Episode · Feb 18, 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
From Public Failure to World Record
with Truett Hanes
Truett Hanes is a competitive runner who runs races in jeans for charity and holds a Guinness World Records pull-up record.
“You got to get your chin over the bar. It's just there's no way to cheat it.”
Summary
Truett Hanes explains why he sometimes races in jeans and how sales help support the Miracle Foundation. He and Ken compare their early running stories, then discuss online criticism and Hanes's decision to train again after falling short on a pull-up record attempt. Hanes first stopped around 4,100 reps, then returned after six months of preparation and completed 10,000. He also recalls being pushed into running by his father, completing a marathon at 13, and stepping away from the sport for years.
Later, Hanes describes a 1:06 half marathon and a 2:29 marathon as he considers the Olympic Trials standard. He discusses weekly mileage, weight, diet, sleep, and the limits of training data. He and Ken revisit difficult finishes in Berlin and at CIM, then talk about sauna, heat, running in jeans, and their New York and Boston marathons. Ken recalls winning the New York Masters division at 51. Hanes says many people now doubt his Olympic Trials goal, and Ken points out that he has posted every run to Strava since 2012.
Show notes
Truett Hanes is the kind of athlete who makes people uncomfortable, not because he's loud, but because he's willing to commit in public. He says the goal out loud. He posts the work. He shows the misses. And he keeps moving anyway.
This episode isn't about a highlight reel. It's about the part most people avoid: what happens when you swing big and come up short, in front of everyone. Truett talks about learning humility the hard way, taking the hit, and choosing to return to the work instead of protecting his image.
We also get into the stuff that reveals who he is when nobody's clapping: why he runs races in jeans, how he's used that attention to support a mission bigger than himself, and how he tries to respond to hate without becoming the same thing he's fighting.
Then we zoom out. The real thread running through all of it is simple: Truett is obsessed with one question: "What am I actually capable of if I stop negotiating with myself?" That question is taking him into the deep end of marathon training, and it's the same question that's shaped his whole life: discipline, faith, restraint, and a willingness to be the underdog as long as it takes.
Transcript
Made from YouTube's automatic captions and lightly corrected, so a few words and names may be off. Click a time to play the video from there.
Ken Rideout
All right, Truett Hanes, welcome to the show.
Truett Hanes
Yeah, dude. Thanks for having me on.
Ken Rideout
Thanks for coming, man. My favorite competitive runner. I almost called you a run influencer and then I realized, no, this guy is actually a real runner.
Truett Hanes
There we go. Yeah, I'm finally getting some cred.
Ken Rideout
I think the next time I see you, probably this time next year, you'll have on one of those um like NASCAR looking uniforms with all your different sponsors on it.
Truett Hanes
Heck yeah. Now, having ketone ketones, one of them right here. So,
Ken Rideout
Homage to ketones. Actually, I'm going to have a ketone cuz I like the caffeinated ones.
Shout out to Jamie a ketone. IQ.
Truett Hanes
The grape flavor is great.
Ken Rideout
CEO Mikey Brand is a great runner, too. Have you run with him?
Truett Hanes
I've never Well, I ran on the treadmill with him um down in LA.
Ken Rideout
Yeah,
Truett Hanes
I did their show, The Fast Ones. But um No, he's a great runner. I think he ran 235 at Chicago and then he just ran a half marathon. I think 545 per mile.
Ken Rideout
Damn.
Truett Hanes
I forget. I think it's like Yeah. 115.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
So, yeah, pretty good clip.
Ken Rideout
Computer science major at Stanford.
Truett Hanes
Jeez.
Ken Rideout
So, he's a dummy, too.
Yeah. Well, man, I'm so excited to talk to you. I uh seriously I admire you a lot. I love the way you like embrace the hate that you get on social media. And I think it's interesting that people
Truett Hanes
I didn't know that I got any hate.
Ken Rideout
Oh, well, good. Don't read the comments. But I think it's funny because like I talk to my wife about this stuff all the time. I'm like, can you I can't understand why these people don't like this guy. It reeks of jealousy. I'm like, he's handsome, he's muscular, he's fast. It just seems to [ __ ] irreck people.
Truett Hanes
I And I'm so humble, too. People don't realize that, but I'm so humble. No, I'm just kidding. Um, but I don't know what it is. Um, you know, sometimes you can put a target on your back. Like I think even before the show, you just said that like I run in jeans and whatnot. It's like
That can rub people the wrong way because they think whatever like whatever reason I'm doing it for, I'm trying to get attention and and I am to a certain extent for like the perfect gene. They help raise money for me. I I don't know if that's ever been conveyed, but um they raise money for the Miracle Foundation, which is actually based out of Austin. And then so like when a pair of jeans is sold, a portion of that is donated to the Miracle Foundation, which helps kids find families like all over the world.
So it's like, you know, I kind of use that as like a marketing tactic, but also I just kind of enjoy it because it's it's funny.
Ken Rideout
I definitely didn't know that. I just assume like when I see that I go, "Wow, this guy's brilliant. He must be getting paid a bundle from that GAN company." That's honestly that's what I thought,
Truett Hanes
Right? Yeah. No, it's um they're a great company. They're actually out here filming it. Um me running tomorrow because I am going to run the marathon tomorrow in jeans.
Ken Rideout
Oh my god.
Truett Hanes
But no, it's it's really for we've raised it's going to be $40,000 raised since last April. I ran the Boston Marathon in jeans and then so it's been yeah $40,000 with a goal of 100,000. So, I mean, like I said, it's 10% of sales get donated to this foundation and I mean, they have they have a goal of like getting rid of orphanages all together and just being able to reconnect these kids with a loving family. That's all that it comes down to. So,
Ken Rideout
That's incredible. I have an adopted daughter from Ethiopia and when we went to the orphanage,
One of the things that they make you do when you do an international adoption is do all the paperwork in advance. So, there's no there's absolutely no way you can get there and be like, I'll take all the kids. cuz when you get there, you're like, I'll take every single kid here cuz there's a lot of older kids. We had a new we adopted a newborn baby.
But you get there and you're like, "F it. I'll take them all." But they set it up the way they do, I think, because of that. But yeah, orphanage is not a nice place.
Truett Hanes
Well, we were just talking to Caroline. She is the founder of the Miracle Foundation. Today we did the Shakeout run and she was saying she went to India because that's where a lot of the work is based out of. And the kids, there was like hundreds of kids in this orphanage and they had wooden beds.
Yep. So like they couldn't believe that kids were just living like this. And then so that's like when she had the calling to to make sure that she could help as much as possible. But it's like we don't even realize how great we have it here. And like kids, they don't have anyone. They don't have anyone that cares for them. And then so yeah, I remember hearing you talk to Rich Roll, I think, just about your daughter. And I thought it was amazing cuz you know it it's the foundation does a lot of similar work to that.
Try to find a loving family for these kids. So
Ken Rideout
Yeah, I can't talk too much about it. I'll start getting emotional. And I know if I start crying, Cam is going to make fun of me.
Truett Hanes
That sounds like my dad. So yeah,
Ken Rideout
People like I got to tell you like Rich Roll and your dad and all these people that have that have used their platform to give a guy like me an opportunity to tell my story. Like I was a [ __ ] dead dog loser, drug addict in my in my late 30s. Like just behaving like a complete mediocre piece of crap. Yeah. And then I started taking accountability for myself. But I never had intention like of any run goals ever. I was running just to literally like stay sober.
And as I started to progress, it was so heartwarming for first rich role, but then for your dad to have me on. And for them, they're probably like, "Oh, it's an interesting story. Who cares?" But for me, it changed my life. Like I have a book coming out in a month that's like
They think is going to be on the bestsellers list.
Published by Simon and Schustster. The pre-orders have been incredible. It's and but I owe it to like guys like Rich and your dad who have this huge platform that are like let me tell stories about guys like us that are just grinding who are just regular guys until they decided I'm not going to be regular anymore.
Truett Hanes
Right. And then so that was a decision that you made is like to not be regular but like did you have a a history in running at all? Like
Ken Rideout
Zero. I played football and hockey in college. Neither very good but I was like you know I was athletic. So, I had run a 330 marathon like with a little bit of training, but I didn't know how to run necessarily. So, I I didn't have two left feet, but I was never a runner. Like,
Truett Hanes
How old were you when you ran the 330?
Ken Rideout
In my 30s.
Truett Hanes
Okay. Yeah.
Ken Rideout
So, like, you know, right in the midst of like my addiction, early days of addiction, started I would get sober, then I'd get back on the drugs. Yeah.
And um when I got sober in 2010, started doing triathlons, I was doing well. I did Iron Man in Hawaii three times, the world championships. But when we had our fourth child, we moved to LA and we moved to um Santa Monica Mountains in Pacific Palisades and that's where I just started running in the trails every day, 10 miles minimum with 1,200 ft of elevation gain. Like I got strong, right?
You know, people ask me all the time, oh, should I get a coach? And I'm like, well, what's your marathon time? And they were like, uh, 340. And I'm like, well, I got a coach when I ran 233. You can progress so much by yourself if you just if you just show up every day like with the intention of getting better and just logging those miles. Like people throw in the towel before they even get started.
I did this all just by running a ton. I ran 10 miles every day and for 10 weeks prior to a marathon I'd do a 20 mileer.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
And when I got to 233 I couldn't break through. I ran 233 234 235 and then I hired a coach Mario Freyoli in Sacramento and then first race I had him I ran 228 at CIM.
Truett Hanes
Okay. Yeah. So, that's a great course. That's a great course. I just ran 22949 there.
And I was hoping for a better time, but it's
Marathons are tough, man.
Ken Rideout
It's experience, man. You're You're still like relatively new to marathoning. It takes a I think it takes a lot of experience, and you learn something new every single race about fueling, about pacing in particular. Every single time that I've run sub 230
About five or six times,
Mhm. It's either been like within seconds first half and second half or a slightly negative split. The second half is faster. Anytime I run through the halfway under 114 disaster
Truett Hanes
Really.
Ken Rideout
I just couldn't get it right. But when I would manage my effort, oh my god, when there's nothing better than racing the last 5 miles of a marathon versus surviving.
Truett Hanes
Oh gosh. I know. I hate surviving. And that's that's typically what it turns into sometimes. But like the Boston Marathon, I remember that's the first time I've ever felt good finishing a marathon. I felt strong and I was like, "This is a new feeling."
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
But when you ran that 228, was your top end speed like were you training around like a 5minute pace at all? Or
Ken Rideout
You know what's funny? When I would do even now when I do training runs, I look at the splits that I'm running in training and can't even fathom that I ran as fast as I did in a race. When I got down to 233 and the and I started working with a coach and he was like, "All right, we're going to do mile repeats on like 510 pace." I was like, "Dude, I don't think I can do that." And I never could in training.
Then I'd run uh 5k at like 514 pace and I was like, "Holy [ __ ] I can't." It's just I don't know in a race I just get another gear and it's just holding on.
Truett Hanes
It it brings it out of you for sure. But I mean, what I've kind of always thought was if I can just have the effort of a race, not so much like focus on the actual pace, then I think that's like that's maybe more important than making sure you're hitting it on your watch. But I mean, this time around, this is the best shape I've ever been in. I've lost since CIM, I was 164 and now I'm I was 152 when I left here. Yeah. So that's
So two months I've lost like 12 lbs and not really. I don't think I've I've lost like anything that would keep me from being a good runner. You know, like some of the muscle's gone away, but muscle that isn't really making me a better runner. So, I'm very curious to see how tomorrow goes.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. You know who I think about when I think about changing their body and for specific goals is Nick Bear.
Nick Bear. That dude will lose like 20 30 pounds of muscle, do a do an Iron Man, then he'll do a bodybuilding show two years later. Like, I love his attitude.
Truett Hanes
Some people would call him a hybrid athlete,
Ken Rideout
Dude. He lives it. and he's got a successful business. He's just like I I love everything he does, but he's another one that gets hate every time he does an event and I'm just like gh give it a rest. Like
Truett Hanes
I know
Ken Rideout
When if you're a grown man leaving shitty comments for someone, I just wonder like what's going on in your life. If when I see someone that I'm like oh look at this [ __ ] I hate him. I'm just like let me keep scrolling. I don't even want to expose myself as being a hater.
Truett Hanes
Sure. Just hate to yourself.
I think that's because you have a healthy mind um and you're a normal person. The these guys don't. So, it's it's hard to understand where they're coming from. But I always we were just talking about it before this, but I can either sometimes handle it really well, I think, and then other times not so much, you know, because
I'll be honest, there's like a certain level of like the [ __ ] you motivation that I just absolutely thrive on. I'm like, "Oh man, you guys don't know what you're doing for me right now." Like, it is it's making me that much stronger.
But then I I go I have a internal battle between that and I'm like, "You don't think I can do this? watch me.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
You know, like I'm I'm gonna make sure that I do it now and I want you to watch every second of it. It's going to drive you crazy. Then there's another part of me that I'm like I need to not allow myself to be controlled by my emotions and especially like hate cuz in anger it's like it's not really the healthiest way of going about things a lot of the times. And it's like the verse, I think it's Proverbs 15:1, but a gentle word uh turns away anger and then a harsh word stirs up wrath.
Ken Rideout
Y
Truett Hanes
And then so it's like you can either meet that anger with anger from yourself and then who knows where that's going to go. It's just going to blow up. Or you can just meet it with, you know, like, hey man, I don't know. Um, you know, you just you almost kind of rise above it and you're like, I I hope you just figure out whatever's going on in your life. And then um and and maybe they can be inspired by that and uh the fact that you didn't meet them with anger, maybe they can, you know, figure out whatever the heck's going on in their life.
But
Ken Rideout
Yeah,
Truett Hanes
I battle I battle with it for sure.
Ken Rideout
Well, I always say when people say nasty things, I'm like, you realize that this comment says more about you than me.
Truett Hanes
Oh, yeah.
Ken Rideout
I'm just sharing what I'm doing. And I mean,
I I'm I the guy I have a guy who helps me with social media. He's like, let's post this clip. I'm like, no way. I'm like, "Dude, we're going to get trolled like crazy." And I'm too much of an insecure [ __ ] to like put it up there. I'm like, "Nah, I don't want to do it." And he's like, "Come on, people will like it." He's like, "Even if it gets hate, it's like attention." I go, "I don't want negative attention. Like my psyche can't handle it."
Truett Hanes
Yeah, I know. It It is a really tough balance because social media, it's like controversy sells, you know? So, like if you want to get engagement, followers, maybe like allowing people to hate on you is a good way to get there, but it never feels good. No.
Ken Rideout
The one thing that makes me believe in you more than anything is the way that you went about the pull-up contest because you tried to set the record and like failed pretty miserably.
Like you weren't even close. And I'm like, how do you go home and be like, [ __ ] I didn't even What' you get about halfway there?
Truett Hanes
Yeah. So that was when the record was 8,08 and I did 4,100. Yeah. 4,000 short.
Ken Rideout
H like I got to the halfway of the marathon and couldn't finish. Like I understand if you got like 23 miles and collapse like but the fact that you went away regrouped and came back and did it is crazy to me.
Truett Hanes
Well, it's like you want to run a 2-hour marathon like you're you're laced up and you're telling everyone, "Yeah, I'm going to go and set the world record and then you don't even finish halfway." So, it's like
Not even close, not even in the realm of possibility. And then people are like, "This guy's an absolute clown." Like, he has no idea what he's talking about. And I felt every bit of that. And I was like, man, maybe I am just a freaking loser. Like, who knows? Because I had my wife convinced that, you know, I had trained hard enough. I didn't really train at all, but I was like, I can just bust this out.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
There was like a certain level of arrogance there. But, and I think she believed in me so much because I did a 100 mileer without training at all. Like,
I was just walking my dog a mile a day and I was like, I'm going to sign up for this 100 mileer and just do it.
It was torture, but I finished it. Took me like 32 hours. So, she was kind of thinking, she's like, I mean, maybe you have what it takes. Yeah, I believe in you. And then so when the wheel started to come off and I was like, "Oh shit." Like my arm started to cramp, I could hardly get my chin over the bar and I was only halfway there. Then I had to announce to everyone on the live stream and in person. I was like, "It's not going to happen today."
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
That was pretty crushing. You know, I felt like I let everyone down because honestly, I did.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
You don't really know that until you put yourself in that position. Then you're like,
"Oh [ __ ] I'm not even close. let's make myself into the person that can succeed and do this though.
And so it's just back to the drawing board and that's what I put in the work necessary for the next 6 months.
Then I did 8100 and I was able to get the record. So
So crazy
Ken Rideout
That that feeling though when you fail and so miserably and then you you what I tend to do is like think oh my god I'm I've let people down. I'm so embarrassed and then I realize like why am I embarrassed? This is a goal I set for myself. It's not for someone else. Like I did the high rocks in Boston. I did a high rocks in New York and did like 110 in the pro division. I was like, "Dude, I can win this whole thing. I can be in the top 15 guys easy.
I didn't even train for this. Then I trained hard for Boston and I sucked at the wall balls in general." And when I got to the wall balls at Boston, I don't know what the f happened to me. I just completely fell apart. It did like 123 and I was like, I'm going to win this whole thing,
Dude. I was so embarrassed. I was like slinking out of there. Like I just didn't want They were like, you know, the Hyrox team, their video team was like, "How's it going? Ken, I'm like, I'm feeling good. I'm ready to crush. I like limped out of the like with my tail between my legs, like humiliated. Yeah.
But it also made me think like, you can't be ar anytime I feel like I'm going to crush, it never goes well.
Truett Hanes
Although, I will say you put yourself out there. So many people talk [ __ ] and they're like, "Oh man, I can crush this and you know, I'm the greatest athlete you've ever seen." And then they never actually try. Yeah.
You know, so like I do have a
Respect for you putting yourself out there and you found out that you know, it's tougher than you thought. But no, I mean, you got to be willing to try.
Ken Rideout
Yeah,
Truett Hanes
That that's all that it is. I mean, I have a hat on diet trying, so it's like
Ken Rideout
Yeah, I feel that.
Truett Hanes
Yeah, you got to be willing to try and then you can make corrections after you've tried. But yeah, until then, it's just, you know, you can be the baddest person in the world in your own head. Everyone is. It's like, okay, lace up and let's see.
Ken Rideout
I don't think everyone is. I I think most people in their head are like, "Please don't please don't call on me. Please let me like not get noticed."
Truett Hanes
Sure. Yeah. Maybe they put on a facade a little, but yeah. No, it's I don't know. I mean, for me, it's I always just want to see what I'm capable of. So, you know, I I think highly of my abilities in the sense that I think I can achieve if I put in the same amount of work as like these elites. Yep.
Like, I don't see why I couldn't be there.
Ken Rideout
I listen, you don't have to convince me. I look at those guys though when I when I'm training and people are like, "You should take a rest day. You should do this. You should do that." But I'm like, I'm training at the peak. I might get a 100 mile weeks for a marathon, a couple weeks max. And people like, oh, you're really training too much. I'm like, the winners are running 140 m a week. Like, why are you a coach? Like, it blows my mind when people offer advice.
You know that expression, don't take advice from people who aren't doing the things that you want to do.
Truett Hanes
I'm like, why are you perfectly? Yeah. Just leave me alone. Like,
Well, it comes down to like the fight for your limitations and they're yours type of deal. And it's like, dude, people will talk themselves out of even trying
And competing. But for me, with announcing the Olympic trials goal, it was like like all the information you need to know is out there.
If you're just willing to put in the work, a lot of people are capable. Not a lot of people are willing, but I'm willing to put in the amount of work that's necessary. The 100 mile weeks, I'll do it for a year. And I just want to see where I land. Maybe my genetics can only get me to like a 219 or something. You know, that's what a lot of people tell me. They're like, "You don't have the top end speed. You've never showed any promise.
Ken Rideout
How fast do they know if people tell me?" I mean,
Truett Hanes
Well, they looked at my high school times and they're convinced that like, "Oh, you've never showed any promise. Like, what would make you believe?" And I was like, "Dude, I would show up in high school. I would show up, get in shape, but not run at all all year long. Get in shape cross country season, and as soon as uh cross country season ended, I wouldn't run again until next year."
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
So, like, I've never even been consistent. I have no idea what I'm capable of, but I'm willing to find out.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. Neither do the people who are telling you that, but like go back to like high school. So, you did run cross country in high school.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Uh cross country and track. Yeah. And then so like the off seasons between those I would just I would be in the gym just trying to put on muscle.
Ken Rideout
Did you play any other sport? What's just running?
Truett Hanes
Just running because my dad wanted me to. So I had zero I had zero want.
I think I enjoyed it. I ran my first marathon when I was 13.
Yep. So, I did the Eugene Marathon and I did 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Ken Rideout
Wow.
Truett Hanes
So,
Ken Rideout
13. That's crazy.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. And I was I was probably like four 47 in like 60 lbs. Like I was a tiny tiny kid. I was always the smallest kid in class.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
But I could kind of grind it out, you know, just like I think my dad running with us.
We put in more work than everyone else, so I could kind of just, you know, shut my brain off and just get the miles done. Yeah.
And so in the seventh grade is when I did that marathon. Um, you had to be 16 to run it. My dad like forged my age and
Ken Rideout
Crazy.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. So, I was 13 and then you had to be 16, ran it anyway. And during that time, I was on the track team um, seventh grade doing homework and whatever during the week and then uh, on the basketball team as well and then training for the marathon on the weekend. So, just kind of like my entire life. It's been like that my entire life kind of.
Yeah. Even in college when I tried to get in shape to qualify for Boston cuz I stopped running immediately after high school. I was like
Ken Rideout
Where'd you go to school?
Truett Hanes
Uh University of Oregon.
Ken Rideout
Oh, cool.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. So,
Ken Rideout
You want to run track there?
Truett Hanes
No. Well, that's what I had zero I was just so burnt out on the whole thing. Like in high school, I was like
I just wanted to be muscular cuz I was a tiny kid all my life and I was like, you know, finally going through puberty.
I don't think I'd had any armpit hair until I was like a junior in high school. I was just such a late bloomer. Yeah.
And then I started to hit the gym and I was like I think I benched 185 in like junior year and I was like this is going to be my path to success. I was like I'm going to get so jacked and
Ken Rideout
Interesting.
Truett Hanes
I I just so running was on the back burner, you know, I just didn't care. But then in college, you know, I got it back a little. I was like, I want to see if I can like qualify for Boston. So I ran a 257 in college. Just train with my dad like a few times a week.
Then hit a 257.
Ken Rideout
That's crazy.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. That was with, you know, I would work on the weekends. It's like three days a week at the meat department, local grocery store, go to college during the week, uh go to the gym every single day, and then run a couple times a week with my dad, and then so I've just always kind of been used to like just putting in a lot of work, and then so now that I'm completely focused on just running, now it's time to see how good I can get at that.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. And were you did you hunt a lot with your dad when you were kids?
Truett Hanes
I I did until like about 13 and then I just I hated it. Because, you know, I'm I'm sure you could kind of get a sense maybe with my dad. Um, and maybe you're kind of like that with your kids, but like there's a certain level of intensity that can either
It makes you better for sure. Like as a kid, I can look back on it and respect it, but getting yelled at or getting pushed like um hunting it. It's just like waking up early,
Logging a bunch of miles, like walking through the hills and mountains, it's just like it wasn't fun. Yeah. So, I was like, as soon as I got a chance, I was like, I'm good.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. No, listen that my kids don't run with me because
I'm like hyperconscious cuz my dad was really into sports and like was always pushing and I've been hyperconscious of that and didn't want to feel like I'm living vicariously through my own kids. So, as a result, I probably don't push them hard enough. I mean, I encourage them, but it definitely comes across like you're describing. They're like, "No, no, no. My dad is like if you if you're going to like they would say if you're going to do something with my dad like you have to be all in.
You have to have the the right equipment. You have to take it seriously. You don't just halfass it.
So I try to stay watch from as far away as possible cuz even at the like my little guy plays well they they all play tackle football, but I'm like
I don't care what happens out there. There's nothing stopping you from being the hardest the person trying the hardest. cuz we can watch the game and be like, "That guy's trying harder than everyone." That should be your goal cuz that's the only thing you can control.
Truett Hanes
That That's exactly what my dad would say, too. Yeah. Is like he just he wanted us to give our best effort always. But, you know, I I think there's a certain level of pressure that comes with that. Maybe just like my dad wanting me to give my best effort is I would always be like checking over my shoulder like during a basketball game is like if you feel like you kind of made a mistake, you're like, "Uh oh, does my dad approve?" Yes.
And then, you know, I never really played relax because of that.
Ken Rideout
That's right. And I think that's what I do with my kids.
Truett Hanes
Yep.
Ken Rideout
I hate it because I don't want to and I'm like, "Oh, I don't know how to like turn it off."
Truett Hanes
Yeah. It's just because you care obviously and then I can think back on that now and and realize it, but I always played my best games when he wasn't there. I was just, you know, like I would be like, I had like 25 points this game and it was like my dad was out of town. It's because the mistakes, you don't feel them. You don't feel like you're letting someone down, I guess.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. My kids ran their first race ever today.
Truett Hanes
Oh, really?
Ken Rideout
In Nashville while I wasn't there. All of them.
She's like, "I'm going to sign them up for a race the weekend you're in um Austin." And I was like, "Oh, okay. I I understand."
Cuz for them, they're like,
You know, they one of them said, "If we don't win, dad's going to be so upset." And I'm like,
"I don't win most of the races that I run. Matter of fact, I usually don't win."
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
But they did it and they were super happy. So it it I like when they do things like that when I'm not there cuz like you said when I'm there they feel a tremendous pressure. My littlest guy he's new to wrestling. Dude, wrestling is a hard sport for a parent if you know for
Truett Hanes
Oh yeah.
Ken Rideout
He's out there oneon-one and he had he wrestled in like a beginner's tournament, did really well, pinned two guys, got pinned once, and then he went to a real tournament. It was so hard to watch because he just got [ __ ] bundled. He got like curled up and pinned the first match and he comes off and every kid that lost cried like all the kids. So he comes off and he's like all torn up and
He's like, "I'm leaving. I don't want to do this anymore." And I'm like, "Buddy, there's a there's five matches going on at once. There's hundreds of kids here. There's a winner and a loser every single match,
Truett Hanes
Right?
Ken Rideout
No one loses and leaves.
We have to like figure this out. We can't leave." It took me like an hour. Like I convinced him. My wife helped me convince him to go back right in time for him to for the next match to get pinned again.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
And thank God that was the end. But he was like he was not happy. And it was more cuz he was embarrassed and he lost in front of me cuz I was like dude he does jiu-jitsu. I'm like you get tapped in jiu-jitsu like multiple times a thing but by girls. There's like it's competitive. You can't be the best if you're afraid to lose.
Truett Hanes
Sure.
Ken Rideout
But it's man it's so hard. He wants so bad to be the best. And it's just
Truett Hanes
Well, it it's a good life lesson I think. Very good.
Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I think that, you know, there's a certain level of like your parents need to look out for you there and be like, "No, listen, like you're going to regret this and this is good character building." And then there can also be a level of like too much pressure for kids to handle. I don't know. It's
I'm not a dad yet, so I don't know.
Ken Rideout
I would tell you it is much harder than you think it is because you have in your mind how your kids are going to be, right? You imagine, oh, my kids are going to be running with me. They're going to do this. And then they're like, I don't want to run. I want to play Roblox. And I'm like, what? And and I just learned to like kind of let it go. But that's the one good thing about my own running is like I have my own outlet.
Like I know how to be competitive. I don't have to like worry about my kids winning to feel satisfaction. I can do my own physical challenges.
Truett Hanes
Sure.
Ken Rideout
The other thing that I'll say is through the work that I've done, it's provided my kids with a source of pride that their friends follow me on social media and they like me and and like my oldest son, I was dropping him at a party. Like my daughter would be like, "Dad, can you drop me off down the block?" Like I'm like, "Why are you why?" I'm like, "Why? [clears throat] I'm a cool dad. Why don't you?" But she's just like, "No, no, no. She's 15." My oldest son is like, "Dad, can you come in and uh meet the guy's parents?
My buddies want to say hi to you." And I'm like,
My my proudest moment as a dad that my friends that my kids' friends like me.
Truett Hanes
Sure. No, there's a certain level. I mean, every kid I think when you're growing up, too, it's like if you're the fastest kid in class, you got a certain level of pride.
Yes. So, if your dad's like the fastest dad of all the dads, you got to be like, you guys got to meet him.
Ken Rideout
That's exactly right.
Ken Rideout
My dad growing up, I think he really wanted to make sure that he got us ready for like life's challenges um and just trying to get us tough to where we could handle life.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. And the way that he did that and the way that he went about that was just making us run with him. Yeah. You know, so like we didn't really have a choice, but um I don't know. It's like now I can appreciate it. Back then, you know, maybe I was like, you know, this dude is just freaking he's relentless. Like why is he making us do this? But um I can appreciate it now.
Ken Rideout
How old were you when he like started to get recognized? Cuz like me, he was like toiling away in anonymity and for for years, right? And then and then how did he get recognized and what was that like?
Truett Hanes
He was always like kind of well known in a local sense um just because he was a a bow hunter and like the bow rack they would put up like his hunting photos in the bow rack. So like he was kind of wellknown in like the hunting community and then he really started to get
More wellknown. He went on Joe Rogan's podcast I think like when I was in high school and then I I didn't even know I knew Joe from Fear Factor. I didn't even know what a podcast was.
And then he came over. Joe did um when I was a freshman in college and I still didn't really know the Joe Rogan experience, but my dad was like, "Yeah, I want you to meet my friend Joe." And I was like, "The Fear Factor guy?" And then so like kids started to they started to like message me and they're like, "Dude, I heard your dad on Rogan's podcast." And I was like, "Oh, that's cool, I guess." But he only had like a couple hundred thousand followers back then and now he's at like
Like 2 million. So,
Ken Rideout
But it's crazy cuz now he's like buddies with Jelly Roll. He's friends with everyone. It's like he's
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Yeah. The world has shrunk a lot because of social media. Um, and it's been cool to see. I mean, that's how we got connected. Yeah. You know, so like it's cool. You can kind of check up on people and then people can keep you accountable, too. It's like, man, this guy's getting after it now. I want to push harder in my training. But, no, my dad has he's definitely grown a lot in like the last few years and it it's been fun to see. Yeah.
Ken Rideout
I'm proud of him for sure. I love social media for a lot of aspects. I mean, we talk about all the [ __ ] talkers and stuff, but there when you really think about it, like 90% of the 99% of the comments that you get and the support you get is all positive. You only get a few haters. It just sucks that they get like 90% of your attention. But I know
I connect with awesome people like like yourself. I mean, social media has allowed me like through sharing my experience to connect with some really awesome people. And uh like I said, I think it gets a bad rap, but I've like tried to make the most of it. And I know when I look at you in the genes and doing your stuff, I'm like, man, this guy is a marketable guy. And I know you're working with the genes company and ketones. Who else are you working with?
Truett Hanes
Working with Transparent Labs. They're my uh supplements company. And I have a running gel actually coming out with them. Oh, nice. Pretty soon. So,
Yeah. I mean, this has opened up a lot of doors for sure. And And I want to make myself in my eyes like someone that's worthy of having their own running gel. So like the Olympic trials just kind of makes sense in that way. And
And yeah, again just this entire
Um idea of me like pushing for the trials is I just I want people to to recognize that it's not too late for them to chase their own dreams, whatever it may be. Not might not be in the running realm, but whatever it is in your life, if you're willing to work for it, putting in just as much work, if not more work than everyone else, then [ __ ] you can do anything.
Ken Rideout
I think we both kind of represent that. I mean, I didn't run a race till I was in my late 30s, like literally. And didn't win didn't get competitive till I was in my mid-4s.
Truett Hanes
Right. Yeah. And you when did you run your fastest marathon ever? How old were you?
Ken Rideout
My fastest marathon I ran 228. I was 49, but I've run 229 five or six times over 50.
Truett Hanes
Jeez. Okay. And how old are you now?
Ken Rideout
54. Oh,
Truett Hanes
54. And are you hoping like do you think a 220 sub 229's like still in the cards for you?
Ken Rideout
I I spent so much time focusing on this book over the last year. I think
I really think I could do it. Um it's just you have to want to do that like you want to live. Like when I f when I'm training for a marathon like I want to win that race, whatever winning is to me like I want to breathe, you know? Like it takes every ounce of effort and all my focus. And I've just been my kids are like young teenagers. I got I've got a new agency. I've got a book coming out. The po the promo for the book is like overwhelming.
It's by far the worst part of writing a book is like calling people trying to get on podcasters. It's just I hate every second of it. But a lot of work more than the work, the physical work, the anxiety and the like emotional stress it puts on me like that is more wearing on me than the physical work. The physical work I can absorb the emotional like anguish. I'm like, why is this bothering me so much? But I think I could. It's just finding the will doesn't happen by accident.
Truett Hanes
No, no, it doesn't. I mean, the marathon training, it not only requires like all of my time and effort. Like my wife is so crucial here as well because it just your entire day is revolved around getting better at running.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
And then it's like with that, it's like you got to worry about getting enough sleep. You got to worry about getting the right nutrition. And then so like she's cooking for me when I'm out on my run and then she's so invested and then every time I I go out the door I I don't want to let her down. So I want to make sure that I'm um giving my best effort and then it's just all these days and all that effort accumulates and then it makes you to where now you have your best opportunity to go and run your best time and even then it's not a guarantee because so much can happen on race day.
But no, it's it's been allconsuming and like I mean I couldn't do it without her. So yeah, she's been great. And I know so many people are like, "Man, where do I find like a wife like yours?" And I'm like,
Part of me is thinking, I don't know if you can necessarily if you necessarily would want a wife like mine because she might chew you up and spit you out. She's she's pretty tough herself. So, it's like to have someone that believes in you and supports in you, you got to be someone that's worthy of having someone uh that believes in you and supports in you. It's like what are you giving that person that would make them want to invest in you so much?
Ken Rideout
You're right. When you when I go and do races, that's a good point. Like, I'm bringing everyone with me. And I've said this before about just all of my friends, like all the people in my community, even people like yourself. I feel like when I win something, I'm like, I [ __ ] won this for everyone. I I we all won in a weird way. I don't know. But I but I I wear all the losses myself.
But my initial reaction when I anytime I've been lucky enough to win is like I did this for everyone. I'm winning for all of the freaking losers out there that have been like beaten down. I'm like and my wife and kids I'm like we all did it. Yeah.
But when I lose I'm like I let everyone down. I'm a loser. I know. Yeah. You feel like you're standing alone there. Yeah.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Just that level of I feel like I'm doing it for us. like for the people that were uh looked over, that were picked on, cuz
You know, not to make it like sound dramatic, but I was a kid that I couldn't say my Rs and S's, you know, like growing up. Um,
And I was bullied in school and I was the smallest kid in class, so I was just, you know, I had a lot working against me as a kid.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
And oh, I would wet the bed every single night until I was like 7 years old, which is pretty old to be wearing a pull-up. But
So like all of this um I just I just kind of identify with people that are underdogs, you know, people that didn't really have like
Um I don't know. I just like everything given to them, you just have to work really really hard and like when I have a success, it's just like dude this is credit to all of us that freaking you know nothing came easy but we got it done and I hope everyone like feels like they could win um because of my victory.
Ken Rideout
That's the kind of thing that a lot of people don't understand is like a lot of times the the the baggage that comes with winning and having the kind of personality like you have.
Some of it I think might be driven by like childhood trauma or
The baggage that comes with it. The like insane competitiveness and the pressure that you put on yourself. So everybody wants to win but not everybody wants to like carry the boats like David Gogggins would say. Like they don't want the [ __ ] that comes with it. They just want the glory. And it's like,
Truett Hanes
Yeah,
Ken Rideout
This is a process. And and that's why I think when you, at least for me, I I would win the Myrtle Beach Marathon and my wife's like, "Oh my god, you won. That's so awesome." I'm like, "I ran 230 30 seconds. I can't believe I couldn't find 30 seconds." And she was like, "Do you realize like you put yourself in a position that you never win?
You win a race and you and you didn't go fast enough." She's like, "You went fast enough to win." And it brings me back to reality to be like, "I have got to find a way to enjoy the victories because I suffer with the
Truett Hanes
losses." Yeah, I know. You come to expect so much of yourself that like when you do win it's just like I kind of expected to anyway.
Ken Rideout
I think when I win I'm like everyone has sucked.
Truett Hanes
I do. I do.
Right. I know. In a weird way that's what makes you better the next time around though is because you just you never let your foot off the gas.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
But then you never relish in your victories too, it seems like. Um which can be damaging. It can be hard and then and you want to be able to celebrate with those around you, but there's a part of you is just like never satisfied almost.
You're like, "Oh, I I want to be able to run faster and get better." And it's like, "Yeah, until what point?"
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
When your identity is attached to performance and always improving, that can be tough.
Ken Rideout
That's one of the reasons I've kind of stepped back a little the last two seasons in particular is just like I don't want to feel like I'm performing for other people. And I did. And I was like, I don't
The people who like are impressed or care about this, like I don't really care about them necessarily. Like they're not my audience. My audience lives under my roof. They're all in my house. So I wanted to try to be a little bit more present present. And when I'm training,
You know how it gets. I get cranky. I'm like super stressed out. Oh, this is bothering me. That's bothering me. I got to figure out here, you know, I've just got a lot of [ __ ] going on in my mind. But I remember at one point you ran a race. I want to say you ran a half marathon under 110, right?
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Yeah, that Yeah, that was um it was like
Ken Rideout
It was crazy.
Truett Hanes
It was a super downhill course, I should say.
Ken Rideout
I I I remember looking at that and going, "This is insane. He could [ __ ] make the marathon. He could make the Olympic team."
Truett Hanes
Uh-huh. Right. Yeah. No, that was a It was a 1063. It was like a 503 average mile. But I mean, when I say downhill, the entire course was downhill.
Ken Rideout
What race was it?
Truett Hanes
It was called the Drop Half Marathon. It's in Utah. Oh,
Okay. I randomly found out about it like a couple weeks before it went on because my wife's um like lash lady, she was just mentioned it. Then I was like, "Oh, I need a race." And then I was like, "Maybe I'll sign up for that one." And then I totally didn't expect to win it at all.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
And then I did and I was like, "Oh, shoot."
Ken Rideout
Was that the first race you've won? Like a big race?
Truett Hanes
That was Yeah, that was like the first big race that I won.
Ken Rideout
Incredible. Right.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. No, it it's it's a great feeling. I mean, when I crossed the finish line, my wife was like, "You just won."
Like, "Do you realize what just happened?" And I was like, I guess I did.
I was like, that that never happens for me cuz I'm I'm just so used to not winning anything until like the the pull-up record. Yeah.
Which even then you're not like beating someone headto head.
Ken Rideout
Yep.
Truett Hanes
So it was just like it was such a new feeling. Um and it felt great cuz you know like headtohead my brother and I would play one-on-one basketball all the time growing up and I still to this day I'm 29 years old. I've never beat him.
So it's just like I'm used to getting second place. So to get first like an an official race I was like damn that's a good feeling.
Ken Rideout
I won the Pasadena half marathon in 2020 21 maybe 20 or 21 and uh it finished in the Rose Bowl 9,000 people. It was on KTLA TV in LA on live TV in LA in the Rose Bowl and I come running. I'm like oh my god like I was leading and I knew I was leading but I was like someone's going to catch me like they're letting me get ahead.
I come in I'm like oh my god I'm going to win. They interview me live on the news. The woman's like, "Oh my god, here he is. Here's the winner." I posted the clip and it's live on the news. And she's like, "How was it out there?" I'm like, "Doesn't say much about the competition when an old man is winning by this much." And she was like, "Oh, don't say that." Then I realized I was crapping on everyone. I was like, "No, no." Everyone was great.
But I was so in the I was like, "Oh my god, I won a race." That one, that one felt really good. I was like, "I can't believe I won."
Geez. So there was a bunch of people in the Rose Bowl just just cheering you on. It was like I mean it was you know there was hundred people in there but it was it came in through the tunnel where the teams come in and runs along the sideline and the
Truett Hanes
That's pretty cool.
Ken Rideout
It was awesome. That's a great race. You could win that. Like I I ran 112 and one so it's not super competitive but it's it's big.
Truett Hanes
112 is still a pretty good time.
Ken Rideout
It's a big race.
Then I won the Malibu Half Marathon a couple times. That was pretty fun.
Truett Hanes
Okay.
Ken Rideout
There's a story in my book. I won it one year and ran like 116 or 117. It's not It wasn't super competitive. So the next year there was a black guy there who clearly looked like an Olympic runner. He happened to be Eratrian in hindsight and he ran in like the 2012 Olympics in the 5k for Eratria but he was warming up and my wife and kids never come to the races cuz they don't care and to me it's like work and it's just stressful to have him there.
But they came. We lived in the Palisades. So they was just down the road.
So the kid the guy's warming up and I go over to my wife and I'm all down and like what's the man? I go look at this guy like [ __ ] like an Olympic runner over here. is going to smash me. And it's hard to judge at the start of a race who's, you know, cuz sometimes guys look really good. And then they're like I'm like, "What the hell happened to the guy who looked like Prefontaine,
Truett Hanes
Right?"
Ken Rideout
So he's standing right in front of me. We're on the start line kind of to the side. And um he was with a white kid who was like maybe like 23. And the guy says, the white kid says to the black kid, it turns out the black guy's a coach at Cal Berkeley, um I think cross country, really nice guy. And the white kid had run for him as an as an athlete, now lived in LA. And he's like, "Yeah, you see the time that won this race last year was terrible." And I I was like, "Yo, it was [ __ ] fast enough to be the [ __ ] winner.
We'll see what you're going to do." Dude, I was literally like ready to kill him. He must have been like, "This guy's a nut." And I was.
So, we take off and they take off running like five flat. And I'm like, I run through one mile and there's my wife and kids. I'm like shrugging my shoulders like I won last time. I expected to win.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
Oh, and the kid tried to like make nice after he said that. He's like, "Oh, I only have on a t-shirt. I should have wore a singlet. I didn't know it was competitive. So I blow past him at like 9 miles and I beat him and I he comes in behind me. So I wait for him at the start line. I go, "Dude, next time you should wear a singlet. Really like put your best effort forward." Like I wanted to kill him. And then my wife's like, "What do you care?" And I'm like, "I know.
I'm an insecure idiot." But it still offended me.
Truett Hanes
So what time uh won that year? Like
Ken Rideout
Oh, you ran like 110 effortlessly and I ran like 112 high.
Truett Hanes
Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Dang. I know. But like that that certain competitive edge it you feel like it helps you?
Ken Rideout
Oh yeah. I have to get before I always say before the race starts I'm an ass. Like I'm very aggressive. Like every major marathon that I've run I started the race standing on the start line just by being a bully.
Like coming through and if someone else tried to come through I'd be like you don't see me standing here. What are you doing? But if it were me I'm just like coming through guys. Come on.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Where do you think that comes from?
Ken Rideout
Insecurity. I don't know.
Truett Hanes
Like growing up. Did you have brothers or anything?
Ken Rideout
No. to be honest with you growing up and I was telling my kids this cuz the the two older ones the older the oldest one's a little aggressive the middle one's very timid and I tried to explain to them I'm like listen I was like a very timid kid and as I got older I realized like you're as tough as you think you are and at the end of the day like when you go through the progression of like what is going to happen if I put myself out there super aggressive someone's going to want to fight with me I boxed for a long time I've like done jiu-jitsu I'm like cool like there's 100 people here.
This will be over in 3 seconds and I'm going to throw the first punch. I promise.
So I start explaining to the kids like from a practical standpoint like what's the worst that can happen if someone wants to have a fight with you?
So what unless it's you and him in a jail cell like someone's going to break that up.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
And once you kind of go through that process of realizing like not being a jerk but just
Being aggressive and like you know standing up for what you believe in,
Truett Hanes
Not being afraid. Yeah.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. I'm not That's exactly right. Not being afraid. So, I just like put myself in a position to win. But the minute I cross the finish line, I'm like, "I love everyone. I'm everyone's best friend." And my wife laughs cuz she's like, "You're the biggest running nerd at the finish line, but the biggest [ __ ] at the start." And I'm like, "Pretty much."
Truett Hanes
No, I know. I always think that I'm going to just like call people out once I come across the finish line. But I'm so humbled by the end of a race. I'm like, "All my freaking aggressiveness is out the window." And I'm just like, "Oh, thank God it's over."
Ken Rideout
But before the race, I think I'm just so nervous and on edge. I'm like it it it manifests in like overly aggressive assertiveness and aggressiveness. But
Truett Hanes
Yeah. No, I mean um I have just so many like people in my mind that I'm going to call out if I'm able to run well tomorrow. And I'm sure it's going to go out the window by the time I cross the finish line, but I've been telling my wife like all week long. I'm like, "These [ __ ] don't know. Making a hit list."
Yeah. I was like, they they have no idea. They they wrote me off so many times and then tomorrow it's all going to come together and they're going to see what I'm about. But no, I mean that that level of um showing people what's what, it it really gets me going. It really does help.
Ken Rideout
Well, when you ran that 106 at the drop have, I didn't know it was a downhill and didn't care. You still have to get down there.
And I saw and I think I even sent you a message like you should try to qualify for the Olympic trials cuz you know that like when I first started running, you could run a sub 105. So you could run a 10459 and qualify for the trials. I mean, not probably not at the drop, but
Truett Hanes
Yeah,
Ken Rideout
You're not that far off. So I'm like, "Holy [ __ ] he could qualify for the trials." But then I would see you doing like pull-up contests and running in jeans. I'm like, if he wears the right gear and trains just running, I bet you he can do it. So I don't know. I think it's funny that people would waste their time and effort to be like, "This guy's crazy. He can't do it." Like somehow it's it's you're you're offending them by saying, "I'm going to do this."
Truett Hanes
Oh, I I know. I mean, there's even there's like well-known coaches that will come out and like speak against me. Even with announcing the goal, they're like, I hope this guy realizes like how much of a change needs to happen from a 229 to a 216. And I'm like, I don't think as a coach you should be telling people what they're capable of.
Yeah.
You know, it's like if I want to find out for myself, then that's great. But to like write it off as like disrespectful that I'm even trying to attempt it, it's such a weird idea.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. Well, the other thing I would say is anyone who can run a 229 knows enough about running, you dork, to know what it takes to run faster. Cuz if you've run a 229, you are not a clown like that. That
Very few people have ever even done that.
Truett Hanes
I know. And that takes a certain level of dedication. So, it's not like you're just a newbie and you just happen to come across a 229. It's like, no, you have to work for that.
Ken Rideout
And you're young, you're fit, you obviously have the right mentality because you were running it. You ran a 229 while doing all the other [ __ ] What did you run like 15 marathons last year? I feel like you ran a race every week.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Well, last year I think I ran it might have been like it might have been six or seven. I did three in one month which was a lot.
Ken Rideout
That's crazy.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. And then um No, I think I ran like six or seven marathons and then I did Leadville as well. And then I did the the BPN last man standing race.
Ken Rideout
That's what I mean is like if you take all of that [ __ ] out and focus on two or three marathons spaced out like four to six months apart, like I think you could do it. Like I'm so I'm super psyched to see it. Like I want to see you do it just so all these people can be like and the other thing that I love is cuz you know as soon as you do that they're going to be like he's never going to pass a drug test.
And I was saying to someone about this the other day I'm like if he makes the marathon trials he's getting drug tested believe me. And I'm like if you're at the races and you're training come and give me a drug test. Like why would you make such stupid slanderous comments about someone just come to the race and give me the test.
Truett Hanes
Yeah, that's exactly. I mean, I have no idea why people even waste their time and energy on that. I actually I posted my blood results.
Um, I got it done. I think this was like two months ago or something. And then you could see my results, everything that would indicate if I was on something. Obviously, I'm not. And then I showed that and you could show them anything. Yeah.
And they have in their mind, no way. It's like you have a little bit of muscle because, you know, I was really into the gym and everything. You must be on steroids. Um, but it's like, dude, you just you put in Isn't it possible that maybe I just want it more than you?
Ken Rideout
Yeah. Like, and it's a full-time job.
Yeah. Every ounce of effort is focused on one thing,
Truett Hanes
Right?
Ken Rideout
And when you think about that, okay, every ounce of effort was focused on this and I ran 229. A pro runner, every ounce of effort is focused on running and he runs 2011. Okay, he's got a different physique, but you talk 30 minutes. Like, you don't think that I can take a few minutes off if someone else can do this like a minute a mile faster? I just think like the difference between where the elites are and where the top amateurs are is so vast.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
And it's not like they're a different species.
Truett Hanes
No. And that's what I really want to get across is like they bleed just like I bleed. Um they hurt just like I hurt, you know. So it's like what does it really come down to? And you know, I think weight is a is a really big um it's really big to focus on because like I said, I've lost like 12 lbs. And the miles that I'm hitting now, like just a couple days ago, I just wanted to run a couple miles. Um I live in Utah, so it's like 4200 ft.
I just wanted to run marathon pace just to get my body used to it. And I ran a a 506 in my trainers without really even trying. And like that's with like me losing the weight pretty recently.
Ken Rideout
Yep.
Truett Hanes
And I was like, "Oh shit." did. I was like, "So, this is what it feels like
Like to lose weight and not have a weight vest on you."
Ken Rideout
Yep.
Truett Hanes
It makes such a big difference. So, that's why I'm like, "Don't don't write me off just yet. I've been running in the 160s. Now I'm in the low 150s.
We'll see what it takes."
Ken Rideout
Yeah. It's going to be super interesting to see. So, like what's next on the marathon front and like racing front?
Truett Hanes
I have the London Marathon in April.
Ken Rideout
It's a good race.
Truett Hanes
Yeah, that's a that's a fast one. And then I have Chicago in October and then CIM again in December.
Ken Rideout
Oh, that's a perfect balance because I get a spring and then a fall marathon two in the Chicago and then December is the perfect um it's about eight weeks. Oh, that'll be a good one in Chicago and um London. I ran sub 230 in both of those and it was I mean it wasn't easy, but they were um those are good honest courses.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Yeah. Just like flat and fast and I think good weather. It might be a little bit warm in London, but normally in Chicago by October it's it's a little bit chill. So, no, I'm looking forward to it.
Ken Rideout
And what does your um diet look like? What's a standard daily diet look like right now?
Truett Hanes
If I'm just in the middle of training, I'll do like around 120 miles a week. I guess what I've worked up to and and my body responds well to that. And then I'll eat around like 3,500 calories a day.
Ken Rideout
Good lord, you must be like that's crazy low.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Yeah. Because, you know, I want to be in just a little bit of a deficit. Um nothing crazy. It's usually like 100 to 200 calories. Yeah,
That I'm in a deficit. But it it honestly it hasn't been too bad. Like I don't go to bed hungry usually and then it's like all of it's usually homemade. My wife is making sure that it's um like homemade sourdough and then it's very regimented. I can almost like punch in the food that I eat the day before because I know exactly what I'm going to eat the next day. So, and then it's like nine hours of sleep a night. So, everything is set up to where I'm going to get the absolute most out of myself.
Ken Rideout
Yeah, sleep is one that a lot of people underestimate. I don't mess around when it comes to sleep. My my kids know like do not if dad's sleep and do not mess around and I don't get a lot of sleep, so I'm usually up before them, but if they're up first, they know like please do not wake me up.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. I mean, so when you ran like your your PRs,
Were you looking at a certain body weight or are you just running with what was comfortable?
Ken Rideout
That's the thing that is probably that I look back on and think like I left money on the table. Like I didn't focus as much on my not nearly as much as you do right now. I I couldn't tell you what my daily calorie consumption was and
And I didn't really track anything even heart rate. I never run with heart rate ever. People will ask me like what's your average heart rate at this? I'm like I couldn't tell you one single aspect of my heart rate. Sometimes I'd be like what was my max heart rate there? 185, you know, but as you get older it gets lower. Yeah, but I was into cycling for a long time and like did some races with Lance Armstrong like on a team with him once and um I had a power meter that was like $3,000.
I had all the metrics and I wouldn't look at anything. People like what was your average watts output or something and I was like I don't really know.
Truett Hanes
It can mess with your head.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. And I would always say when I have to start analyzing the data, it becomes a job and I don't want this to be a job. So I did everything and have always done everything by perceived effort. if he prescribes a run workout there there are times and I would try to hit the times but one thing that I would say to everyone is don't get obsessive and hung up on the times in training cuz like I said I would run races where I couldn't run a mile at the pace that I ran 26.
I mean I mean I could probably do it but the point is it wouldn't be easy. I'd be like there's no way I can run 26 miles like this. But on race day you just get into the mode where I'm like there's no there's no need to worry about recovering. I don't have to worry about doing XYZ later today. I'm going to empty the tank and finish on empty.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
And but that's also something that I don't think a lot of people can comprehend. Like I've left in an ambulance twice. Like I mean I crossed the line in Berlin and like collapsed like collapsed.
Really collapsed. Like I was seeing freaking blurry vision when I with like five miles to go.
Truett Hanes
Damn.
Ken Rideout
Oh dude, I was in such good shape. This was like 2022 and I was trying to win all the 50 and over um for all the world marathon majors. Yeah. So I had won B I had won New York, Boston. [sighs and gasps] I got second in London and I got second in Berlin. So I went into Berlin though the fittest I've ever been. And I went out hard with the female pros. I was on the back and the back of the pack of the second group of females.
They were running 530 flat like dude like a metronome every mile. I was like, "Dude, these girls are like right on the to the second."
Truett Hanes
Uhhuh.
Ken Rideout
And it was hot. And I got And I was fit. So I was like, "Okay, I can do this." But that's 10 seconds faster, 9 seconds faster per mile. And I'm like, "I know this is stupid, but I feel so good."
Well, I felt good until I didn't.
17 miles, dude. I started going in reverse. And I finished. So I'm thinking I'm going to run 226. I ran 235. And I did everything I could to survive. I crossed the finish line. I was like, "Medic, boink, right down, dude. I was in the medical tent forever." They were like going to ship me to the hospital and I went to the hospital in Kona once.
Truett Hanes
Well, where do you think that cuz I've never actually pushed myself to that limit. Where do you think that comes from?
Ken Rideout
Dude, I was so mortified after that race. I called my wife. I was like almost inconsolable. She's like, "Are you crying?" And I'm like, "I'm so humiliated." And she's like, "In front of who?" I'm like, "Myself." I I was so two weeks later I ran 229 in Chicago with two weeks of recovery after like being that depleted. So, I was really in shape and I just effed up the pacing.
And that's the thing with marathon is you can make such stupid mistakes early, not fueling early and often,
Going too hard, even a few steps.
And once you get to that,
Once you deplete all the glycogen, there's nothing left and you're like running on like willpower.
Truett Hanes
Well, there's nothing left you can really do. And that actually that happened to me during the CIM um just a couple months ago is I got to mile 18 and I came to a complete stop during that race
Cuz my my stomach I tried carb loading for whatever reason a couple days before like more than I had ever eaten and I was like oh this is going to help like I looked it up and it's supposed to help you like 2 to 3 minutes faster apparently like if you get your body full of all these carbs. You don't normally want to try something new the day before a race.
Exactly. So, I learned that the hard way. But my stomach was so full of all this [ __ ] and and [ __ ] um food that I got to mile 18 and it was like I could not believe the pain, the cramps. And then so I came to a stop and I was like wheezing. I was like, "Oh my gosh." And then I just kind of came to I I was running like 535.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
And then the next two miles 18 and 19 because I stopped. It was 621 and 624.
Ken Rideout
Yeah.
Truett Hanes
And then I ended up finishing at 229. But I told myself, I was like, I really need to get it together because people are going to be proven right if I can't run on that 230.
Ken Rideout
You know, they would have been jumping all over you.
Truett Hanes
I had a a split-second decision cuz, you know, uh sub 230, you don't have a lot of time to like [ __ ] around. No.
Yeah. You got to get going. So then I was like, you know what, my stomach's killing me. I'm just going to keep pushing and see what happens. You know, like I got to at least give my best effort.
And then so I did and I was able to finish right under 230 with like 11 seconds to spare. But I was like, if I would have gotten over 230, then people would have been like, I told you guys that he's a fraud and he doesn't have what it takes. And I was like, I I just didn't want to hear it. So, I pulled out everything from me.
Ken Rideout
That's what people don't understand. Like, when when when when you're trying to run, like every single second matters. Like in Chicago when I won the 50 over age group World Championships, I ran 229 and 11 seconds. Dude, that 11 seconds still haunts me every day. I'm like, couldn't find 12 more seconds. But the truth is I knew where I was with 2 miles to go. So that was me when people you should have just sprinted it in. That was me sprinting the last three miles. That was me running as absolutely fast as I could.
But that's I think part of the curse that you get, okay, you get to have a great race, but this is the baggage that comes with it. You have to have this mindset of like, no, there's nothing fun about this. is fun, but when you're running that fast, like I don't even have the effort or the inclination to like wave to someone if someone's like, "Go." And I'm like, you know, if you're just like, "Hey, what's up?" I'm like, "I don't even I refuse to even like deviate my eyes."
Like, you know what I mean? You just get locked in. I'm like, "I'm not [clears throat] wasting. I'm trying to cut all the corners just right and trying to like
I don't know to run for me to run the best I can. I've got to do everything perfectly. I just don't have natural gifts." You know what I mean? I'm sure you probably feel the same way. I feel the same way. And I know people try to talk to me because I I listen to music and then so it's like they say something and then I got to take out the headphone. I'm like, "What are you saying?"
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
And then I I don't even know what they say and I'm like, "Okay, yeah, it sounds good." And then it's just like it's like, "Dude, this is requiring everything for me." It might not be hard for you, but this is killing me right now.
Ken Rideout
So, wait a minute. When you're running with headphones, is the music on the watch or do you have a phone with you?
Truett Hanes
I have a phone.
Ken Rideout
Oh my god.
Truett Hanes
I know. It's probably not the best.
Ken Rideout
There's another one where I'm like, "All right, there's another few seconds."
Truett Hanes
I put it in my back pocket. uh when I wear the jeans and then I have the gels in my front pockets. I'll take six with me tomorrow and then a couple salt pills um because it's gonna be kind of hot tomorrow. Yeah.
Make sure I don't cramp. But
Ken Rideout
I sweat way too much to run in any kind of leggings. I would be dying. I like run so hot. That's why I've always run really well when it's freezing cold. So maybe I could wear jeans in the freezing cold, but for for training I can wear anything, but for a race I need to be cold.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Yeah. And they say, you know, that helps with heart rate obviously.
Ken Rideout
Definitely.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. I think it was um Cisana. Do you have one of those?
Ken Rideout
Yeah. Pete Nelson.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Pete Nelson and then Austin.
Yeah. Austin. Yeah. He Austin Mills. He put mine together and he said he was like Ken Ry out he hates the sauna.
Ken Rideout
Hate it.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Which is hilarious cuz normally do you do cold plunge too?
Ken Rideout
Yeah. I hate that too.
Truett Hanes
Okay. I was going to say cuz you run hot. You you know maybe that's why you hate the sauna but you hate the cold plunge, too. So maybe
Ken Rideout
Yeah. I have a Primal Ice. It's a It's It's incredibly highend. It's like a big uh cedar thing. It's stainless steel line. It's beautiful. It is incredible. The the chiller works. It works too good. I get in there and I'm like, "Oh my god, this thing is so cold. I'm sitting on the stainless steel. I'm I'm a baby with that stuff. I hate the sauna. I hate the cold plunge."
Truett Hanes
I do the sauna just about every day. I I enjoy it. So, I think that Yeah. If you don't enjoy it, then maybe there's no benefit. But I can like relax in there and then I sweat quite a bit. So,
Ken Rideout
Oh, no. I think that there's I think there's a huge benefit like physiological benefit. I just don't enjoy it. Probably the first 10 minutes I do, I get in there and I do this coherence breathing exercise for like 6 minutes of like breathe in on 5 seconds, out on 5 seconds for five or six minutes. Huberman did it with um Rick Rubin and I put it on YouTube. I listen to it just plays a sounding thing every 5 seconds and I just do the coherence breathing.
It's supposed to help with um heart rate variability.
Truett Hanes
Okay.
Ken Rideout
Then I obsess over my sleep. I look at the uh I have eight sleep is the greatest invention in the history of sleep. Yeah, my parents have that,
Dude. The best. Yeah, I've got the one, the Ultra, that raises your head and feet so you can watch TV or read.
It's incredible. And it adjusts in the night time. If you're snoring, it will adjust your head up and down. It's the thing's awesome. The problem is between that and the Whoop, I then wake up and the first thing I do is obsess over, okay, what was my heart rate variability? And I can never figure it doesn't make any sense to me. I'm like, I slept like a rock and it'll be like 33% recovered. I'm like that.
Or or I'll feel like I kept waking up and it'll be like 80% recovered and I'm like none of this makes sense to me. It literally is like flipping a coin.
Truett Hanes
It's just a random number probably.
Ken Rideout
Oh man. Imagine it comes out. They're like, "Yeah, none of these numbers matter. They just literally literally make them up."
Truett Hanes
Yeah. No, I mean I don't I don't wear my watch to bed. I don't do I don't keep track of a lot of numbers. I always say like the only number that I truly care about is the weight on the scale because that number doesn't lie.
Yep. And then the numbers that you see above the marathon finish line. Everything else I'm just like, dude, who cares?
As long as the effort's there, like we've been saying, then that's all I really concern myself with. But no, I'm excited for tomorrow. I mean, I I think just with the level of training that I've been able to hit these times and train, I'm just excited to see what tomorrow brings. But um my fastest marathon of all time is 22541 and that was at St. George. though people say it's not a legit course, but
Felt felt pretty tough to me cuz it loses 3,000 ft but then you gain 500. So it's like 2500 ft elevation loss over the course of the race.
You definitely feel that. Um like the downhill um and you can go faster, but you still need to be in pretty good shape, I think.
Ken Rideout
No, for sure.
Truett Hanes
Yeah, but um like Austin is not known as a fast course, but that's just another excuse I feel like people think. I'm like, "Dude, it's only like used to do what 10 miles and 1,200 ft elevation gain."
Ken Rideout
Yep.
Truett Hanes
So, it's 1,200 ft elevation gain over the course of the entire marathon. I'm like,
It's not that big of a deal.
Ken Rideout
It's not that big of a deal, but it's a lot more than Boston and New York. And those are hard races.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. No, I know the New York is definitely It's like a little under a thousand. Um, but I freaking I love New York. Like,
Ken Rideout
I ran terrible. I I I won the Masters Division in New York when I was 51. I won the 40 and over by 3 seconds.
Jeez. Okay. That was like my one of my proudest moments ever cuz like two of the previous three or four winners was Meb Keflezighi and Abdi Abdirahman who Abdi ran five US Olympics for five US teams.
Truett Hanes
Jeez.
Ken Rideout
Different different events all the way up to the marathon. But Meb won Boston, New York and got a silver in the Olympics and he won the Masters in New York a few years before me.
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
Obviously they ran much faster, but like that's one of those things where hey I ran faster than everyone over 40 on this day. Okay, I ran 233 and they ran 215. But guess what? They weren't there on the day when I was and I did everything I had to do. So, it was just and again I won by 3 seconds and you know it's a stat you know it's a mass start.
People could be coming in from all over like different times.
Man, I was so happy with that.
Truett Hanes
That's got to feel good.
Ken Rideout
But in Boston I ran 230 in like 20 seconds and I was Oh, dude, I was so bummed. I was so close and that race I wish I was racing at the end. I survived. Just barely got to the finish in Boston.
Truett Hanes
Dang. Okay. Yeah, cuz that was like I said, that was a course that I felt great on because I was able to utilize that downhill.
Ken Rideout
Yeah. Really?
Truett Hanes
Yeah. And then um Yeah, I just felt great. Felt strong coming across the finish line. But
I know there's a certain level to of balance for sure. It's like being able to push to the very limit and then still leave it enough to run hard. It It's just It's almost like it's out of your hands. It seems like some days like you don't don't really even know how it's going to go. You just kind of have to hope for the best.
Ken Rideout
That's it.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. But no, tomorrow's going to be great. Um, I know a lot of people are following along now that I've announced the trials goal and a lot of people are convinced that it's impossible for me. But tomorrow we're gonna see if I can make some progress.
Ken Rideout
Well, just remember that the guys who don't think you can do it are limited and loud, but the people that do believe in you is probably much more numerous and maybe not out there like shaking pom poms, but like I know I'm like cheering for you. Every time it comes up in conversation with anyone, I'm like, why couldn't he?
He might make the Olympic team if he wants to. Who who are you to say what he can do? The guy's a savage. He did 8,000 pull-ups.
Truett Hanes
Well, 10,000
10,000 10,000.
Ken Rideout
It's crazy. It's crazy cuz I do pull-ups every single day. But like I could do
I did a strength test. I think I did 29. Um like strict pull-ups, but I but I but I do pull-ups every single day
Because I think they're like the true test.
There's nowhere to hide. You you know if you're cheating on them or not.
Truett Hanes
Oh yeah.
Ken Rideout
So I get down there with my kids and they're like, you know, some of them are really into it. One of them will be like, I can't do any. I'm like, "You're going to do as many as you can. I'm going to help you." And I just give them like a spot and just force them to do them. I'm like, "You have to do pull-ups."
Truett Hanes
No, it is a true test. And I think that's why I liked it because it's like if your feet touch the ground, doesn't count. You got to get your chin over the bar. It's just there's no way to cheat it.
And then it's like when you're doing it with the the Guinness World Records is you have a camera angle at the front, camera angle from the side. So, they just like they're monitoring everything. Then they go and review the footage to make sure every rep counts. But yeah, I mean I I really I enjoyed that and the the test of that, the mental fortitude that it takes to do that and then that translates pretty dang well to running marathons. It's like, man, I don't think that these guys that run faster times than me that they're necessarily like tougher than me.
No. And I'm not I'm not convinced that that's true. And then so maybe
Their argument is that I don't have the physical capability. But like until you put in a lot of work for years. Like I don't consider trying I don't consider that you truly tried at something until you give it like years of your effort.
Ken Rideout
No, it took me years to It took me years to get to where I got to. And it's like
Truett Hanes
Yeah,
Ken Rideout
No one cares when you're like toiling in darkness and anonymity and then when you win they're like where'd this guy come from? I'm like I've posted every run I've ever done since 2012 on Strava. Every single one. Yeah. Yeah.
So, it always makes me laugh when people are like, "Oh, this guy will he came out of nowhere." I'm like, "No, I've been here the whole time. You just haven't been paying attention."
Truett Hanes
Yeah.
Ken Rideout
Well, I'm rooting for you and I think you can do it and I can't wait until you do it. We'll have to do this again and uh address everyone by name. You said you couldn't do it. So,
Dude, I know you got the race tomorrow. So, thanks for coming by and doing this. I really appreciate you and uh congratulations to Kim Haynes for raising such a cool young guy and uh proud to be your friend.
Truett Hanes
Yeah. Thank you, Ken. Thank you for having me on and and again, yeah, like you said, supporters are they outweigh the haters by a lot. So, I appreciate everyone that supports me, including you and including um the people that are often forgotten like in my family, my wife and my brother, my sister, my dad, my mom, and even Eric out there, my friend who came uh he's running the half marathon tomorrow. But yeah, thanks again for having me on and it's an honor and a privilege to finally meet you and again inspired by your journey.
Excited to read your book. Thank you again for having me on, brother.
Ken Rideout
Thank you, brother. Thanks guys. Thanks for being with us. Book comes out March 10th. Everything you want is on the other side of hard. Available everywhere you buy books. Please check it out. Thank you.
Truett Hanes
Boom. Go and get it.
Ken Rideout
All right, guys. I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Please take a quick minute to subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening. This is a new show, so subscribing makes a huge difference. Please also take a minute to give it a review and leave a comment on Apple Podcast and on Spotify.
You can also subscribe and leave a comment on YouTube. Again, this is really important for us, especially now since we're just getting started. You can learn more about me, this podcast, and also find links to purchase my upcoming memoir at the other sideofhart.com. My new book is called Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Hard and it comes out March 10th.
Available everywhere you buy books or again go into the other sideofhart.com. There's multiple links there where you can find all the retailers carrying the book. Thanks a lot for being with us and we'll see you next
Key takeaways
- A public failure can show where preparation fell short and give you a concrete reason to train differently.
- Hanes returned to the pull-up record only after months of practice, not confidence alone.
- Supporting the Miracle Foundation gives his jeans races a purpose beyond attention.
- At 120 miles a week, Hanes plans food and sleep as closely as his running.
- Ken's Strava logs show how years of work can precede public recognition.
Nowhere to Hide
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