training what I was capable of on this climb. And it was the the big there's really, really heavy climbs, about five K, ten K into the race. And they're short, but they're heavy. They're like 10, 15, 16% grades. And then about 20 kilometers in no about 20 miles in, you have a 10 kilometer climb. So six mile climb at about six and a half percent the entire time up to the top of a mountain where the atmosphere changes. There's no trees, there's like it gets Deserty, you're it's it's wild. and I knew what I needed to be at, what my body was capable of handling. And people were passing me and I let them go. And I didn't get caught up in the moment of racing. I got I stuck to what I needed to do. So when I talk about execution with my athletes, with with you, that's what I mean. Like I knew what I was capable of on that day. And I knew if I did anything other than that, it could ruin the whole day. And I stuck to it. And then when I got over the top and we have this crazy descent, I found a guy who looked like he knew what he was doing and the two of us descended the mountain together and we passed people as safely as possible and and we're flying. And then I got to the run and I knew I probably didn't have a 135 in me. So I ran a 144, but I I never walked. I never stopped. And I was passing people left and right who were dead tired one kilometer in, two miles in because they overcooked the bike MikeRunsMarathons: No. Josh: or they overcooked the beginning of the run and had nothing left. And I just paste it. And and to me, that's the execution piece on a day like that where there's no chance of me being on a podium or anywhere close. I think I finished 290th in my age group. With a five MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: hour and fifty seven Iron Man. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: And on any other day or most you look at that, it's great. I finished 290th in my age group. and but I knew that going in. So I went and executed the best race possible. Could I have gone a little faster probably. But I knew on the day, but that huge six hours of work really put a stimulus into me and I was able to absorb it coming out of it by taking two days off and doing some slow training in Vienna. That changed how I approached Berlin and and the opportunity to give it a shot outweighed the play it safe and and run a three three fifty nine. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. That's I just I love the fact that you just nonchalantly completed an Iron Man and then less than two weeks later completed a marathon, which is just a beast in and of itself. but yeah you yeah, yeah, yeah. Not a training. Josh: Wasn't nonchalantly though. There was a lot of training that went into it and i intentionality that went into it. But on the day I stuck to what I I believed I was capable of doing and and what my coach and I talked about. Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: yeah, no, no, definitely, definitely. yeah, I mean it I love even though you've run so much, you've done several different marathons, several different triathlons and Ironmans and things like that, the fact that you say, I didn't stop, I didn't walk, like that humility is really powerful because people expect, you know, those of us that have done multiple races like this to be on it all the time. And that just doesn't happen. I had my baby in January. I ran Boston in April. Boston destroyed me. And I had it took me a month and a half to get back to some semblance of normality for me with training. And like even now, like I would I ran races in New York City over the summer and I would they would be four mile races and I would get like three miles in and would have to walk a little bit for like a minute or two and then would be able to finish. But you know, about two weeks ago I ran a 10 miler race in the Bronx on Saturday and then a and a and then I ran a half marathon in Philly on Sunday. And the 10 mile race is really important to me because I ran it last year. And that was like kind of like almost peak of my performance. And I went out too fast. I ran the first four miles for four or four or five miles really well and then just like burn out from there. Had to walk, run the rest of the race because I was just so just exhausted from it. And this year I just said, you know what? We're gonna see what happens. I know what I'm capable of. We're gonna go at a certain pace. We're gonna see how that feels. If we can keep it up, great. If we can't, we'll adjust. And I ran the whole thing in a negative split, which I Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: know you I am not as, you know, smart with my training as you are probably. So you get to your negative splits. And negative split for me is like a big deal because that just rarely happens. so I Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: was really happy with that. And then when I the next day when I did a half marathon, I ran the entire way and there were moments where I wanted to stop and I was tired, but I was like, you what? I my legs can keep going. My legs don't want to stop. And the only thing I'm mad at is the fact that I wanted to get a sub 140 and I finished in 1403. That's the only thing I'm upset about. If I just give me those four seconds back. yeah. Josh: Yeah, you had fatigue. Yeah, you gotta be easy on yourself some days. MikeRunsMarathons: But no I was still really proud because I had run a half marathon race in May, the Brooklyn half, and that I had to run walk because I was so exhausted. And I finished that in one forty five. So this is five minutes faster. So I'm this is something to be really proud of. so I I think that those moments where you really are proud of not necessarily like accomplishing the thing, but the fact that all of the training that you did paid off and you showed it throughout the entire race. Josh: Yeah. I think the other thing too, you you talk about these summer races too, the heat can get to you. MikeRunsMarathons: my god. Josh: And if you're not smart about it, you are going to blow up. And the other factor in Nice that became a super important one was my age group, the forty-five to forty-nine age group, was the last age group in the water of the entire weekend of racing. So the race started at seven AM. I was there on the beach filming the pros start. And then I went into the VIP. restaurant area where the media was allowed and I had breakfast and I sat MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and I watched TV for two hours, hour and a half. MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: My wave wasn't until 945. So now you're talking starting at 945 on a day that's going to be in the low to mid 80s, crap, I'm not starting my half hour marathon leg of this race until after one o'clock and I'm running in the heat of the day. So you have to pace it. And you're going up a mountain MikeRunsMarathons: Okay. Josh: where it's getting hotter and you're exposed to all the sun and so those things, same thing with with races and running. You have to be humble and and be able to pull yourself back based on the race day. And in Chicago people might have to adjust, especially if you're starting in a later MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: wave. I always say that to my athletes. I have two athletes running marathons this weekend. Different climates, so I have to pay attention to all that stuff for them. I've done like looking at the profiles of the races and where they can attack and where they need to slow down and Those are the types of things that if you prepare that way, it has nothing to do with your athletic ability. There's certain little things that we can all do to make our lives easier during a race. it doesn't mean it's going to be, but look, I I that that half Iron Man taught me a lot about myself and what I could push through because I saw people that struggled and in that mindset. And then I get to Berlin and I used a porta potty for the first time in a marathon and I stopped MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: and I I used the bottle service that they had and I found my bottle and I walked around a table and grabbed it and I was like I stopped and hugged the longevity team at mile twenty four. these are things that most races I'm not doing that. probably MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: not doing that if in in April in in Boston, but I'm gonna enjoy it. And when I'm having fun, you just you you you learn to have fun. But I pushed myself in Chicago this summer trying to run a half marathon PR and it was 80 something degrees and I knew early on I was screwed. and I think I ran a 140 something that day. I just ran a 129 at the first half of a marathon MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: without pushing myself. So it's MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: like it and that was I was better trained for that half marathon than I was to run the the 129. So mentality and and fitness that you get out of just consistency and and doing this over and over again just starts to compound. And that's where I keep reminding myself, I literally took my first steps in the endurance world in twenty twenty. I MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: did my first marathon three years ago. MikeRunsMarathons: It's such a wild story. Josh: Still have long way to go. MikeRunsMarathons: Such a wild story. And the amount of growth that you made in that just those three years with your marathons is insane. But you're you've taken your love of fitness and endurance sports and you have combined it with your professional life. And you are, as you pointed out, the partnerships manager at Super Try. Since you've now moved into this as a professional career, out like what is it like to help build a the business side of a sport that you also compete in? Josh: I think it's it's i the role that I'm in I'm really fortunate. It's very natural in what I built with Wicked Smart Zone. It it's what I w the mentality behind the whole do wick a good brand and movement that I that I started and that's literally what led me to this role was putting together a shake out run in Boston when Super Tri was here after the Olympics and and running a professional event and I took these Olympic athletes on a shakeout run with some other community members and they're asking me questions and but now we've switched from this mentality of a professional organization, professional league, to being a mass participation organization that is allowing more and more people to experience triathlon at the shorter distances. Super sprint, sprint, and Olympic, and now you're talking, okay, less than an hour, an hour, two hours, three hours is what it's gonna take you to do one of these events. And that's accessible. And and a half Iron Man and Iron Man is like no longer the thing that you need to do in order to do a triathlon, but it's still MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: at that festival level feel, and you still feel MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: like you're getting that same type of experience and community that you get at an Iron Man event. And to be able to get people into the sport. and have them taste it and feel it and be like, hey, I did the super sprint. I'm doing the Olympic next year. Screw the sprint. I'm going right to the Olympic. And and you get that. And I I've been able to to reach out to my network of people, tap into some of the influencers and and other athletes in in the endurance community that I've been able to meet through my walks and and have them come and do our events. And literally one of them did our first event in Austin, Texas this year. It was her first ever triathlon. She had a borrow a bike. She had not really swam and she put in some time before the race. And next thing you know, she won her age group in the super sprint. And now she owns a bike. She's doing all this other stuff. She's surrounded by traites. it becomes this community. So to be able to get more people involved at a very healthy level, because when you're swim bike running, you're going to stay healthier if you do things intentionally and right and take care of your fueling and your nutrition and and your eat right. The pounding's not there. it's why I have yet to have a DNS do not start, and I have yet to have a DNF. I do often say I'm probably gonna need a DNF to say I ru truly push myself at some point. But at the same time, I'm very in tune with what my capabilities are because of the consistent training, too. So to give other people that opportunity through my coaching and now through the partnership work that I do, I literally get to go. to a triathlon and wake up at four o'clock in the morning and not have to worry about racing, but make sure other people get to have the experience MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: and their friends and their family. And I literally thrive off of the fact on race weekends that I get to let other people experience what I've been for the last few years and and help families navigate the the course and make sure they get to see their their family or their their friend and and give them access that they didn't expect. And in Chicago, 8,000 people do that. It's the largest trathlon in North America and we own it and we run it and it's super special. And there were a few people that I came across over the weekend that I was like, you know what, this is going to make a difference in their lives in their weekend and their moment. And I got them into the finish chute and allowed their loved one to meddle them as opposed to being meddled by a volunteer. Little things like that. I found MikeRunsMarathons: So out. Josh: this old lady who had no clue what she was doing trying to navigate from the swim. to the finish area to see her son and I think her son was probably sixty something years old. She's probably eighty three years old. And I just walked with her and and got her over there because if that didn't happen, she's no way in heck she's finding MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: that. And those are the little things that like being able to make a difference in in somebody else in that sport. And look, if they don't come back and do another triathlon, great. But they've had a great experience and and they have a different perception of what Super Tri is and what triathlon is all about. I think that's super important and I I sell big ticket sponsorships and partnerships, but I also work on all our little egg exhibitors and taking care of them as well. And it's a huge piece of this sport because we cannot grow without those partners and and the exhibitors MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and you and I use them all the time in our training and in our racing. So kudos to the companies that have stepped up and become part of other people's experiences at these events too. Like I look at what precision fuel and hydration has done in the in the Ironman world is like I've had conversations with them about maybe coming on and being a partner of Super Try because we're complementary. we we literally wanna keep people in the sport and not have them do a triathlon and walk away. this MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: is an opportunity for moms, dads, single moms, single dads, to be able to do this sport and only train a couple hours a week as opposed to man, I gotta do a f six hour bike ride this weekend. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: Who's gonna watch my kids and things like that? And never mind, I'm just not gonna sign up. Well, MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: you can be a tri athlete, take five years off from doing an Ironman and still do multiple events a year by doing a super tri race. MikeRunsMarathons: This is what I love about when you have people who either are involved in the sport itself or just have that experience in the sport being in these positions because you have this very, very personal touch that you can give these people that you either have gotten or what you've won it. And so I I I love the fact that you have such strong love for the sport itself because it comes out from everything you just described. and I'm gonna have to discuss with you how I can get a job within the sports world because that is exactly what I would like to do as well. Josh: Yeah. It it's it's powerful. It's and and I appreciate you saying that too, because I don't even realize it when I'm talking about it. and people say it at work and people say it when I it's it's gotten to me where I am just because it's natural MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: and it's what I am passionate about. So I am very fortunate and grateful that I have been able to walk into this opportunity. I did curate it, I did manifest it, it it all took a lot of work to get here. But the passion's natural and and one of the things we've talked about. As we look to shift into this real heavy focus on the mass participation growth at Super Try and with the team that we're building is to find more and more people who are passionate about sport, endurance MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: sport, triathlon, because the knowledge of what it takes place at such a complex niche sport matters. And the and and you you can have a commercial partnership. background, but if you have no clue about trathlon, it's really difficult MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: to execute the way that somebody who understands it all. Now you don't have to know trathlon, but you you do need to have a passion for executing an event like that. And and it has become a big focus on this next round of hiring if and when we do it, it will be curating our team with people that are totally in on growing this sport and the MikeRunsMarathons: Yes. Josh: endurance community. MikeRunsMarathons: Absolutely. And speaking of passion, so you not only work for Super Tribe, but you also have your own podcast on Triathlon called Another Triathlon Podcast. And you interview some of the the biggest names in the game. I've seen some of your episodes and I get like kind of blown away by the guests that you have sometimes. what has that experience taught you about what makes an elite athlete actually like tick and and what they're like? Josh: Oof. So they are v i in intraathlon, they're very similar to to you and I. And that's one of the things that I found from that first seventy point three in Oceanside that I did with athletic brewing and Go watching the award ceremony and seeing the pros and being on the course with the pros, you're literally sharing the course with them and in the way triathlon works, you're going to see them. Whereas a MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: lot of marathons, it's it's like a Boston point to point, you're never gonna see them. I didn't know who won Berlin until I finished. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: in an Iron Man, you're probably gonna know because you're gonna pass the finish line area at some point in the MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: run and you loop around. And you get to realize how down to earth these people are, because they're not NBA stars. They're not European soccer stars. They they're literally fighting tooth and nail to to make a living doing this sport because the prize purses aren't as large. Super Try is proud to say we gave out the h largest prize purse of the year, which is also really cool. this year. But for the most part, the the pointy end does very well, but you're going to have that Just like me and you coming out of college, whether or not to quit their daytime job, like a lot of these guys are still working full-time jobs. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: you got sixty, seventy athletes on a line, and maybe fifteen, twenty of them are making a living off of triathlon only. And and with that comes their YouTube, their Instagram, all that I incorporate MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: into that. But I would say five to ten of them are making a living off of their prize purse and and sponsor bonuses. The rest of them are making money off of their social media and their partnerships. because they have partnerships that believe in what they do on the social media in their community. So to get to know them has been really, really cool just because they are like you and I on a on any given day. They just have this physiol physiological capability to to go to a different level. They test higher, they do all these things, but they get the same level out of themselves. and they push the same. They just have more time and they need to put in more MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: time to train. But they want to sit down and in Nice I had a chance to go on a few shakeout runs with two of the best, Gustav Eden and and Christian Bumenfeld, and have conversations with these guys. I've had Gustav on the podcast before. I've had the CEO of Iron Man on the podcast before. the we had Solvay Lasseth who won Iron Man in Kona last year. Like I've had All of these top athletes and and not one of them has said, No, I don't want to do the interview. And when they do want to do the interview, it's hard to stop the clock and say it's over because they just want to talk trathlon and they just MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: want to talk training and they want to talk their how they got there. And no matter how many times they've done it, they just want to talk it because it's what they're passionate about. And MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: it's hard to find somebody who has to put in and at their level twenty-five, thirty plus hours a week of training. that isn't passionate about what they do and doesn't love what they do and and MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: because it is such a small world, they are primarily, I'd say ninety five percent of them are truly passionate about triathlon and and the community and a lot of them have built their own communities too, which I align with all that stuff. So it's an easy conversation for me and and I love picking their brains on the little things that they like to do and and and the tricks of the trade. MikeRunsMarathons: That is that is awesome. I actually I had for season two of this of this podcast, my last guest was Jeffrey from Peloton. and I love speaking to him because he's a runner, you know. Obviously you Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: pointed out new Peloton is has been known as a cycling company. but being able to discuss with him, you know, the Berlin Marathon, New York City Marathon, like I every time I see him online, it's some sort of marathon that he's running and ultra marathons now, things that he's got planned. and I remember being so scared to like ask him, like, do you want to be on this podcast? Josh: Yeah. He's the one person in the world you don't need to be scared to talk to. MikeRunsMarathons: Well, when I met him last year in New York, I was like, I'd taken his classes before. And so seeing him in person, I was like I told him, I was like, Jeffrey, you are a wonderful human being and you have helped me so much in my training. And he was like, I'm gonna cry. And I was like, Really? I wasn't expecting that. And then just like being able to have a conversation with Ben right before he went on paternity leave, because, you know, I think this was November, Liam was due in December, I think. Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: And then my wife gave birth in January. So we to like Talk about what it's going to be like being a new dad. And I was like, I'm having a conversation with this guy who's like on a whole different level from me, but he just is so down to earth. it's so amazing to talk to these people and just be like, just like me, they just love what they do even more than I love it. And, you know, that makes sense because of how much training they do, and some of them get paid a hefty amount of money to do it, so they have to do it. but it's it's wonderful to see that. That humbleness that they have of Josh: Yeah. one of the first messages I got after Berlin was a WhatsApp message from Jeffrey asking how did the race go. MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: I mean, and that's who he is. And MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: it he he'll constantly messaged Janine and I asking like how things are going just to check in. and and while we were there, like he was like, Sorry we didn't get to spend much time doing the shakeout run. I like, No, that was great, like you you've got a hundred other people. I can message you whenever I want and MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: And we do, and and that is who they are. And and the the part I love about being able to again, like it's scary. The the podcast now is over three years. It's crazy. I think we're about to hit our hundred and fiftieth episode, but it has also played a role in getting me where I'm at in my professional career too, because I I now know the people that MikeRunsMarathons: Hm. Josh: I need to talk to. on the partnership side. The whole world is now come together in one way or shape or form or another. And whether they're a competitor or whether a potential partner or whether they're an athlete or a pro or an age group, all of these pieces are are part of the puzzle. What we're building at Super Dry and what I wanna be a remembered for is somebody who just built communities of passionate people who love sport and and endurance and and At the same time, maybe a lot of them changed their lives while they were doing it. MikeRunsMarathons: I love that. I love it. Speaking of changing lives, so you not only run as a qualifier, but you also, regardless of whether or not, we've talked about this before, regardless of whether or not you qualify to to get into a marathon, you like to run for charity. And one of the big charities that you run for is team longevity. I know that's this has a personal connection with you because of Janine. you want to talk to me about why that cause matters to you and and what it means to put miles towards it. Josh: Yeah. So Janine's mom was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer when they found out. and never smoked a day in her life. And there's a huge stigma with lung cancer MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: with that right away. And so it's very hard to for the foundations and research institutions to raise money because of that factor. So it's gotten better over the years. It I think the number is like fifty one. 49%. the it's a very, very split number of who smoked and who didn't. and I think the the s the stigma is nowhere. Like the stigma is probably like, 90% of people smoked or MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: something like that, right? It's not, it's not even close. and she was diagnosed when she found out very late on stage four. and and lived for a a good amount of time and was treated at Sloan Kettering. just over the Queensborough Bridge. So if MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: you can imagine what running over that bridge is gonna mean on November 1st for my wife, after MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: the amount of times they drove it to bring her mom to to treatment from Long Island and have it be her six star, that was curated. That was like once MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: she got in, she knew she wanted that to be it. So all along the way, when when she was coming back from her ACL injury, she finally bit the bullet and said, I'm signing up for the Chicago Marathon. We didn't get in the lottery and instantly she found the fact that Longevity Foundation was listed as a charity partner and had bibs and we signed up. And that was for the twenty twenty four Chicago Marathon. And in even my first marathon, the twenty twenty three race, I I raised money for cancer here in Boston for the for the Charles River Marathon. And longevity was somebody she had worked with in the past when her mom was shortly after she had passed away, she and and doing a lot of awareness and they have these breathe deep walks all over the country. And one of them was here in Boston. So she did a lot of work with them around then, but had lost touch and done some work with some local organ organizations in the meantime. And the longevity thing was just like, my God, like really you guys have bibs to Chicago? We're doing it. And we signed up. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: And and that put us back in touch with the the longevity foundation and and all of their money goes straight into the research and it's a nasty disease. and that form of it is one that is going to take a lot of more research and money to get into it. And I know so many other causes deserve it as well. But for us it's it's one that we are passionate about. I never got to meet my mother in law and and From all signs of it and all w things I've heard, we would have been best friends. She was as Irish as could be. And MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: we often say there's there's little dots that we see flying around that r remind Janine of her and and things that just have come up since we've met. Her birthday and my daughter's birthday are the same. so kind of crazy. There's so many different alignments there, but then for me to get behind Janine in anything that she wanted to be passionate about, I I naturally was a fundraiser growing up. I I did a lot of animal fundraising, saving animals, that type stuff. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: And it was just matchmade in heaven there. and we've become a big part of the longevity family. I think I've now run five races under the longevity team, with or without a bib. I think that Chicago year was the only year I actually was using a team longevity bib that first year in 24. Ever since then it's been I've had a bib and I've raised money as a bring your own bib fundraiser. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Josh: Janine has run a lot of races for them. Now it's her fifth that she just finished in Berlin as a member of Team Longevity. And New York will be her sixth and she has a bib. So she's also running New York, with a bib already and still raising money for longevity on the side as well. So yeah, that I think that's another opportunity a lot of people don't know about. Like the minimums are lower and accessible, even though you have a bib. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Yep. Josh: So if you have causes that you believe in and you want to do something to make you feel yourself feel a little better, those opportunities are out there with a lot of organizations. even in Boston, the year I had a bib and then next year I'll do the same thing. Climate crew was born in in 2025 and when I first ran it and that'll continue. Now going into its third year, I actually talked to the COO of the BAA, Mary Kate Shea, over in Berlin. And and she said that is an organization and a piece of what they're trying to build that they're gonna hope to grow. So I'm looking forward to do that in Boston, even though I'm qualified, to still raise a little bit of money for an organization. I think it matters a ton for us who are in the community. I can't raise twelve thousand every race. I can't raise six thousand every MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: race, but I can raise a thousand here and there and that makes a difference. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Yeah. I mean my grandma passed away to lung cancer in in twenty twenty three and it was it was stage four. And by the time she passed it it spread to her her brain everywhere. and it was it and the the problem though is she did smoke, you know, up until she was in her forties. And so you know, it it is a very, very deadly and awful way to pass. and so I I thank you for raising, you know. money through longevity and my goal is to eventually do a race with longevity as well. I don't have any lined up per se right now because I'm running a couple already with charities. But you know, from on Josh: Yep. And we're trying to get them in Boston. That's that's the end goal is to get them into Boston as a charity. So I've made some connections MikeRunsMarathons: That would be awesome. Josh: to try and hopefully pull that through someday, but they they get to the final application and and get rejected every year. So hopefully one day they'll get into Boston. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, it it it's a very, very important just cause in general. and so just also thank you for the amount of money that you've raised for charity and for giving back with this sport that you love. I think it's you know I really value and respect charity runners a lot more than I do with other types of runners because of the fact that raising money for a charity is a second full time job. Especially if you're raising something for Boston. The first time I ran Boston had to raise nine thousand dollars. Now I think it's like fifteen thousand dollars is like the minimum. Josh: Yeah, most of the numbers I'm seeing for next year are fifteen. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, and it that's just absolutely wild, especially if you are, someone who's the back of the packer who's just trying to run this race because it's their dream, or maybe they are trying to get the star, a six star, what have you. that is a big commitment. And on top of that, you probably have a family, you have a job, you have your own life and you gotta put in the training. On top of that, now you gotta ask people for money. It gets a big, big struggle to do that, especially in the economy today. Josh: Yeah. And to get creative on how to do it. right now I don't have either one of my two car garage garage available to my cars. They're stuffed MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: with stuff that we use for yard sales to raise money. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. same thing. I have I'm raising money for one, two, what am I running? Maybe three ch you know, three charities, yes, because I got into another marathon, which I haven't shared with other people yet. I have a bunch of stuff here on the ground. My my whole office is a mess because I bought new furniture and had it built and haven't put everything away yet, but I have a bunch of stuff here that I'm going to do a massive giveaway for. And so it's like stuff I've had for a while that I actually did a giveaway. when I was raising money for Boston in twenty twenty four that I realized we never actually gave away. So I have a bunch of Peloton stuff, I have bunch of other stuff I bought. And so it it's just all over my ground all over the floor. And so I have to get that all together and finally make my post about it. so I feel you on that. It's there's so much, so much crap here. but Josh: I gotta see if I gotta save some of it 'cause hopefully Berlin becomes sorry, not Berlin, London for my six star next year is i is going to be I'm going to raise money for it if I get a bib. but the the charity I ran Berlin for also has bibs for London. So I'm just waiting to hear about that. But yeah, curating, manifesting London, I will raise money no matter what. if I get a bib or not. through a charity. but yeah, that is the the goal too is to to raise money. I would raise money for longevity for that race, except their bibs were only on Saturday, and to do the Boston MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: London double is already hard. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: I would like Sunday, so that is that is the one caveat to that one, unfortunately, is MikeRunsMarathons: Yes. Josh: I I can't raise money for longevity unless I get a BYOB and and some brand or somebody has a bib for me. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Well, you're gonna get a bid because you and I are gonna both finish and get that six star in in April. and I want and my second one, yeah. But I wanna I wanna celebrate Josh: Yeah. Your second one. MikeRunsMarathons: with you. I wanna celebrate with you. getting a second six star medal was not planned for me at all. I just happened in twenty twenty five to run five of the World Marathon majors by accident. So it I was not planning on doing that, but it just so happened with things that came my way. Josh: They're contagious. MikeRunsMarathons: my god. It's You I finished my first marathon and my first thought was, okay, let's enter the Berlin Marathon. Even though I could barely walk. It was the things that we do with as endurance athletes, it's wild. Josh: So I don't know what it is about Berlin too, by the way, because you said can't w I couldn't walk l almost immediately after finishing that race. Now I know I left a lot out there. I pushed myself faster MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: than I should have gone that day, but I got to the end pretty well. I was hurting. I was hurting like Janine was laughing. She's like, I've never seen you like this. the video MikeRunsMarathons: Wait, I remember that picture that v that video she posted like, Look, it's Josh, he's actually a human. Josh: I was hurting for a couple of days after that race. and I literally did not run for seven days if you take the time zone into MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: factor. before I went for a run yesterday afternoon. But it was yeah, there's something about those Berlin streets, especially the cobblestone ending. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. See, I I think last year when I did it was it was super different for me because I ran walk probably after Josh: Well you had the heat. MikeRunsMarathons: mile fourteen. Yeah, it was my god, it was deadly. I think I saw someone like legitimately pass away on the course. So it was really like an an ambulance game on the course. It was very scary. but when I did it in twenty twenty two for the first time, I crossed that finish line, I passed out because I didn't know anything about nutrition. I'd like I like, okay, I'll take gels, but I didn't know about electrolytes. I didn't know about salt stick or anything. And then they brought me over to the No, no, they're not. And then they brought me over to the med tent. Josh: Yeah. And they're not giving you any electrolytes on that course except for the the the warm tea. MikeRunsMarathons: When they lied me down in the med tent, my I f saw my calf twist and Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: it was like the worst pain of my life. And so yeah, Berlin I would like to go back and have an actual rematch because I did finish much faster than I wanted to than I did in twenty twenty two, but I definitely could have finished a lot faster had the weather not been eighty degrees. the I think the max that it got to at Berlin this year was the minimum, was the low on in Berlin last year. Josh: Yeah, this year it was seventy six when Janine finished. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, it was seventy seventy two, seventy three in the morning when we got to the starting line. And then by the time we finished, it was like eighty eight. Josh: No, I was I had fifty five as my start. My so Garmin gave me no credit on that day or the day in Nice for any heat acclamation whatsoever because it's all based off of when you start. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. You so lucky, man. I I I I hope to go back to Berlin and be able to do it the right way. Josh: I do too. I've I've signed up for the lottery, so we're in. MikeRunsMarathons: I know I did I have to sign up for two. I see I can't tell my wife this. Should I she doesn't listen to this podcast, so it doesn't matter. I secretly signed up for the Sydney lottery. So we will see what happens with that. Josh: We we've stayed away from the Sydney, Sha Shanghai and Cape Town so far. but we're also at a different period too. Like we we're la our daughter is now a freshman in college and MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: and she's down your way, just outside of Philadelphia, Delaware Valley. so that whole Europe trip was to celebrate getting a ki kid off to college. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: but it was already in in place. But yeah, we're we're in a different part of our our journey as well too, where we've got an older child MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: and are able to do a lot more as well. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. I'm doing it because my child is very young and is free to fly with right now. Josh: They eg exactly. Before they're two fly all over the place. MikeRunsMarathons: Exactly. now you have New York coming up in November. Two things. You got this bib in a very strange way. And this race is also you pointed this out is very important to Janine. Can you talk about both of those things? Josh: Yeah, there's about to be another one of these things this weekend in Chicago. y and you'll be there. MikeRunsMarathons: I will be there. I will be there. Josh: I will we we've been looking at flights to get to Chicago. not just for that, but for other reasons MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: and and the amount of people we know that runs. It literally Chicago is the only one of the original six majors we will not physically be at this year. MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: and she's run all of the other ones, besides Boston and Chicago. So she's run four this year. no, in April, we were not running Boston, but the Abbott team and and Rob Dalto did a shakeout run, I think, with endorphins as well. but they had what they called their first ever bib away and they were gonna give away Bibbs to the seven at that time, World Marathon majors, one to each of those. And you could sign up for Team Abbott, fill out their application form, show up for the shakeout run, be present in City Hall Plaza, and have a chance at having your name physically, literally drawn like old school, out of a hat, MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: on a piece of paper. And I think you got to choose which hats you wanted your name to be in, maybe one or two tops. based on what race you would have preferred. so I think I had put my name in two and it was London for my six star MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: or New York to be able to run it with with Janine. At the time it was the twenty twenty six fall or the twenty seven spring races and then it all changed to the twenty seven races. So I was like, well I can't run it with Janine then. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: but The name stayed in there. And they went through all the races in chronological order and and and Rob got on stage and and got to New York in the first person, I think, didn't answer the bell and wasn't there in person. And then he pulled another name out and he literally physically looked at it and paused and said, I know this guy. And turned and saw me in the crowd and he said, Josh Vernon, you just want to bib to New York. Crowd's like, Bolognae, that's not fair. And yeah, it was a surreal moment. I wasn't running Boston that year and wanted that bib to New York to be able to run with Janine. And and at that moment I was like, it's for twenty seven, but didn't even think about it. At that point, there were eight of us, or seven of us had won, and then they decided to do it all the way backwards, and and then they did seven more. And gave away a total of fourteen. And then at the end of that they're like, We're still not done. And they picked two more. So sixteen people won bibs that day. The MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: last two got to pick which races they wanted to go to. and there was a lot of fanfare behind that and there was a lot of community spirit in City Hall Plaza from people who lost that were still cheering and making way for people MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: to to get there. And it was a poor like it wasn't pouring rain. It was a dreary rainy day in Boston. It wasn't good weather, but everyone was just in such a good mood and and Abbott saw that and they just did another one in in Berlin, but it was surprised. They they gave away two bibs there, on the shakeout run. And then in Chicago it is another one similar to what they did in April in Boston, where they will give away eight bibs announced, eight bibs. if you sign up for Team Abbott and show up to the shakeout run and are there in present and have your name picked. So In the meantime, I had reached out that I talked to them that day and the the guys that run the the Abbott Team Abbott organization are is this group called TSM GI. they're the ones that execute everything for Abbott on the event side. And I reached out to them and and they're like, look, no problem. We can switch that bib from twenty-seven to twenty-six and you can run with your wife. And on top of that, I'm a member of the Gold Club and and MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: they knew that. They're like, look. We know you didn't get your six star this year, but she's going to, and you're gonna be running with her step for step. You can be the one to hand her her medal. So that should be in place in New York as MikeRunsMarathons: Wow. Josh: well. So I'll be able to be in the six star tent as we finish and and be the one to physically medal her as well. so super, super special. We just did our first practice run together. there's some hills outside our house. It MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: was her first run since Berlin. And I ran at the paces she wants me to run at and she followed me and we had a successful little four mile run and we've got twenty-seven days to to be ready for New York and looking forward to it and it's gonna be a magical day. Like I said, coming over that bridge is gonna be super emotional. It's a hard bridge to run over for a lot MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Yes. Josh: of people. And then you add in the fact that she's got that extra meaning behind it. getting into Manhattan's gonna be super, super important. But then I'm gonna have to keep her going. Because there's still a long way to go from from that bridge to the finish line and there's still MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, mile fifteen. Josh: some challenges there. So we'll she's cheered for so many people on that course and up in Harlem where nobody else somebody stole her phone last year. So MikeRunsMarathons: My God. Josh: it's it's gonna be a super special day for her to finally run that race and the fact that she curated as her six star when she got the bib through the virtual lottery and ran the Boston course last year to get this bib. she said I want it to be my sixth R and and she made it happen. Raised a lot of money. MikeRunsMarathons: Incredible. Incredible. I the story for both of those things, the fact that you won that bib, I remember seeing the post of when you got it and you were just like, I cannot believe this. This is absolutely wild. let's go. I'm I'm on that too. I'm as soon as I saw that, I signed up immediately. Josh: Now I'm on the eventbrite for the Chicago one. You can't miss me. It's my picture up on that that cover photo. MikeRunsMarathons: I'm so excited for that. and actually Josh: Yeah. Rob's amazing, by the way, and and if anyone who doesn't get to get to meet him, he is as genuine as you would imagine in person. I always say to him whenever I talk to him, I don't know how he does it, 'cause he doesn't stop. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: Like I literally got a message from him. Their shakeout run was on Saturday in Berlin on Friday night. So now Saturday morning at two thirty in the morning, he sent me a message and we had the shakeout run at nine o'clock. And he's up at two thirty in the morning messaging and it's I don't know how you do what you do, especially those weekends. Like it's crazy the amount of stuff he has to do. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, he's he's always doing something. It's either with with the Bronx team that he runs or w working with Abbott, like all over the world. He I he's everywhere. Josh: Yeah. And now he's doing PD Light stuff and he's still going to go out and try and run a sub two fifty in Chicago. MikeRunsMarathons: That's absolutely and he's and he's part of the board now on New York Roadrunners. Josh: New York Road Runners, yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: He's insane. I met him I met him actually last year at the the Peloton Shake Out run and I got to tell Josh: Yeah, yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: him just like how it's inspiring he is to me. He's supposed to be on my podcast, but we had a whole thing where I was sick and we missed the day and he he's very busy. So Josh: And he's busy. MikeRunsMarathons: like I'm like I understand that you don't respond to me, it's totally fine. Maybe I will be able to tell him in Chicago, be like, Rob, here's my business card. Let's let's actually set something up. Yeah. Josh: You go. You'll you'll see him in Chicago for sure. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: At the big boy. MikeRunsMarathons: Now, last question that I have before we get into the hot seat. and this is kind of just like going back about what this podcast is. So the title of this podcast is At Your Own Pace. What does at your own pace mean to a guy who's built pretty much his entire life now since 2020 inside endurance sports? Like what do you want every single person listening to take from your story today? Josh: There is another gear there, whether you believe it or not. And I it's crazy, like you said, like twenty nineteen Josh would not believe where I'm at now. and I often look back like it it's just crazy to to think about how short of a time frame it has become. But when you are passionate about something and believe in something and have the right mindset, the pace you choose is up to you. And it is going to take you to wherever you want it to go. I am often told that I don't have an off button. my wife says it all the time. Like, I don't know where you get the energy that you got. It's because I'm doing the stuff that I love to do. And I talk about it all the time. And it's just There are so many people and I was one of them who worked to work and and that was it. You punched a clock whether you had one or not. my life changed when I stopped doing that. Period. and and I stopped doing that before I even left that world because I made the decision that this is where I wanna be and Even if you don't have the opportunity to make the same amount of money or have that career trajectory, when you're doing something you believe in and are passionate about, your life is way fuller and way better. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: And I'm not missing out on anything. I just traveled the entire continent of Europe practically in a three-week span and planes, trains, and automobiles, and took my bike along with me the whole way and That was my pace and it wasn't seven years ago. but I decided to shift and and now it is. So really it's just forward is my pace. and I know a lot of people use that and it it's so true. Like I don't look back and I've told you that. I I I I don't wanna change a single thing that has happened in the past because I wouldn't be here right now. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Not even going say anything after that because that's a great segue into whatever the ad's going to be. so this this next section of the podcast, what I call the hot seat. These are just some quick rapid fire questions just to let people know a little bit more about you. Don't think too hard about your answer as we go through them. And I probably know some of the answers to this, but we'll see what if I'm right or wrong. But my first question is trailer road. Josh: Road. MikeRunsMarathons: What is your favorite running shoe brand right now? Josh: E Asics. MikeRunsMarathons: Are you an early runner or a late night runner? Yeah, Josh: Late. MikeRunsMarathons: same. Same here. I envy people who get up early to run. Josh: Yeah, me too. I I don't envy it actually. I love my sleep. It's a it's another thing that I've mastered, sleep. It helps. MikeRunsMarathons: I need to master my sleep 'cause I got an hour and a half last night. Josh: Yeah. Not good. MikeRunsMarathons: now are you on your long runs, do you prefer running them solo or with others? Josh: Solo. It's that's a tough one MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. What is your favorite post? Josh: though. I that one I could elaborate on, but solo. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. What is your fate your favorite post marathon meal? Josh: Big juicy wagu burger. That started in Japan. MikeRunsMarathons: Delicious. See, I wish I had told you guys about there's a steakhouse that we went to in 2024 that I found doing so much searching on Reddit about the best steakhouse in Tokyo. I kid you not, it was literally the greatest thing I've ever eaten in my life. And so good that we went back in 2025 twice and like became friends with the guy who owns the place. I have his phone number and WhatsApp. He was like when we told him we were pregnant at the time. He was like, when you come back the next time and you have your baby, you let me know and we'll bring you back. And so we're when we go back next year, we're gonna bring her. And we I don't even remember what the name of the place is, but I just remember I have a picture of it. And that's all I'm that's all I'm gonna do is try to find it again. but yes. Wag you burgers, wag you anything in Tokyo is incredible. my god, in Japan. on your easy runs, do you prefer music, podcast, or silence? Josh: Hmm. MikeRunsMarathons: I think I know this one. Josh: Easy Easy runs usually silence. I do a lot of running in MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: silence just because of the nature of trathlon in general. I save the music for my celebration runs, which are race day. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. what is the one piece of running gear that you can't live without and you cannot say your shoes? Josh: Socks. Good socks. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Yes, I can't tell you the amount of times that I've ripped up my toes and gotten so many blisters because of my bad socks. Now, besides New York that's coming up with Janine and London next year, which you're gonna get a bid for, do you have a dream race? Josh: So also this weekend is Kona. so I think whether MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: or not I actually race it or not, and and and Mike and I talked about the fact that I've been looking at flights to get there, to cover it as a podcaster, to do some work as a partner, in for Super Try and brands that are there, Kona would be the one to experience the Iron Man World Championships. After being at the half Iron Man World Championships, I would love to experience the Iron Man World Championships. MikeRunsMarathons: And if you could do that Iron Man with anyone, who would it be? Josh: Jan Ferdano probably, the man's a magician, and I actually just got to be on a start line about fifty feet behind him in Berlin. And as he ran his first ever standalone road marathon. Even though he is the Iron Man World Champion multiple times over in his career, he's now retired a couple years. he ran Berlin Marathon to the tune of I'm gonna go out and pace myself to a two twenty-five and he ran a two twenty-three marathon. Thirty-three and I guessed he was gonna run a two twenty-three thirty-two. So I missed by one second on his Instagram contest. So yeah, Yomfordaniel, the what most people call the goat of trathlon. MikeRunsMarathons: That's two twenty three. my God. If I got anywhere close to that, I don't think I would ever shut up about it. my God. now this this next portion is information that I gather from all my guests so I can share with all the other listeners that we have. But the first one is what I call the motivation library. If you could pick one quote, a mantra, or a line that gets you through those tough miles, what would it be? Josh: Don't just do good, do wicked good. I've been living by it and MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: preaching it for a while now. you can make it mean whatever you want, but in my world what that means is we all have a level that we're comfortable at, and that's just doing good. Right? And and that's okay. But if you want to do wicked good, you take it up a notch and you give a little more of yourself to your schoolwork, to your job. to your training, to your kids, MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: to fundraising, to giving back, to volunteering, both sides of it all, do wicked good and take it to that next level. MikeRunsMarathons: I love that. I love that. Now I know you can't listen to headphones during an Iron Man, but next year when you run London and you're crossing you Buckingham Palace, you see the finish line, what song would you want blasting through your headphones? Josh: Anything by Armin Van Buren, which is pretty much my playlist in Berlin, anyways. blah blah blah is one of my favorite songs of all time. MikeRunsMarathons: Okay. Josh: so if you haven't had a chance to listen to it, I run very high cadence, which is MikeRunsMarathons: Me too. Josh: also why I love ASICs because those MetaSpeed Edges are made for MikeRunsMarathons: Yes. Josh: high cadence runners. There's not many shoes that focus on us heel-striking high cadence runners. but I run a lot. I've become a huge EDM fan because it runs high cadence. And I ran Berlin when I look back, I think I was at 186 cadence for the first 15 miles and 182 coming in. So pretty high cadence even at the slower pace that I rang MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: for the last twelve miles or so. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, I'm also a fast cadence runner and I have I think I have every color of the A6 MetaSpeed Tokyo. I just got the blue one. I'm trying Josh: I need the new blue, the powder blue. MikeRunsMarathons: to figure out actually if I want to run it, if I want to run Chicago in that, or if I want to run it in the Audios Pro 5. Josh: Yeah. MikeRunsMarathons: I'm not sure. I'm afraid with the Audios Pro Five because of the outsole. I've already got some areas that have ripped a little bit. but I mean that speed edge just never let me down. And plus it matched my outfit. Josh: No, and I keep going back to I ran the MikeRunsMarathons: I know. Josh: half Iron Man World Champs I did in the Hokus Cielo. and I felt good in them, but I was like, it's not a full. And MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: a lot of people have trouble with that shoe at the full. And I was like, I'm going back to the Meta Speeds. I had both of them with me and MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah. Josh: I've made sure. And the edges look, I had a good day for somebody who was not trained for that pace. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: 704 is what I averaged on the day, and that's about what my coach thought I was capable of. And that was after fourteen, fifteen miles of being fifteen, twenty seconds ahead of that. So I could have run MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, that's that's Josh: a much smarter race and come home with the PR, but I have no qualms at the way it went. MikeRunsMarathons: Yeah, I wouldn't either. yeah, I've I ran when I did those two races back to back, I ran I think the Ten Miler in the Meta Speed Edge, and then I ran the Half Marathon in the Sockening Dorphin Elite Three. I really like those shoes, but I keep going back to those Meta Speed Edges. Josh: I have that one as well. MikeRunsMarathons: I love them. I just can't find something that's that's as good. now these last two questions are kind of about the essence of this podcast and about the essence of Why we do what we do. Because endurance runners, especially people who do triathlons, Ironmans, Marathons, we're seen as, far out there because of the things that we do, because Josh: Crazy people. MikeRunsMarathons: they're not normal. Now as much as we like to think that they are because we are so involved in them, n the vast majority of the population does not run 26.2 miles. But run it, what has running given you that you didn't expect when you first started? Josh: It's giving me my community of friends and family. that look the other thing I didn't come home with from the Virgin Islands was f a group of friends and and people that I would be able to tap into. There were very few of those at that point. And I had Janine, I had my daughter, I had my immediate family. MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: running became and and the Peloton community became those friends and are to this day the people that I trust and keep close to me and and and want to talk to when I have questions. and that's what running has meant to me. It it it also is the opportunity for me to to Do the things I'd like to do in a peaceful mindset and and go for those runs. Now I love to run, and we talked about that, I'd love to run on my own because I have specific training that I'd like to do and have been asked to do by my coach. I also don't want to miss a shakeout run. And and and I got the opportunity to do one of my long runs in this block with somebody in Chicago who was at a higher level than me and he chose to come down and and run with me on that day. And I was forever grateful for that. and I and I love to do the same thing and and give back and and go on long runs with people when I'm not in a a hardcore training block. And right now I'm not. I can go out and pace that marathon in December to a three twenty five, no problem with the fitness that I have right now. I can run New York City with my wife and and enjoy being a part of the community for the next month or two. and I'm really looking forward to that. MikeRunsMarathons: That's awesome. Yeah, running has given me so many things that I never expected it to give. And that's one of the things one of the reasons I started this podcast was because so many people focus on, the health aspect or the fact that you get faster and that, you know, you you become this this speedy runner and things like that, which doesn't necessarily happen. But I always like to talk about the things that it gives you outside of the physical aspect, the mental clarity. The aha moments, the transformations that happen internally rather than externally. And the things that come from the outside world into your life because of running. And I wouldn't have met you if it had not been for running, if it'd not not been for Peloton and things like that. and so I'm I'm always really grateful for the sport. Now, my last question for you though is pretty ambiguous. So I apologize for this. But try to answer it the best you can. Why do you run? Josh: It is something that I have chosen to allow to be that challenge and and keeps me accountable. I when I got injured in college, it's because I didn't have practice every day. And I was like, Well, what am I gonna do? I'm gonna go out and party with my friends and drink. Now the day I got hurt, I actually was the one D Ding. It wasn't even drinking and MikeRunsMarathons: Mm. Josh: and but I had all this free time. And I don't work well with free time. And and I say the same thing to my daughter who's now in college. Like she's gonna be the same way if she has free MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: time. And now she's doing activities that she's never or wanted to do, but didn't think she'd do in college and then she's still doing and and she's MikeRunsMarathons: Mm-hmm. Josh: staying busy. So running keeps me busy. but I love to do it just because it also is something that at this age, forty eight, Going on 49, I feel like I haven't hit my peak yet. And to be able to at this point test where that peak may be is really, really fun and really, really cool. And have an opportunity to inspire people, which like is insane. that I do. And without running, I don't do that. I I have a lot of talk. but running actually gets me the opportunity to put in the work, show up. And continue to try. And and if that inspires somebody else to get out there and lay some up, that's awesome. MikeRunsMarathons: I love that. I love that. Josh, I really want to thank you for everything today, for your honesty, for the energy, for showing up the way that you did today, being so honest and open about your sobriety, talking about how running has and and and triathlons and Ironmans have have changed your life and given you so much more than what you expected. and this was exactly the conversation that I really hoped that it'd be. your proof that the endurance sport can be more than something you do. It can be the thing that rebuilds you and the thing that you build a career around. then the thing that you can build a sober life around. And also the thing that you can give back to through every race, whether it's charity or pacing people, things like that. the podcast that you have, every mic, every fundraising dollar that you raise. everyone listening, if you do not follow Josh, which I don't understand why you're not, if you're listening to this, his username is Josh Vernon and all one word, and make sure you you subscribe to his podcast and other triathlon lab podcasts, follow his road. To New York, to London next year when he finishes his six-star journey. Make sure you support team longevity when he starts raising money for them, or join them if you want to raise money for a a good cause. And if you need a coach who gets what it means who really understands what it means to live this sport from every single angle. Not just running, but swimming, biking, he is the best person to call. and no, no, no, no, no. You got proven track records, man. I've seen the things that you do with your Josh: After Mike. After Mike. MikeRunsMarathons: athletes. It's wild. but Josh, it was it was incredible speaking to you today. I'm excited to see you in New York. good luck in New York. I can't wait to see how the bid that you get in in London. Definitely let me know when that happens. And you know, keep showing up the way that you do because you make a difference in the community. You've told me. You've seen the people. You've had them reach out to you. The whole and diet and the whole entire endurance community is better because you're in it. and to you know, to everyone listening, thank you so much for you know, every minute that you spend listening to this podcast. Whatever you're chasing right now, I want you to keep showing up for it. One mile, one stroke, one pedal, one day at a time, at your own pace. And we will see you next time. Thank you. Thank you. Josh: Thanks, Mike. MikeRunsMarathons: Josh, I could have spoken to you for another two hours, brother. That was a conversation that I'm going to carry with me for a long time. What I keep coming back to is how deliberate your life is. The sobriety, the coaching, the podcast, the career at Super Try, the training block ahead to Nice, and then also the people that uplift you along the way. And now running the New York City marathon with your wife to help her finish her six-star journey. None of this is by accident. All of it is chosen. Every single day, and you put in the effort and the hard work day by day by day, hour by hour. And I see it every single day on social media and how you inspire others. You remind every person listening, including me, that endurance sport is not just about what we do on race day, it is about the person we decide to become on all the days that nobody is watching. And you are proof. Again, everyone, go find Josh on Instagram at Josh Vernon. Subscribe to another triathlon pipe. Subscribe to another triathlon podcast and follow his road to Boston now because he's running New York City Marathon, because he's running the New York City Marathon this weekend. And then he'll be training for Boston to go as hard as possible. And make sure you support team longevity. And if you need a coach who gets what it means to live the sport from every angle, make sure to shoot him a message. Keep going, Josh. We are all in your corner. But that's a wrap on this episode of At Your Own Pace. Huge thanks to you, Josh, for showing up and sharing your story. This show does not exist without guests like you, and it does not exist without listeners like you either. If this episode moved you, pushed you, made or made you, or made you want to lace up and get out the door, just do me a favor. Share it with another runner in your life. Leave a quick review, hit that follow button so you never miss a story, and then come find me on social media at at Mike's at at Mike's. At Mike Runs Marathons, all one word, where the conversation keeps going all week long. To all my runners heading to New York City this weekend, I see you. I am proud of you. Stay close because we are not done. NYC Marathon Week is in full swing, and I have more surprise episodes dropping before Sunday. So keep an eye out on your feed. The best is still coming. Until next time, keep showing up. Keep chasing the miles that matter. And remember, this is your race and run it. at your own pace. I'll see ya soon. Bye.