May 29, 2025 • 52 mins
Tune into this week’s episode as Rob and Becs are joined by Slow AF Run Club founder Martinus Evans—an author, advocate, and someone who's made the sport of running so much more inclusive. Back in 2012 while working 10-12 hours a day at a sales job, he hurt his hip and went to his doctor for a checkup. The doctor told him he was fat and needed to lose weight. Martinus told the doctor he was going to run a marathon—and a year later, he did. Martinus is one of the featured runners in a new film produced by New York Road Runners and Tribeca Productions, which is premiering at this year's Tribeca Festival on June 12. Hear Martinus, now a new father, talk about how running and fatherhood have a few things in common: small wins along the way with a lot of bumps and obstacles too. Ultimately though, the goal is to get the baby across the finish line.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Martinus Evans (00:00):
In spite of all the troubles you might have been
through, our goal is to finish anyway. I ran races
where they ran out of water. I ran races where
they ran out of medals and packed up and there
was no finish line. And when it was all set and done,
in spite of all those things, I finished anyway. I
made it to the finish line. I had that goal, I set
that goal and I overcame all those obstacles to get there.
Rob Simmelkjaer (00:27):
Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official
podcast of New York Roadrunners, presented by Peloton. I'm your
host, Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Roadrunners, and we're
back together this week. My co- host, Becs Gentry is
on the pod. What's up, Becs?
Becs Gentry (00:44):
Hi, we missed you last week during your CEO- ing.
I don't want to put that (inaudible) . That's now a thing
is CEO- ing.
Rob Simmelkjaer (00:54):
Yeah, there are times, there are times when I have
to go and actually be CEO and not podcast co-
host. We were having an off- site with our management
team last week, which was fantastic. But thank you for
holding down the fort. And for such a great episode.
If you haven't listened to it, go back and listen
to last week's episode with Becs talking to Shaunta- Mae.
(01:17):
It was awesome. She's such an inspirational story.
Becs Gentry (01:20):
She truly, truly is. I was blessed to spend that
time with her, as with all of our incredible, incredible guests.
How was your Memorial Day weekend?
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:30):
Oh, it was good, Becs. You know, I'm not running
much right now, actually. It's interesting. I'm in a little
bit of a running break. I get a couple miles
here, a couple miles there.
Becs Gentry (01:40):
Nice.
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:41):
But coming into this summer, having run two marathons since
last fall, I was like, " Let me get back into
some things I missed." So, I played some tennis this
weekend, which was great. Spent some time at the pool, a
lot of kids stuff. My kids are coming over to
hang out with their friends, go swimming. My daughter had
(02:03):
a very impromptu little party with her friends on Sunday night.
Becs Gentry (02:06):
You're such a cool dad.
Rob Simmelkjaer (02:08):
Yeah, I'm like the guy with the fun house now,
the pool. So, the kids are coming over and then (inaudible) -
Becs Gentry (02:14):
Can I come over?
Rob Simmelkjaer (02:14):
... comes over. Yes, you can. Come on over. Let's
get you guys up here. And so it's fun, but
then sometimes it gets a little bit crazy with the
teenager. So, I was up a little later than I
planned Sunday night with five teenage girls running around my
house, but it was a good weekend.
Becs Gentry (02:30):
Oh, that's how it should be though, right? Memorial Day weekend.
Rob Simmelkjaer (02:34):
That's what I want. I love having lots of people
around, so it was a great weekend, absolutely. How about
you? What do you guys got going on?
Becs Gentry (02:42):
It was very, very relaxed, actually. You know what? In
true New York Roadrunner representation, I went and got some
miles in Central Park yesterday with Tallulah and Austin. We
did a little family run around the park, which was
great. I have to give a big shout- out Austin for
pushing her heavy, heavy stroller all the way up Harlem
(03:02):
Hill. Yeah.
Rob Simmelkjaer (03:05):
Wow, a stroller up Harlem Hill is no joke.
Becs Gentry (03:08):
Not breaking a sweat. Well, no, he was absolutely dying.
Oh, with a sweat. But he was crushing the pace.
And other than that, we just, Tallulah had her first
soft serve ice cream with sprinkles on, her first one ever.
Rob Simmelkjaer (03:22):
Oh, magic.
Becs Gentry (03:23):
Which was wild. Yeah, she was unfortunately a little unwell
last night. So, I'm not sure whether that's going anything to
do with the fact that we don't really give her
sugar and then let her have that whole ice cream.
Anyway, parenting SOS there. But otherwise it was relaxing. It
was nice to see the sun came out, so it
was always good. But yeah, I'm running. I'm running, but
(03:44):
I'm not running as much as I probably should be
with an upcoming marathon, but-
Rob Simmelkjaer (03:50):
It comes in waves. I think we all have to have our
waves of intense running and then waves of pulling back
a little, letting our body rest. I've come around to
just letting my body and my mind tell me what
it wants. And if it wants to run 10 miles
in a week, then that's what I'm going to do. And
when I'm ready to ramp up to more, then that's
(04:11):
okay. I still keep it going, still get the joy
of it when I do it. So, however you do
it is a beautiful thing and fits into your life
however it does. So, while we've got a great episode
today, Becs, one of my absolute favorite people, Martinus Evans,
the founder of the Slow AF Run Club. He's an
author, an advocate, someone who's made the sport of running
(04:34):
so much more inclusive, and he's one of the featured
runners in our Final Finishers documentary. A new film produced by New
York Roadrunners and Tribeca Productions, which is premiering at this year's
Tribeca Festival on June 12th. Martinus is going to join
us in a little bit, and it's so much fun
talking to him about the origins of Slow AF, his
(04:55):
own story, how he became a runner. So, that's coming
up a little bit later on the podcast. It's a
great conversation. But before we get there, Becs, some more
exciting news from our new content studio, which is called
East 89th St Productions. By the way, for those who
don't know, that's a nod to the old headquarters of
(05:15):
New York Roadrunners up on East 89th Street between Madison
and Fifth Avenue where people used to go pick up
their bibs back in the day for a long, long time.
Becs Gentry (05:24):
So cool.
Rob Simmelkjaer (05:26):
We're very excited about this, but we also have a
new podcast out as part of that production studio, and
it's our first ever audio documentary. So, it's not just
the interviews and the conversation that you have here on
Set the Pace, but it is really a great narrative
storytelling documentary podcast. It's called 850 Million Reasons to Run,
(05:50):
and it's a five- part series that follows New York
Roadrunners member Peter Kirk, who went from a life- threatening
diagnosis to the starting line of the TCS New York City Marathon
all in under a year. And it's an incredibly powerful
honest story. Becs, I listened to the first episode during
(06:10):
one of my brief runs last weekend, and I loved
it. And I'm dying to hear, because I don't know
all of his story. I wasn't involved in the production of this
podcast, so I'm just a listener and I can't wait for
episode two to drop, which I think will have dropped
by the time this episode right here does.
Becs Gentry (06:27):
Yeah, it's unreal. You all should be listening to it.
Peter is an absolutely incredible human. If you don't know
his story, he had acute leukemia, form of cancer. He
is aiming to run 1, 000 half- marathons. Yeah, he
(06:48):
basically runs two a week. And his story of success,
his story of what is possible as a human and
the goal to just succeed. But in the episode that
(07:11):
has dropped already he talks about his cancer journey, his
stem cell transplant. Success. It's a successful story, so I'm
setting you up to not have too many tearjerkers. Though,
if you are like me, you will shed a tear
or two just for empathy, I think as well. It's
beautiful and wonderfully produced, so congratulations to the East 89th
(07:34):
Street production team.
Rob Simmelkjaer (07:36):
That's right, Matt Singer, Katherine Jones, our team doing a
phenomenal job putting that together, so very exciting. And make
sure you check out those episodes. A couple more should
be out when you are listening to this version of
Set the Pace. All right, last but not least, Becs,
we will end today's show as we always do with
(07:58):
some important tips from Meb Keflezighi. Today's Meb Minute is all about
what you should be doing to prep for a fall
marathon before you officially begin your training plan. A lot
of people are in that mode now where they've got
a ticket booked, an entry into one of the fall
marathons. Maybe it's not quite time to really get going
into your training yet, so how do you prep to
(08:20):
prep? How do you get ready for your training? Meb
will take us through all that as well.
Becs Gentry (08:26):
Try the Peloton app for free and access classes for
every type of runner. Whether you're training for your first
race or you're a seasoned pro. From outdoor runs and
intervals to strength, yoga and stretching, you'll find the perfect
fit for every part of your routine. Whether it's a
long run day or you just need a quick five-
minute reset. The Peloton app meets you where you are
(08:48):
and helps you become a stronger, faster runner. Because it's
designed for someone like you. Try the app free for
30 days and download it now from the app store
or Google Play. Terms apply. Peloton, the official digital fitness
partner for New York Roadrunners.
Rob Simmelkjaer (09:06):
This week we are joined by Martinus Evans, a marathoner,
an author and a founder of the Slow AF Run
Club. And a tireless advocate who challenges what we think
a runner looks like and who gets to be one.
Martinus has built a global community for runners of all
body types and paces, and he's helping lead a much
(09:26):
needed shift in how we talk about inclusion in the
sport. And I've had a chance to get to know
Martinus quite a bit over the last couple of years
through his book, and it's great to see you, and
welcome to Set the Pace, Martinus.
Martinus Evans (09:39):
Hey man, I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me.
Rob Simmelkjaer (09:42):
Absolutely. I've had a chance to get to know you.
You've had this incredible run with your Slow AF, which
stands for as Something Run Club, and your story is
incredible. When I first met you, I think it was
at one of your book signings. And you gave an
(10:04):
incredible talk about your journey as a runner. Someone who,
if someone walks up to you on the street, the
first word that comes to mind may not be marathoner,
but there you are. And can you talk about how
this all happened for you? And it is documented in the film that
we've got coming up, Final Finisher, which we're so excited about.
(10:26):
You're a big part of that story. But talk about
how this all came about for you as a big
guy starting to run these long distances.
Martinus Evans (10:35):
Absolutely, Rob. Let me take you back in 2012, think about
where were you at in 2012? For me, I was working
commission sales job at Men's Warehouse. I was on my
feet 10 to 12 hours a day. I was a commission suit
salesman. I was on my feet pretty much a long
period of time. One day I ended up hurting my hip.
(10:57):
I went to go see a doctor and this kind of
spiraled into the journey we know now, sat in this
doctor's office and he was like, "I know why you're in
pain, because you're fat and you need to lose weight."
And I said a lot of colorful four letter words
that's probably not permitted on this podcast.
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:17):
Did the doctor actually say fat? Did he actually fat,
use the word fat?
Martinus Evans (11:21):
Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:21):
Yeah. That's interesting. Different, slightly different time, but hey.
Martinus Evans (11:25):
Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:26):
I guess he was being-
Martinus Evans (11:26):
2012, right?
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:27):
Yeah, not that long ago, but okay.
Martinus Evans (11:32):
But yeah, he called me fat. He told me I
need to lose weight or die. He went on this
whole thing of you need to start walking and lose
weight and all this other stuff. And just being tired,
frustrated, and A, just tired of people just counting me
out. As a previous collegiate athlete, I have the determination,
(11:55):
I have the mindset. So, I told that doctor, " I'm
going to run a marathon. Forget all the things you're
talking about. I'm going to go run a marathon." And he laughed at me. He didn't
give me a hah, hah laugh or a giggle laugh.
He didn't even give me a laugh like he's laughing with
me, right? He's laughing at me.
Becs Gentry (12:13):
So, talk us through it. What happened? You went and
got the running shoes, and then what?
Martinus Evans (12:20):
I went to go get the running shoes, Becs, and I
was like, "I was going to run a marathon that day. I'm
running a marathon today."
Becs Gentry (12:27):
Got fired up.
Martinus Evans (12:29):
There was a lot of things I didn't necessarily know
about marathon running, but I was like, " I'm going to
run one today." I remember telling my friends, "I'm going to go run
a 5K marathon today."
Becs Gentry (12:39):
Google like, how long is a marathon?
Martinus Evans (12:45):
But I get the shoes and I go to the fitness
center in my apartment complex, and there's three treadmills there,
I remember this vividly. And two treadmills are already occupied
by these two guys that I lovingly call them gazelles.
Because they were tearing it up, they were tearing the
treadmill. And I remember getting on the treadmill and sizing
(13:08):
these guys up and one guy was going 10, another guy
was going nine.
Becs Gentry (13:14):
Wow.
Martinus Evans (13:14):
And I thought to myself, " You know what, if these guys are
going nine and 10, I can at least go seven." Say wrong.
Rob Simmelkjaer (13:26):
Yeah, seven's not slow, seven is moving, seven's moving for you.
Martinus Evans (13:32):
So, I put it on seven, the belt is speeding in between my
legs and I said, " Here goes nothing." And I get
on that treadmill belt and my life left before my
eyes. All I remember, it was struggling and fighting for
(13:52):
what I felt like an eternity until the world stopped
and I was on the ground.
Becs Gentry (13:59):
Oh, no.
Martinus Evans (14:00):
I fell off the treadmill.
Becs Gentry (14:04):
Oh, no.
Martinus Evans (14:04):
Yes.
Becs Gentry (14:05):
Oh, no.
Martinus Evans (14:06):
The noise that I made falling off that treadmill was deafening.
And as I'm trying to get up and make sure
nobody sees me, and everybody saw me, everybody saw me. I
try to get up, I grabbed my stuff. One of the
gazelles looked at me and was like, " Are you okay?" And I was like, "Yeah, I just
(14:28):
lost my balance." And I grabbed my phone and that
little red light was flashing and it said 15 seconds.
And I was like, " Oh, this is not a marathon."
And I got up out of there. I remember walking out of the fitness
center with tears in my eyes being like, " Maybe the
(14:51):
doctor's right. Maybe I can't do this. Maybe I am
done for thinking I can do this." And as I got home, I reached
out to the doorknob and I have his tattoo on my right
wrist and it says, " No struggle, no progress." It comes
from the famous Frederick Douglass speech. And I got it
(15:16):
a long time ago, and when I reached out to
the doorknob to twist the doorknob open, I seen a
tattoo and it said, " No struggle, no progress." And I
thought to myself, " You know what? I got to go
through the struggle."
Becs Gentry (15:31):
Yeah, yeah, you do. And hold onto it and hold onto that pain
and that catalyst though, I mean, we all need a
catalyst. Whatever is a current roadblock in life, there's always
a catalyst, but it's whether you hold onto it or
whether you just shove it aside and say, " All right,
I'm going to let that defeat me." And you didn't, you
(15:52):
didn't, you gave it a go. You had that 15
seconds, it slammed you down, but you got back up, and that's it.
That's the amazing, amazing side of it. Had you been
on a treadmill before that?
Martinus Evans (16:07):
I have, but a very long time ago. Like I said, I was a collegiate athlete,
I played college football. And that was probably about five
years after that. I was still nimble for my size.
I can tear it up on a flag football field.
(16:28):
But was I really working out? Was I really exercising? Nah, I wasn't.
Becs Gentry (16:32):
No. Okay.
Rob Simmelkjaer (16:33):
Yeah, certain football positions, your number one skill is mass.
Just the size and the mass that you can bring
to hitting another person. That can be an advantage in
football, but later in life can become a problem and
present some health challenges. So, how Martinus, did you get
(16:55):
from on the ground next to that treadmill to actually
accomplishing your objective of 26.2 miles? How did that happen?
What help did you have along the way?
Martinus Evans (17:09):
All the things I'm going to say, it's simple, but it's
not easy to do. And what I mean by that, it
really took a lot of micro steps along the way. Let's
talk about the next day. I go back to the
fitness center, I'm like, " This treadmill is not going to beat
me." I run for 30 seconds straight, I'm like, " All right,
that's good enough. I had to prove to myself that I can get on the
(17:31):
treadmill and run." And then every day after that I
would just go and just do a little bit more,
like 45 seconds, try to run a minute. And then
a friend told me about Couch to 5K, and I'm kind
of obsessive, so I download four of them and I'm
trying different voices and things that I saw and just went
through the paces of Couch to 5K. And one of the
(17:53):
things that I found out during there was that some
of these Couch to 5K programs, 5K programs, wasn't necessarily meant for
me, because I'll get to try to do it and
then I couldn't finish the program. So, I'll try to
modify it and I'll repeat the days and so on and so
(18:14):
forth until I was able to be comfortable with that
particular day. It took me about 10 to 12 weeks to be
able to run my first 5K. I remember signing up for, it was
a, I think it was a 5K for the September 11th
firefighters, I think it was Steven Siller Foundation or something like that,
(18:38):
Tunnel to Towers. So that was my first 5K. I ran that and
from that day on I was hooked. And I was like, "
Okay, if I can do this, I can train for
10K." Trained for 10K, run a bunch of 10Ks and then train for a half-
marathon. And then I'll say, " Okay, I trained for a half- marathon,
(19:02):
it's time to sign up for the big dog." And signed
up for a marathon and went out there and did
my thing.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:10):
And what year was that, Martinus?
Martinus Evans (19:13):
I ran Detroit Marathon. My first marathon was Detroit Marathon.
It was October of 2013.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:19):
All right. So, that was basically about a year after that
disappointment, right? Ish?
Martinus Evans (19:24):
Yeah, roughly a year- ish, 18 months, somewhere around there.
I met the doctor in June of 2012, and then
I ran that marathon in August of 2013. Well, not
August, October 2013.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:40):
Amazing.
Becs Gentry (19:40):
Wow. Did you at any point on that, let's call
it 14 months or whatever, no 15 months, semantics, any
point think that running would become such a huge part
of who you were and your identity in the future?
Martinus Evans (19:59):
Absolutely not.
Becs Gentry (20:01):
No?
Martinus Evans (20:01):
No. I did not think that running was going to
be that thing that I would do 10, 11, 12 years from then, right?
And I say that, because another thing that was also
happening during that time of me running, I was writing a
(20:22):
blog that got, it was fairly popular. And then I
was also getting a master's degree, so I was getting a
master's degree in health promotion public health. So, there was
a lot of things going on and I thought to
myself that this running thing would just be something that would keep
(20:44):
me sane while going to grad school and thinking about
getting my PhD. But it became a thing that, became that
catalyst that pretty much flipped everything that I did in
life. And what I mean by that is, for example, some
of these people, people don't even know this, right? I
have a bachelor's in exercise science, the master's in health
(21:05):
promotion, public health, and then I have a second master's
in digital marketing. But here's the thing, much of the
directory when I was in grad school, I forget what
I was even going to do, but it wasn't what I did.
I remember talking to my advisor and being like, " Hey,
(21:26):
there is this" ... There was this conference called Fit Blogging,
and it was like all these fitness bloggers got together. And I
remember telling my advisor, " Hey, I think I want my
master thesis to be on weight loss bloggers and readers
or weight loss bloggers of these fitness blogs. I want to
(21:46):
see are they actually losing weight? Are people who are
on weight loss journeys actually doing this thing?" And I
remember my advisor being like, " That does not make sense.
Nobody's doing their journeys or using their fitness journeys and
things of that sort." I'm like, " No, there's a conference
(22:07):
of people who does this." And when it was all said
and done, I ended up writing my master thesis on
weight loss bloggers and readers of weight loss bloggers. To really
understand this parasocial relationship. Like, are people actually getting the
thing that they want? Are people actually getting active? Are people actually moving
(22:30):
their body from reading these other stories? And the answer ended
up being yes, right? I can't remember the research and all
the stuff, but my master thesis, a couple of those
ended up becoming articles that was published in scientific journals.
Rob Simmelkjaer (22:49):
Amazing. It seems like these lines were all moving in
the same direction in your life. Maybe you didn't know
exactly where they were all pointing you towards. But you
were moving in this direction to do what you're now
doing with Slow AF Run Club. All right, so let's get
(23:10):
from the finish line of that first marathon in Detroit
to the start of Slow AF Run Club, and the
story, Martinus, it's one of my favorite stories of what inspired
you to start this club and to name it Slow AF.
Martinus Evans (23:27):
Okay, so let's talk about it. Slow AF Run Club
and how this thing got started. I was running a
particular race, a very large race.
Rob Simmelkjaer (23:38):
You could say it, you could say it, come on, we're honest here on
Set the Pace.
Martinus Evans (23:43):
I was running New York City Marathon, so I was running New York City Marathon. First time being, actually it
was the first time me being in New York. And running the
marathon and I get to the Queensboro Bridge, and I
(24:03):
remember this bridge, because it's quiet, there's no spectators. All
you hear is lost souls and moaning being like, " Ah,
this bridge F this bridge. Why?" I remember getting off
the bridge making that, I think it's a left turn and then there's a right turn and then you're
on First Ave. And I remember being like, "I just got off this
(24:26):
bridge and now I'm still on an incline. What is this?" And I
was on the left barricade and I remember this guy
pointing at me and I'm like, " Okay, you about to
give me a fist pump, a banana, a beer, something?"
I go to him, I run towards him and he's like, "
Hey buddy, you're slow, you Slow AF know," those words.
(24:50):
And I was like, " What?" And I remember him being like, "
Go home, it's not even, you're not going to win. Just go
home." We had some few church words, some colorful words
that I won't say on this podcast, but I remember
being like, " Why am I even wasting my breath on
somebody who's on the sideline and I'm actually doing the
thing?" After I finished this race, finish New York City,
(25:18):
get my medal, I think to myself, " I'm going to create
a community called the Slow AF Run Club." And it
is A, like a big middle finger to him. But also knowing that during
that time I've ran a few races, I know there
was other people who are in the back of the pack. Starting to become good friends
(25:38):
with some of those people in Facebook groups and things
of that sort. And I was like, "You know what? I'm going to create something that us
slow runners to get together and just be together and
run races." That was really the ultimate goal was like,
get ... I started this thing with 50 people. Get 50 of my
(26:02):
closest running buddies that I've met online or Instagram or
in a Facebook group and say, " Hey, let's get together and
let's plan out races together so we no longer have
to run alone. I don't want to see you at
a race and be like, 'Oh, I didn't know you
was here.' Let's just plan them out. What races are
you running? Let's plan together, let's share hotels, and so
(26:24):
on and so forth." And that was right before the
pandemic. And then something happened, the pandemic happened, so all
our races got canceled. Races was dropping like flies during that
time. And these 40 or 50 people that we had in there
was sad. Even myself went, " We can't run these races,
(26:48):
where are we going to go?" And I remember reaching out
to a buddy who's a race director, shout out to
JT. And I was like, " Hey, I think I want
to put on this race. Can you help me find
a medal, the strip gird things of that sort?" He put me in contact
with a medal distributor and we created a medal. And
(27:09):
my first, I put on a virtual race and it was
called the Slow AF Social Distancing Shuffle. I put on
this race and I remember with the race medals I
had to buy a minimal of 100 medals. I'm thinking to
myself like, " Oh my God, I spent so much money
(27:30):
who are going to buy these medals?" And I put it out there
in the interwebs and 10, 000 people signed up for this virtual race.
Rob Simmelkjaer (27:44):
I'm sorry, what Martinus? Ten what?
Martinus Evans (27:44):
10,000 people signed up for this virtual race?
Becs Gentry (27:44):
Yes, thank you. Yes.
Martinus Evans (27:46):
Yes.
Becs Gentry (27:49):
It's a lot more medals that you needed to buy
though, I'm sorry about that part.
Martinus Evans (27:51):
You think.
Becs Gentry (27:56):
Wait, so how much is a virtual medal?
Martinus Evans (28:02):
So yeah, I then had to go back to the
manufacturer and get more medals and things that 10, 000
people signed up for that, and literally overnight we went from a
community of 50 people to 10, 000 people who were just
sticking around and be like, " Hey, when's the next one? I
wanted a little medal, you got more things, your turtle
(28:24):
mascot is amazing." And we'll just put on more virtual
races. And then became just putting on virtual races to
people actually coming in and asking for helping support like, "
Hey, what running shoes are you running in? Do you
run for speed or distance first? I'm hungry while I'm
(28:47):
running. Do I supposed to eat?" I think one of
the biggest questions was, " Do you eat while you run?
How do you eat and run? I don't never see
the professional athletes eat and run. Is that a thing?"
I would literally be in the community answering all these
(29:08):
questions, answering all these questions, " No, I would say run
for distance first, then speed. You should eat these things,
you should do all these things." And from there it
kind of went from that to like, " All right, let's
build out an app for this thing." And then from
(29:28):
the app it became, all right, I'm answering these questions
and most of these questions are the same question, so
let's write a book.
Rob Simmelkjaer (29:39):
And you did write a book. And that book has
been, from what I can tell, a big success, because
every time you show up at the run center or
the expo with that book, people are lined up to
get signed copies of it. And talk about the impact
that book has had, Martinus. Have you seen this movement
(30:03):
that you started to get people like you who are
atypical runners, big bodies, whatever's bringing them to running? Have
you seen a change in this movement you started of
Slow AF Run Club?
Martinus Evans (30:18):
Rob. Yes. First things first. At the point of this
recording right now where this thing is being recorded, that
book has sold 35, 000 copies.
Becs Gentry (30:31):
Oh, my gosh.
Rob Simmelkjaer (30:32):
It's amazing.
Martinus Evans (30:33):
Let that sink in.
Becs Gentry (30:34):
Congratulations.
Martinus Evans (30:34):
35, 000 copies. So yes, I think that, not even
think, I know that this book is definitely starting a
movement for people who do not see who they are
in the running industry, do not read about themselves in
(30:54):
the running industry or even just feel left out. I
think about myself when I started running back in 2012.
There was not a book out there written by somebody
like me. Most running books are written by elite athletes
or coaches of elite athletes showing their method on how
(31:16):
to get these elite athletes moving, right? When I started-
Becs Gentry (31:21):
Not for the everyday person.
Martinus Evans (31:22):
Not for the everyday person.
Becs Gentry (31:24):
No.
Martinus Evans (31:25):
When I started Couch to 5K, as I stated earlier, there were some days
where I needed to repeat. I could not just run through
Couch to 5K throughout from day one to day whatever. I
had to repeat days. So, there was a lot of
things that I learned along the way that I wish I
just had somebody to tell me. And now that this
(31:47):
book is out I'm fulfilling that mission. And you can
definitely see it when people are out in the streets
or I'm at a race expo or on Facebook or
on Instagram, or even on a racecourse where people are like, "
Hey, that book has inspired me." " Hey, you have provided
(32:07):
information that nobody has said before." " Hey, thank you, because
you are literally saying the things that I'm too afraid
to say out loud." And that was my goal, and
I definitely succeeded with that.
Becs Gentry (32:23):
You did, astronomically, unreal. The name Slow AF is synonymous with
acceptance, with welcoming and with success. Honestly, it's just, I
think of all of the All- Runners and whenever I've met
(32:43):
runners who rep Slow AF, they are so proud to
talk about their successes from the, and I'm sure you've
had millions of people telling you through all the various
forms of communication we have these days, " I'm not a
runner, I don't know where to start help, what do
(33:04):
I do? I want to be able to move like
you, how do I start?" And so, obviously, it's in
your book, but how do you inspire people who were
perhaps in a similar situation to where you were at
leaving that doctor's office and just being like, " No, no,
you're not going to be right. I'm going to be
(33:26):
right and my right's going to be awesome, and it's going to be for me."
Martinus Evans (33:37):
Becs, one of the things that I do that I think I'm pretty great at is providing psychological safety. I think where people who are
in the back of the pack, I think about people
who are plus size, the world has beat upon us.
The world is not necessarily a nice place for a
plus size person. The world is not necessarily a nice place for a slow
runner. And I think that for me it's providing that psychological
(33:58):
safety to say, " You belong here. I know you've been through
some stuff, but when you with us when you with
me that stuff is not tolerated. And we're going to
celebrate the things that people have told you not to
celebrate. Those are the things that we're going to go hard on
celebrating. Because those are the micro steps and the micro
(34:18):
habits and the micro successes that's going to keep you
in the running industry." And that's more or less how
I see myself. Is this liaison for the running industry,
because as the years goes on, you want more people inside of
the industry and I think I can do that by
A, providing that psychological safety where most people won't.
Becs Gentry (34:43):
Yeah, agreed.
Rob Simmelkjaer (34:44):
Martinus, I can't, and Becs, I can't think of anyone who has
had a bigger impact on the running industry than you
have, Martinus, in a lot of ways since I've been around
here in this space and paying attention to it. Because
I mean, this is so much of what we talk
about at New York Roadrunners and when we talk about
(35:05):
things like Final Finishers, which we're going to talk about
in a second, keeping our finish line open until the
wee hours. I mean, it's for these people, it's for
you, for your club members, for the people just like
you so that they can see a place for themselves.
(35:25):
You can't see a place for yourself if you can't
get to the finish line before it's closed. And don't
get a medal for all the effort that you put
in. And so, that's so much of what animates all
of this for us. How many members do you have
now in Slow AF?
Martinus Evans (35:43):
Close to 40,000 people. We got about, I would actually say more, because
we have about 40, 000 people inside the app and then there's another
20,000 in a Facebook app, I mean, Facebook group, and there's also
some unofficial Slow AF Run Clubs out there that has
a few hundred thousand members in there. So, Slow AF
(36:03):
Run Club is growing legs and just, it's one of
those things that for me it's like, " All right, it's
now, it was my baby and now it's one of
the things that giving out to the world." But I
would say official members, we've got about 40, 000 people.
Rob Simmelkjaer (36:22):
Yeah, it's unbelievable.
Becs Gentry (36:22):
But you're right, people need to see representation, and this is
not a new thing, this is not a new thing
in any realm of life. But for the running community,
because closing courses, not giving people medals, that is a
dire representation of what running is about. And the medal
(36:48):
is not just a medal for the day as well.
And I think it's for you running that first marathon
from June 2012 to October 2013, that medal was for
that whole time. It wasn't just for that day when
you finish that marathon. And to take that away from
(37:09):
people just because of time and number is vicious in
my personal opinion. And it's not, seeing that your group
is growing so much and you are just welcoming so many
more people into this running world, that fills my heart,
makes me emotional, because for somebody in the position I'm
(37:31):
in, I get to coach people of all levels. And
that is one of the greatest pleasures I get in
life, outside of being a parent. It's to see the
people starting their journey. And I know you feel this
in your heart because you've gone through it of the
pride that they are able to do this for themselves.
(37:53):
And so, to those growing 40,000 plus members, flood in,
get that turtle, get that turtle logo everywhere, please.
Martinus Evans (38:09):
It's just one of those things that I'm very proud
of, right, to say that it's something about that journey
of you meet someone and they are so not confident
in themselves, like they're unconfident, they don't don't know if they can be
a runner, they're like, " I don't know," so on and so
(38:30):
forth. And just providing that little inkling of fire and
I see it almost as fire building. You got this little ember
and you're trying to foster this ember and provide it
the adequate fuel and air and next thing it become this
raging fireball. And I think that's how I see running and that's
(38:52):
how I see these people who come into the Slow AF
Run Club or our new runners who are just looking
for something to hold onto.
Rob Simmelkjaer (39:01):
Absolutely. All right, we're going to talk about Final Finishers a little bit. Martinus
is one of the runners who is featured in our
first ever documentary at New York Road Runners through our
new production arm East 89th St Productions. It's called Final
Finishers. It will premiere in June on June 12th at
(39:22):
the Tribeca Film Festival. We're so excited about that. And Martinus,
your story is so fantastic in this film. You go
through the story you've just told us, but really the
film is about that party at the finish line of
the TCS New York City Marathon and the way that
we celebrate those people coming in in 9, 10, 11 hours. Can
(39:47):
you talk about being a part of this film and
what that Final Finishers party and what it all means
to you and to the other members of your club?
Martinus Evans (39:58):
Absolutely. I think being a part of the film is A, one thing,
a step in a direction to just get more people
excited about running. To get more people excited about participating
in marathoning. I think that's the first thing, especially when
you look at other documentaries, from other running documentaries, I
(40:19):
think this will definitely help out with that. I think
for me, being a part of it really helps with
A, helps validate my story, my journey, the things that
I've been doing these past 10, 11 years to show, okay,
it is validated, right? But I also think it validates everybody
(40:42):
else's story who sits in the back and who are
silent. To be able to be part of a New York
City Marathon and sit there and be in the back and party along
all the streets. And then you think to yourself like, " Okay,
maybe I'm going to get to the finish line and nobody's there." And
it's like, " No, there's a party here. We're calling your
(41:05):
name, we're giving you high- fives. There's a celebration tunnel."
And it's one of those things of being out there
for 10, 11, even 12 hours and you almost feel like, " I have
nothing left to give." And then you make that turn
around that corner and everybody's there and it's like, " This
(41:26):
is what it was all meant for." Because you think
about all of the times that your mind has told you
to quit. I think for me, I think about that
time where that person told me to go home. All these
times where like there's doubt and you're fighting that doubt
and you get to the finish line and people are
(41:46):
celebrating, that is what it's all about.
Becs Gentry (41:52):
Really and truly is. That celebration, that love, that wow.
I cannot wait to see this whole documentary. Why, obviously,
it's the inspiration. But how on a daily basis do
(42:14):
you feel that you show up, and deal with sounds
like a negative word, but you know what I'm saying?
How do you shoulder this responsibility of being such a
voice of inclusion and inspiration for runners out there?
Martinus Evans (42:36):
I would say that A, it's a great feeling, but B,
for me, it's also bigger than running. I've been fortunate
enough to make a career as a professional speaker and
motivational speaker to go out in various locales like corporations,
various conferences, to also be able to share my story
(43:00):
and give that story of overcoming odds, and doing hard
things and believing yourself, right? That message like, yes, we're
talking about running, but that message is so generalized that
it tackles everybody. And I think that for me running is
(43:22):
that conduit, but my message is helping people finish anyway.
And in spite of all the troubles you might have
been through, in spite of all the things you may have
been through, our goal is to finish anyway. For me,
Rob talked about it, I've ran races where they ran
out of water, I ran races where they ran out on the
(43:44):
medals and packed up and there was no finish line.
And when it was all said and done, in spite of all
those things, I finished anyway. I made it to the finish line,
I had that goal, I set that goal and I
overcame all those obstacles to get there. For me it's
about helping people understand that they can finish any way
in all aspects of life. Yes, it can be running,
(44:06):
but yes, it can be at your office, it can
be at work, it can be at home. We all
have obstacles that are standing our way, and we're just
all trying to finish anyway.
Rob Simmelkjaer (44:18):
I love it. I love it. It's a metaphor for
life as Roadrunners, as running so often is. All right, so
the last great challenge you've taken on in life, Martinus
is to me the ultimate challenge, having done it myself,
which is fatherhood. And you are now knee- deep in
(44:41):
that journey as a father to your six- month- old
Max. Talk about that, what that has been like, and
how has what you've learned through running and through everything
you've achieved and the challenges you've overcome, how has that
(45:01):
played into your so far brief, but getting into a
journey as a father?
Martinus Evans (45:09):
Rob, I used to tell people, " Running a marathon was
the hardest thing I ever did in my life." And then I
ran eight of them, and it was going to be
nine of them this year. And I used to say
that until I became a father. Being a father is the hardest thing
(45:30):
that I ever had to do in my life. But
those principles, those first principles when it comes to running
is still there when it comes to fatherhood, staying curious,
staying patient, knowing that there's going to be small wins
along the way, but there's still going to be a
lot of bumps and obstacles along the way. And our
(45:52):
goal is to get this baby boy to the finish line.
So yes, those are how running and fatherhood helps me.
But I think the other thing is just being able to
see this little guy learn new things among the world
every day. Today he just rolled over for the first
(46:14):
time and I was like, " This is crazy, right?" Seeing
him struggle and seeing him moan and groan and the next
thing you know he flipped over and it's like, "You did it, you did it, you did it."
It's almost like coaching, right? It's almost like coaching this
little AF Run Club member. " You can do it, you can run that mile.
(46:38):
I got faith in you." And just being able to
see those micro moments every day. Because he's learning, he's
growing, he's experiencing the world every day. And for me it just shows like A,
how precious life is, but B, how all the things
(47:00):
I've learned throughout running can be translated to other parts
of life.
Becs Gentry (47:04):
Yeah, it's so true. And it can be more of a testament to we're meant
to do everything at our own speed. When you have
a kid you see that, because there are books upon
books about, " Your child should be hitting this milestone at
this point." And as a parent you're reading them and
you're freaking out if they're not. And then you speak
(47:25):
to, in my personal opinion, someone of an older generation who
just goes, " Put the phone down, put the book down."
Your child is fine and they are going to progress
and develop at their own speed. And those people in my
world are probably the same as, you should know that,
everybody moves at their own speed. And you're like, " Oh
(47:48):
my gosh, oh my gosh. Yes, running is just so
applicable to everything in life." Even a teeny tiny baby
rolling over is like, " Dude did that at his own
pace." Oh, it's so beautiful. Congratulations to you both on
Max, and being a parent in this world is nuts.
(48:12):
Yeah, I'll say is good luck on your next train
cycle, because it's going to look really different. Those stroller
miles, man, you'll be signing up for high rocks before you know it, you'll be like, "
I can push these sleds anywhere."
Martinus Evans (48:32):
I'm training for New York City this year and I was thinking to myself like, " Oh my god, June is
coming up fast." And it's like, " Oh, these miles is
going to be stroller miles." And I'm like, " I don't
know how I'm going to get this done, but we're
going to figure it out."
Becs Gentry (48:45):
You will. You'll figure it out. It'll be, nothing will
match. Seeing his cute little face wherever you see him
on race day, nothing will match that as well. Even
if you are in the depths of agony, it'll all be worth it.
Rob Simmelkjaer (49:01):
Martinus, can't wait to see you at the finish line of the
marathon this year with your baby boy. Hopefully they're waiting
for you. Can't wait to see you at the premiere
of Final Finishes as well in June. It's been amazing
talking to you, one of my favorite stories in the
(49:23):
sport of running what you've done with Slow AF Run
Club. So, thanks for hanging out with me and Becs for
a little while today and we will see you very
soon, Martinus Evans.
Martinus Evans (49:31):
Alrighty.
Rob Simmelkjaer (49:44):
New York Roadrunners is a non- profit organization with a
vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the
transformative power of running. The support of members and donors
like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the
health and well- being of our communities through inclusive and
accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn
(50:06):
more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. And now it's
time for today's Med Minutes.
Meb Keflezighi (50:14):
Pre- training base. Building a strong base with consistent training
or running before starting a structure training is very important.
Follow a graduate training plans 16 to 20 weeks to increase endurance
safely. Focus on nutrition, hydration, and recovery to support peak
performance. Invest in a proper running shoes and gear to
(50:37):
prevent injuries and enhance comfort. There's always a reset button.
It depends when you're getting ready for your next race
when to start off. For me personally, when I finish
one marathon, I'm not going to start from scratch. You
already were fit, but you need to be able to
recover and map out when the next race is going
to be and then start building up a base before and then
(50:59):
to progression run, and then eventually to race pace and
before you start doing intervals. So, it is important to
lay out the plan, personally I like to work from
that deadline and work backward, instead of saying, " Hey, what
is this week and next week?" Don't do that yourself.
Sign up for a race, bring the fitness back where
you were. If you start from scratch, like I said
(51:20):
earlier, you need maybe 16 to 20 weeks, but if you have
just finished a marathon, recover and start building up a
base, bring this fitness back to where you were. And
don't rush it, because if you were in a phenomenal
shape or you finished a marathon, you just need to
retrieve those fitness, so don't put too much pressure over
on yourself. So, have fun and go out for a run and bring that
(51:42):
fitness back to what it should be and you're going to do great.
Rob Simmelkjaer (51:44):
And that does it for another episode of Set the
Pace. I want to thank today's amazing guest, Martinus Evans. If you like
this episode, please go ahead, subscribe, rate, or leave a
comment for the show on whatever platform you're listening on.
This not only helps us, but it helps others find
the show as well. Enjoy the miles, everybody. We'll see
you next week.
In spite of all the troubles you might have been
through, our goal is to finish anyway. I ran races
where they ran out of water. I ran races where
they ran out of medals and packed up and there
was no finish line. And when it was all set and done,
in spite of all those things, I finished anyway. I
made it to the finish line. I had that goal, I set
that goal and I overcame all those obstacles to get there.
Rob Simmelkjaer (00:27):
Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official
podcast of New York Roadrunners, presented by Peloton. I'm your
host, Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Roadrunners, and we're
back together this week. My co- host, Becs Gentry is
on the pod. What's up, Becs?
Becs Gentry (00:44):
Hi, we missed you last week during your CEO- ing.
I don't want to put that (inaudible) . That's now a thing
is CEO- ing.
Rob Simmelkjaer (00:54):
Yeah, there are times, there are times when I have
to go and actually be CEO and not podcast co-
host. We were having an off- site with our management
team last week, which was fantastic. But thank you for
holding down the fort. And for such a great episode.
If you haven't listened to it, go back and listen
to last week's episode with Becs talking to Shaunta- Mae.
(01:17):
It was awesome. She's such an inspirational story.
Becs Gentry (01:20):
She truly, truly is. I was blessed to spend that
time with her, as with all of our incredible, incredible guests.
How was your Memorial Day weekend?
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:30):
Oh, it was good, Becs. You know, I'm not running
much right now, actually. It's interesting. I'm in a little
bit of a running break. I get a couple miles
here, a couple miles there.
Becs Gentry (01:40):
Nice.
Rob Simmelkjaer (01:41):
But coming into this summer, having run two marathons since
last fall, I was like, " Let me get back into
some things I missed." So, I played some tennis this
weekend, which was great. Spent some time at the pool, a
lot of kids stuff. My kids are coming over to
hang out with their friends, go swimming. My daughter had
(02:03):
a very impromptu little party with her friends on Sunday night.
Becs Gentry (02:06):
You're such a cool dad.
Rob Simmelkjaer (02:08):
Yeah, I'm like the guy with the fun house now,
the pool. So, the kids are coming over and then (inaudible) -
Becs Gentry (02:14):
Can I come over?
Rob Simmelkjaer (02:14):
... comes over. Yes, you can. Come on over. Let's
get you guys up here. And so it's fun, but
then sometimes it gets a little bit crazy with the
teenager. So, I was up a little later than I
planned Sunday night with five teenage girls running around my
house, but it was a good weekend.
Becs Gentry (02:30):
Oh, that's how it should be though, right? Memorial Day weekend.
Rob Simmelkjaer (02:34):
That's what I want. I love having lots of people
around, so it was a great weekend, absolutely. How about
you? What do you guys got going on?
Becs Gentry (02:42):
It was very, very relaxed, actually. You know what? In
true New York Roadrunner representation, I went and got some
miles in Central Park yesterday with Tallulah and Austin. We
did a little family run around the park, which was
great. I have to give a big shout- out Austin for
pushing her heavy, heavy stroller all the way up Harlem
(03:02):
Hill. Yeah.
Rob Simmelkjaer (03:05):
Wow, a stroller up Harlem Hill is no joke.
Becs Gentry (03:08):
Not breaking a sweat. Well, no, he was absolutely dying.
Oh, with a sweat. But he was crushing the pace.
And other than that, we just, Tallulah had her first
soft serve ice cream with sprinkles on, her first one ever.
Rob Simmelkjaer (03:22):
Oh, magic.
Becs Gentry (03:23):
Which was wild. Yeah, she was unfortunately a little unwell
last night. So, I'm not sure whether that's going anything to
do with the fact that we don't really give her
sugar and then let her have that whole ice cream.
Anyway, parenting SOS there. But otherwise it was relaxing. It
was nice to see the sun came out, so it
was always good. But yeah, I'm running. I'm running, but
(03:44):
I'm not running as much as I probably should be
with an upcoming marathon, but-
Rob Simmelkjaer (03:50):
It comes in waves. I think we all have to have our
waves of intense running and then waves of pulling back
a little, letting our body rest. I've come around to
just letting my body and my mind tell me what
it wants. And if it wants to run 10 miles
in a week, then that's what I'm going to do. And
when I'm ready to ramp up to more, then that's
(04:11):
okay. I still keep it going, still get the joy
of it when I do it. So, however you do
it is a beautiful thing and fits into your life
however it does. So, while we've got a great episode
today, Becs, one of my absolute favorite people, Martinus Evans,
the founder of the Slow AF Run Club. He's an
author, an advocate, someone who's made the sport of running
(04:34):
so much more inclusive, and he's one of the featured
runners in our Final Finishers documentary. A new film produced by New
York Roadrunners and Tribeca Productions, which is premiering at this year's
Tribeca Festival on June 12th. Martinus is going to join
us in a little bit, and it's so much fun
talking to him about the origins of Slow AF, his
(04:55):
own story, how he became a runner. So, that's coming
up a little bit later on the podcast. It's a
great conversation. But before we get there, Becs, some more
exciting news from our new content studio, which is called
East 89th St Productions. By the way, for those who
don't know, that's a nod to the old headquarters of
(05:15):
New York Roadrunners up on East 89th Street between Madison
and Fifth Avenue where people used to go pick up
their bibs back in the day for a long, long time.
Becs Gentry (05:24):
So cool.
Rob Simmelkjaer (05:26):
We're very excited about this, but we also have a
new podcast out as part of that production studio, and
it's our first ever audio documentary. So, it's not just
the interviews and the conversation that you have here on
Set the Pace, but it is really a great narrative
storytelling documentary podcast. It's called 850 Million Reasons to Run,
(05:50):
and it's a five- part series that follows New York
Roadrunners member Peter Kirk, who went from a life- threatening
diagnosis to the starting line of the TCS New York City Marathon
all in under a year. And it's an incredibly powerful
honest story. Becs, I listened to the first episode during
(06:10):
one of my brief runs last weekend, and I loved
it. And I'm dying to hear, because I don't know
all of his story. I wasn't involved in the production of this
podcast, so I'm just a listener and I can't wait for
episode two to drop, which I think will have dropped
by the time this episode right here does.
Becs Gentry (06:27):
Yeah, it's unreal. You all should be listening to it.
Peter is an absolutely incredible human. If you don't know
his story, he had acute leukemia, form of cancer. He
is aiming to run 1, 000 half- marathons. Yeah, he
(06:48):
basically runs two a week. And his story of success,
his story of what is possible as a human and
the goal to just succeed. But in the episode that
(07:11):
has dropped already he talks about his cancer journey, his
stem cell transplant. Success. It's a successful story, so I'm
setting you up to not have too many tearjerkers. Though,
if you are like me, you will shed a tear
or two just for empathy, I think as well. It's
beautiful and wonderfully produced, so congratulations to the East 89th
(07:34):
Street production team.
Rob Simmelkjaer (07:36):
That's right, Matt Singer, Katherine Jones, our team doing a
phenomenal job putting that together, so very exciting. And make
sure you check out those episodes. A couple more should
be out when you are listening to this version of
Set the Pace. All right, last but not least, Becs,
we will end today's show as we always do with
(07:58):
some important tips from Meb Keflezighi. Today's Meb Minute is all about
what you should be doing to prep for a fall
marathon before you officially begin your training plan. A lot
of people are in that mode now where they've got
a ticket booked, an entry into one of the fall
marathons. Maybe it's not quite time to really get going
into your training yet, so how do you prep to
(08:20):
prep? How do you get ready for your training? Meb
will take us through all that as well.
Becs Gentry (08:26):
Try the Peloton app for free and access classes for
every type of runner. Whether you're training for your first
race or you're a seasoned pro. From outdoor runs and
intervals to strength, yoga and stretching, you'll find the perfect
fit for every part of your routine. Whether it's a
long run day or you just need a quick five-
minute reset. The Peloton app meets you where you are
(08:48):
and helps you become a stronger, faster runner. Because it's
designed for someone like you. Try the app free for
30 days and download it now from the app store
or Google Play. Terms apply. Peloton, the official digital fitness
partner for New York Roadrunners.
Rob Simmelkjaer (09:06):
This week we are joined by Martinus Evans, a marathoner,
an author and a founder of the Slow AF Run
Club. And a tireless advocate who challenges what we think
a runner looks like and who gets to be one.
Martinus has built a global community for runners of all
body types and paces, and he's helping lead a much
(09:26):
needed shift in how we talk about inclusion in the
sport. And I've had a chance to get to know
Martinus quite a bit over the last couple of years
through his book, and it's great to see you, and
welcome to Set the Pace, Martinus.
Martinus Evans (09:39):
Hey man, I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me.
Rob Simmelkjaer (09:42):
Absolutely. I've had a chance to get to know you.
You've had this incredible run with your Slow AF, which
stands for as Something Run Club, and your story is
incredible. When I first met you, I think it was
at one of your book signings. And you gave an
(10:04):
incredible talk about your journey as a runner. Someone who,
if someone walks up to you on the street, the
first word that comes to mind may not be marathoner,
but there you are. And can you talk about how
this all happened for you? And it is documented in the film that
we've got coming up, Final Finisher, which we're so excited about.
(10:26):
You're a big part of that story. But talk about
how this all came about for you as a big
guy starting to run these long distances.
Martinus Evans (10:35):
Absolutely, Rob. Let me take you back in 2012, think about
where were you at in 2012? For me, I was working
commission sales job at Men's Warehouse. I was on my
feet 10 to 12 hours a day. I was a commission suit
salesman. I was on my feet pretty much a long
period of time. One day I ended up hurting my hip.
(10:57):
I went to go see a doctor and this kind of
spiraled into the journey we know now, sat in this
doctor's office and he was like, "I know why you're in
pain, because you're fat and you need to lose weight."
And I said a lot of colorful four letter words
that's probably not permitted on this podcast.
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:17):
Did the doctor actually say fat? Did he actually fat,
use the word fat?
Martinus Evans (11:21):
Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:21):
Yeah. That's interesting. Different, slightly different time, but hey.
Martinus Evans (11:25):
Yes.
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:26):
I guess he was being-
Martinus Evans (11:26):
2012, right?
Rob Simmelkjaer (11:27):
Yeah, not that long ago, but okay.
Martinus Evans (11:32):
But yeah, he called me fat. He told me I
need to lose weight or die. He went on this
whole thing of you need to start walking and lose
weight and all this other stuff. And just being tired,
frustrated, and A, just tired of people just counting me
out. As a previous collegiate athlete, I have the determination,
(11:55):
I have the mindset. So, I told that doctor, " I'm
going to run a marathon. Forget all the things you're
talking about. I'm going to go run a marathon." And he laughed at me. He didn't
give me a hah, hah laugh or a giggle laugh.
He didn't even give me a laugh like he's laughing with
me, right? He's laughing at me.
Becs Gentry (12:13):
So, talk us through it. What happened? You went and
got the running shoes, and then what?
Martinus Evans (12:20):
I went to go get the running shoes, Becs, and I
was like, "I was going to run a marathon that day. I'm
running a marathon today."
Becs Gentry (12:27):
Got fired up.
Martinus Evans (12:29):
There was a lot of things I didn't necessarily know
about marathon running, but I was like, " I'm going to
run one today." I remember telling my friends, "I'm going to go run
a 5K marathon today."
Becs Gentry (12:39):
Google like, how long is a marathon?
Martinus Evans (12:45):
But I get the shoes and I go to the fitness
center in my apartment complex, and there's three treadmills there,
I remember this vividly. And two treadmills are already occupied
by these two guys that I lovingly call them gazelles.
Because they were tearing it up, they were tearing the
treadmill. And I remember getting on the treadmill and sizing
(13:08):
these guys up and one guy was going 10, another guy
was going nine.
Becs Gentry (13:14):
Wow.
Martinus Evans (13:14):
And I thought to myself, " You know what, if these guys are
going nine and 10, I can at least go seven." Say wrong.
Rob Simmelkjaer (13:26):
Yeah, seven's not slow, seven is moving, seven's moving for you.
Martinus Evans (13:32):
So, I put it on seven, the belt is speeding in between my
legs and I said, " Here goes nothing." And I get
on that treadmill belt and my life left before my
eyes. All I remember, it was struggling and fighting for
(13:52):
what I felt like an eternity until the world stopped
and I was on the ground.
Becs Gentry (13:59):
Oh, no.
Martinus Evans (14:00):
I fell off the treadmill.
Becs Gentry (14:04):
Oh, no.
Martinus Evans (14:04):
Yes.
Becs Gentry (14:05):
Oh, no.
Martinus Evans (14:06):
The noise that I made falling off that treadmill was deafening.
And as I'm trying to get up and make sure
nobody sees me, and everybody saw me, everybody saw me. I
try to get up, I grabbed my stuff. One of the
gazelles looked at me and was like, " Are you okay?" And I was like, "Yeah, I just
(14:28):
lost my balance." And I grabbed my phone and that
little red light was flashing and it said 15 seconds.
And I was like, " Oh, this is not a marathon."
And I got up out of there. I remember walking out of the fitness
center with tears in my eyes being like, " Maybe the
(14:51):
doctor's right. Maybe I can't do this. Maybe I am
done for thinking I can do this." And as I got home, I reached
out to the doorknob and I have his tattoo on my right
wrist and it says, " No struggle, no progress." It comes
from the famous Frederick Douglass speech. And I got it
(15:16):
a long time ago, and when I reached out to
the doorknob to twist the doorknob open, I seen a
tattoo and it said, " No struggle, no progress." And I
thought to myself, " You know what? I got to go
through the struggle."
Becs Gentry (15:31):
Yeah, yeah, you do. And hold onto it and hold onto that pain
and that catalyst though, I mean, we all need a
catalyst. Whatever is a current roadblock in life, there's always
a catalyst, but it's whether you hold onto it or
whether you just shove it aside and say, " All right,
I'm going to let that defeat me." And you didn't, you
(15:52):
didn't, you gave it a go. You had that 15
seconds, it slammed you down, but you got back up, and that's it.
That's the amazing, amazing side of it. Had you been
on a treadmill before that?
Martinus Evans (16:07):
I have, but a very long time ago. Like I said, I was a collegiate athlete,
I played college football. And that was probably about five
years after that. I was still nimble for my size.
I can tear it up on a flag football field.
(16:28):
But was I really working out? Was I really exercising? Nah, I wasn't.
Becs Gentry (16:32):
No. Okay.
Rob Simmelkjaer (16:33):
Yeah, certain football positions, your number one skill is mass.
Just the size and the mass that you can bring
to hitting another person. That can be an advantage in
football, but later in life can become a problem and
present some health challenges. So, how Martinus, did you get
(16:55):
from on the ground next to that treadmill to actually
accomplishing your objective of 26.2 miles? How did that happen?
What help did you have along the way?
Martinus Evans (17:09):
All the things I'm going to say, it's simple, but it's
not easy to do. And what I mean by that, it
really took a lot of micro steps along the way. Let's
talk about the next day. I go back to the
fitness center, I'm like, " This treadmill is not going to beat
me." I run for 30 seconds straight, I'm like, " All right,
that's good enough. I had to prove to myself that I can get on the
(17:31):
treadmill and run." And then every day after that I
would just go and just do a little bit more,
like 45 seconds, try to run a minute. And then
a friend told me about Couch to 5K, and I'm kind
of obsessive, so I download four of them and I'm
trying different voices and things that I saw and just went
through the paces of Couch to 5K. And one of the
(17:53):
things that I found out during there was that some
of these Couch to 5K programs, 5K programs, wasn't necessarily meant for
me, because I'll get to try to do it and
then I couldn't finish the program. So, I'll try to
modify it and I'll repeat the days and so on and so
(18:14):
forth until I was able to be comfortable with that
particular day. It took me about 10 to 12 weeks to be
able to run my first 5K. I remember signing up for, it was
a, I think it was a 5K for the September 11th
firefighters, I think it was Steven Siller Foundation or something like that,
(18:38):
Tunnel to Towers. So that was my first 5K. I ran that and
from that day on I was hooked. And I was like, "
Okay, if I can do this, I can train for
10K." Trained for 10K, run a bunch of 10Ks and then train for a half-
marathon. And then I'll say, " Okay, I trained for a half- marathon,
(19:02):
it's time to sign up for the big dog." And signed
up for a marathon and went out there and did
my thing.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:10):
And what year was that, Martinus?
Martinus Evans (19:13):
I ran Detroit Marathon. My first marathon was Detroit Marathon.
It was October of 2013.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:19):
All right. So, that was basically about a year after that
disappointment, right? Ish?
Martinus Evans (19:24):
Yeah, roughly a year- ish, 18 months, somewhere around there.
I met the doctor in June of 2012, and then
I ran that marathon in August of 2013. Well, not
August, October 2013.
Rob Simmelkjaer (19:40):
Amazing.
Becs Gentry (19:40):
Wow. Did you at any point on that, let's call
it 14 months or whatever, no 15 months, semantics, any
point think that running would become such a huge part
of who you were and your identity in the future?
Martinus Evans (19:59):
Absolutely not.
Becs Gentry (20:01):
No?
Martinus Evans (20:01):
No. I did not think that running was going to
be that thing that I would do 10, 11, 12 years from then, right?
And I say that, because another thing that was also
happening during that time of me running, I was writing a
(20:22):
blog that got, it was fairly popular. And then I
was also getting a master's degree, so I was getting a
master's degree in health promotion public health. So, there was
a lot of things going on and I thought to
myself that this running thing would just be something that would keep
(20:44):
me sane while going to grad school and thinking about
getting my PhD. But it became a thing that, became that
catalyst that pretty much flipped everything that I did in
life. And what I mean by that is, for example, some
of these people, people don't even know this, right? I
have a bachelor's in exercise science, the master's in health
(21:05):
promotion, public health, and then I have a second master's
in digital marketing. But here's the thing, much of the
directory when I was in grad school, I forget what
I was even going to do, but it wasn't what I did.
I remember talking to my advisor and being like, " Hey,
(21:26):
there is this" ... There was this conference called Fit Blogging,
and it was like all these fitness bloggers got together. And I
remember telling my advisor, " Hey, I think I want my
master thesis to be on weight loss bloggers and readers
or weight loss bloggers of these fitness blogs. I want to
(21:46):
see are they actually losing weight? Are people who are
on weight loss journeys actually doing this thing?" And I
remember my advisor being like, " That does not make sense.
Nobody's doing their journeys or using their fitness journeys and
things of that sort." I'm like, " No, there's a conference
(22:07):
of people who does this." And when it was all said
and done, I ended up writing my master thesis on
weight loss bloggers and readers of weight loss bloggers. To really
understand this parasocial relationship. Like, are people actually getting the
thing that they want? Are people actually getting active? Are people actually moving
(22:30):
their body from reading these other stories? And the answer ended
up being yes, right? I can't remember the research and all
the stuff, but my master thesis, a couple of those
ended up becoming articles that was published in scientific journals.
Rob Simmelkjaer (22:49):
Amazing. It seems like these lines were all moving in
the same direction in your life. Maybe you didn't know
exactly where they were all pointing you towards. But you
were moving in this direction to do what you're now
doing with Slow AF Run Club. All right, so let's get
(23:10):
from the finish line of that first marathon in Detroit
to the start of Slow AF Run Club, and the
story, Martinus, it's one of my favorite stories of what inspired
you to start this club and to name it Slow AF.
Martinus Evans (23:27):
Okay, so let's talk about it. Slow AF Run Club
and how this thing got started. I was running a
particular race, a very large race.
Rob Simmelkjaer (23:38):
You could say it, you could say it, come on, we're honest here on
Set the Pace.
Martinus Evans (23:43):
I was running New York City Marathon, so I was running New York City Marathon. First time being, actually it
was the first time me being in New York. And running the
marathon and I get to the Queensboro Bridge, and I
(24:03):
remember this bridge, because it's quiet, there's no spectators. All
you hear is lost souls and moaning being like, " Ah,
this bridge F this bridge. Why?" I remember getting off
the bridge making that, I think it's a left turn and then there's a right turn and then you're
on First Ave. And I remember being like, "I just got off this
(24:26):
bridge and now I'm still on an incline. What is this?" And I
was on the left barricade and I remember this guy
pointing at me and I'm like, " Okay, you about to
give me a fist pump, a banana, a beer, something?"
I go to him, I run towards him and he's like, "
Hey buddy, you're slow, you Slow AF know," those words.
(24:50):
And I was like, " What?" And I remember him being like, "
Go home, it's not even, you're not going to win. Just go
home." We had some few church words, some colorful words
that I won't say on this podcast, but I remember
being like, " Why am I even wasting my breath on
somebody who's on the sideline and I'm actually doing the
thing?" After I finished this race, finish New York City,
(25:18):
get my medal, I think to myself, " I'm going to create
a community called the Slow AF Run Club." And it
is A, like a big middle finger to him. But also knowing that during
that time I've ran a few races, I know there
was other people who are in the back of the pack. Starting to become good friends
(25:38):
with some of those people in Facebook groups and things
of that sort. And I was like, "You know what? I'm going to create something that us
slow runners to get together and just be together and
run races." That was really the ultimate goal was like,
get ... I started this thing with 50 people. Get 50 of my
(26:02):
closest running buddies that I've met online or Instagram or
in a Facebook group and say, " Hey, let's get together and
let's plan out races together so we no longer have
to run alone. I don't want to see you at
a race and be like, 'Oh, I didn't know you
was here.' Let's just plan them out. What races are
you running? Let's plan together, let's share hotels, and so
(26:24):
on and so forth." And that was right before the
pandemic. And then something happened, the pandemic happened, so all
our races got canceled. Races was dropping like flies during that
time. And these 40 or 50 people that we had in there
was sad. Even myself went, " We can't run these races,
(26:48):
where are we going to go?" And I remember reaching out
to a buddy who's a race director, shout out to
JT. And I was like, " Hey, I think I want
to put on this race. Can you help me find
a medal, the strip gird things of that sort?" He put me in contact
with a medal distributor and we created a medal. And
(27:09):
my first, I put on a virtual race and it was
called the Slow AF Social Distancing Shuffle. I put on
this race and I remember with the race medals I
had to buy a minimal of 100 medals. I'm thinking to
myself like, " Oh my God, I spent so much money
(27:30):
who are going to buy these medals?" And I put it out there
in the interwebs and 10, 000 people signed up for this virtual race.
Rob Simmelkjaer (27:44):
I'm sorry, what Martinus? Ten what?
Martinus Evans (27:44):
10,000 people signed up for this virtual race?
Becs Gentry (27:44):
Yes, thank you. Yes.
Martinus Evans (27:46):
Yes.
Becs Gentry (27:49):
It's a lot more medals that you needed to buy
though, I'm sorry about that part.
Martinus Evans (27:51):
You think.
Becs Gentry (27:56):
Wait, so how much is a virtual medal?
Martinus Evans (28:02):
So yeah, I then had to go back to the
manufacturer and get more medals and things that 10, 000
people signed up for that, and literally overnight we went from a
community of 50 people to 10, 000 people who were just
sticking around and be like, " Hey, when's the next one? I
wanted a little medal, you got more things, your turtle
(28:24):
mascot is amazing." And we'll just put on more virtual
races. And then became just putting on virtual races to
people actually coming in and asking for helping support like, "
Hey, what running shoes are you running in? Do you
run for speed or distance first? I'm hungry while I'm
(28:47):
running. Do I supposed to eat?" I think one of
the biggest questions was, " Do you eat while you run?
How do you eat and run? I don't never see
the professional athletes eat and run. Is that a thing?"
I would literally be in the community answering all these
(29:08):
questions, answering all these questions, " No, I would say run
for distance first, then speed. You should eat these things,
you should do all these things." And from there it
kind of went from that to like, " All right, let's
build out an app for this thing." And then from
(29:28):
the app it became, all right, I'm answering these questions
and most of these questions are the same question, so
let's write a book.
Rob Simmelkjaer (29:39):
And you did write a book. And that book has
been, from what I can tell, a big success, because
every time you show up at the run center or
the expo with that book, people are lined up to
get signed copies of it. And talk about the impact
that book has had, Martinus. Have you seen this movement
(30:03):
that you started to get people like you who are
atypical runners, big bodies, whatever's bringing them to running? Have
you seen a change in this movement you started of
Slow AF Run Club?
Martinus Evans (30:18):
Rob. Yes. First things first. At the point of this
recording right now where this thing is being recorded, that
book has sold 35, 000 copies.
Becs Gentry (30:31):
Oh, my gosh.
Rob Simmelkjaer (30:32):
It's amazing.
Martinus Evans (30:33):
Let that sink in.
Becs Gentry (30:34):
Congratulations.
Martinus Evans (30:34):
35, 000 copies. So yes, I think that, not even
think, I know that this book is definitely starting a
movement for people who do not see who they are
in the running industry, do not read about themselves in
(30:54):
the running industry or even just feel left out. I
think about myself when I started running back in 2012.
There was not a book out there written by somebody
like me. Most running books are written by elite athletes
or coaches of elite athletes showing their method on how
(31:16):
to get these elite athletes moving, right? When I started-
Becs Gentry (31:21):
Not for the everyday person.
Martinus Evans (31:22):
Not for the everyday person.
Becs Gentry (31:24):
No.
Martinus Evans (31:25):
When I started Couch to 5K, as I stated earlier, there were some days
where I needed to repeat. I could not just run through
Couch to 5K throughout from day one to day whatever. I
had to repeat days. So, there was a lot of
things that I learned along the way that I wish I
just had somebody to tell me. And now that this
(31:47):
book is out I'm fulfilling that mission. And you can
definitely see it when people are out in the streets
or I'm at a race expo or on Facebook or
on Instagram, or even on a racecourse where people are like, "
Hey, that book has inspired me." " Hey, you have provided
(32:07):
information that nobody has said before." " Hey, thank you, because
you are literally saying the things that I'm too afraid
to say out loud." And that was my goal, and
I definitely succeeded with that.
Becs Gentry (32:23):
You did, astronomically, unreal. The name Slow AF is synonymous with
acceptance, with welcoming and with success. Honestly, it's just, I
think of all of the All- Runners and whenever I've met
(32:43):
runners who rep Slow AF, they are so proud to
talk about their successes from the, and I'm sure you've
had millions of people telling you through all the various
forms of communication we have these days, " I'm not a
runner, I don't know where to start help, what do
(33:04):
I do? I want to be able to move like
you, how do I start?" And so, obviously, it's in
your book, but how do you inspire people who were
perhaps in a similar situation to where you were at
leaving that doctor's office and just being like, " No, no,
you're not going to be right. I'm going to be
(33:26):
right and my right's going to be awesome, and it's going to be for me."
Martinus Evans (33:37):
Becs, one of the things that I do that I think I'm pretty great at is providing psychological safety. I think where people who are
in the back of the pack, I think about people
who are plus size, the world has beat upon us.
The world is not necessarily a nice place for a
plus size person. The world is not necessarily a nice place for a slow
runner. And I think that for me it's providing that psychological
(33:58):
safety to say, " You belong here. I know you've been through
some stuff, but when you with us when you with
me that stuff is not tolerated. And we're going to
celebrate the things that people have told you not to
celebrate. Those are the things that we're going to go hard on
celebrating. Because those are the micro steps and the micro
(34:18):
habits and the micro successes that's going to keep you
in the running industry." And that's more or less how
I see myself. Is this liaison for the running industry,
because as the years goes on, you want more people inside of
the industry and I think I can do that by
A, providing that psychological safety where most people won't.
Becs Gentry (34:43):
Yeah, agreed.
Rob Simmelkjaer (34:44):
Martinus, I can't, and Becs, I can't think of anyone who has
had a bigger impact on the running industry than you
have, Martinus, in a lot of ways since I've been around
here in this space and paying attention to it. Because
I mean, this is so much of what we talk
about at New York Roadrunners and when we talk about
(35:05):
things like Final Finishers, which we're going to talk about
in a second, keeping our finish line open until the
wee hours. I mean, it's for these people, it's for
you, for your club members, for the people just like
you so that they can see a place for themselves.
(35:25):
You can't see a place for yourself if you can't
get to the finish line before it's closed. And don't
get a medal for all the effort that you put
in. And so, that's so much of what animates all
of this for us. How many members do you have
now in Slow AF?
Martinus Evans (35:43):
Close to 40,000 people. We got about, I would actually say more, because
we have about 40, 000 people inside the app and then there's another
20,000 in a Facebook app, I mean, Facebook group, and there's also
some unofficial Slow AF Run Clubs out there that has
a few hundred thousand members in there. So, Slow AF
(36:03):
Run Club is growing legs and just, it's one of
those things that for me it's like, " All right, it's
now, it was my baby and now it's one of
the things that giving out to the world." But I
would say official members, we've got about 40, 000 people.
Rob Simmelkjaer (36:22):
Yeah, it's unbelievable.
Becs Gentry (36:22):
But you're right, people need to see representation, and this is
not a new thing, this is not a new thing
in any realm of life. But for the running community,
because closing courses, not giving people medals, that is a
dire representation of what running is about. And the medal
(36:48):
is not just a medal for the day as well.
And I think it's for you running that first marathon
from June 2012 to October 2013, that medal was for
that whole time. It wasn't just for that day when
you finish that marathon. And to take that away from
(37:09):
people just because of time and number is vicious in
my personal opinion. And it's not, seeing that your group
is growing so much and you are just welcoming so many
more people into this running world, that fills my heart,
makes me emotional, because for somebody in the position I'm
(37:31):
in, I get to coach people of all levels. And
that is one of the greatest pleasures I get in
life, outside of being a parent. It's to see the
people starting their journey. And I know you feel this
in your heart because you've gone through it of the
pride that they are able to do this for themselves.
(37:53):
And so, to those growing 40,000 plus members, flood in,
get that turtle, get that turtle logo everywhere, please.
Martinus Evans (38:09):
It's just one of those things that I'm very proud
of, right, to say that it's something about that journey
of you meet someone and they are so not confident
in themselves, like they're unconfident, they don't don't know if they can be
a runner, they're like, " I don't know," so on and so
(38:30):
forth. And just providing that little inkling of fire and
I see it almost as fire building. You got this little ember
and you're trying to foster this ember and provide it
the adequate fuel and air and next thing it become this
raging fireball. And I think that's how I see running and that's
(38:52):
how I see these people who come into the Slow AF
Run Club or our new runners who are just looking
for something to hold onto.
Rob Simmelkjaer (39:01):
Absolutely. All right, we're going to talk about Final Finishers a little bit. Martinus
is one of the runners who is featured in our
first ever documentary at New York Road Runners through our
new production arm East 89th St Productions. It's called Final
Finishers. It will premiere in June on June 12th at
(39:22):
the Tribeca Film Festival. We're so excited about that. And Martinus,
your story is so fantastic in this film. You go
through the story you've just told us, but really the
film is about that party at the finish line of
the TCS New York City Marathon and the way that
we celebrate those people coming in in 9, 10, 11 hours. Can
(39:47):
you talk about being a part of this film and
what that Final Finishers party and what it all means
to you and to the other members of your club?
Martinus Evans (39:58):
Absolutely. I think being a part of the film is A, one thing,
a step in a direction to just get more people
excited about running. To get more people excited about participating
in marathoning. I think that's the first thing, especially when
you look at other documentaries, from other running documentaries, I
(40:19):
think this will definitely help out with that. I think
for me, being a part of it really helps with
A, helps validate my story, my journey, the things that
I've been doing these past 10, 11 years to show, okay,
it is validated, right? But I also think it validates everybody
(40:42):
else's story who sits in the back and who are
silent. To be able to be part of a New York
City Marathon and sit there and be in the back and party along
all the streets. And then you think to yourself like, " Okay,
maybe I'm going to get to the finish line and nobody's there." And
it's like, " No, there's a party here. We're calling your
(41:05):
name, we're giving you high- fives. There's a celebration tunnel."
And it's one of those things of being out there
for 10, 11, even 12 hours and you almost feel like, " I have
nothing left to give." And then you make that turn
around that corner and everybody's there and it's like, " This
(41:26):
is what it was all meant for." Because you think
about all of the times that your mind has told you
to quit. I think for me, I think about that
time where that person told me to go home. All these
times where like there's doubt and you're fighting that doubt
and you get to the finish line and people are
(41:46):
celebrating, that is what it's all about.
Becs Gentry (41:52):
Really and truly is. That celebration, that love, that wow.
I cannot wait to see this whole documentary. Why, obviously,
it's the inspiration. But how on a daily basis do
(42:14):
you feel that you show up, and deal with sounds
like a negative word, but you know what I'm saying?
How do you shoulder this responsibility of being such a
voice of inclusion and inspiration for runners out there?
Martinus Evans (42:36):
I would say that A, it's a great feeling, but B,
for me, it's also bigger than running. I've been fortunate
enough to make a career as a professional speaker and
motivational speaker to go out in various locales like corporations,
various conferences, to also be able to share my story
(43:00):
and give that story of overcoming odds, and doing hard
things and believing yourself, right? That message like, yes, we're
talking about running, but that message is so generalized that
it tackles everybody. And I think that for me running is
(43:22):
that conduit, but my message is helping people finish anyway.
And in spite of all the troubles you might have
been through, in spite of all the things you may have
been through, our goal is to finish anyway. For me,
Rob talked about it, I've ran races where they ran
out of water, I ran races where they ran out on the
(43:44):
medals and packed up and there was no finish line.
And when it was all said and done, in spite of all
those things, I finished anyway. I made it to the finish line,
I had that goal, I set that goal and I
overcame all those obstacles to get there. For me it's
about helping people understand that they can finish any way
in all aspects of life. Yes, it can be running,
(44:06):
but yes, it can be at your office, it can
be at work, it can be at home. We all
have obstacles that are standing our way, and we're just
all trying to finish anyway.
Rob Simmelkjaer (44:18):
I love it. I love it. It's a metaphor for
life as Roadrunners, as running so often is. All right, so
the last great challenge you've taken on in life, Martinus
is to me the ultimate challenge, having done it myself,
which is fatherhood. And you are now knee- deep in
(44:41):
that journey as a father to your six- month- old
Max. Talk about that, what that has been like, and
how has what you've learned through running and through everything
you've achieved and the challenges you've overcome, how has that
(45:01):
played into your so far brief, but getting into a
journey as a father?
Martinus Evans (45:09):
Rob, I used to tell people, " Running a marathon was
the hardest thing I ever did in my life." And then I
ran eight of them, and it was going to be
nine of them this year. And I used to say
that until I became a father. Being a father is the hardest thing
(45:30):
that I ever had to do in my life. But
those principles, those first principles when it comes to running
is still there when it comes to fatherhood, staying curious,
staying patient, knowing that there's going to be small wins
along the way, but there's still going to be a
lot of bumps and obstacles along the way. And our
(45:52):
goal is to get this baby boy to the finish line.
So yes, those are how running and fatherhood helps me.
But I think the other thing is just being able to
see this little guy learn new things among the world
every day. Today he just rolled over for the first
(46:14):
time and I was like, " This is crazy, right?" Seeing
him struggle and seeing him moan and groan and the next
thing you know he flipped over and it's like, "You did it, you did it, you did it."
It's almost like coaching, right? It's almost like coaching this
little AF Run Club member. " You can do it, you can run that mile.
(46:38):
I got faith in you." And just being able to
see those micro moments every day. Because he's learning, he's
growing, he's experiencing the world every day. And for me it just shows like A,
how precious life is, but B, how all the things
(47:00):
I've learned throughout running can be translated to other parts
of life.
Becs Gentry (47:04):
Yeah, it's so true. And it can be more of a testament to we're meant
to do everything at our own speed. When you have
a kid you see that, because there are books upon
books about, " Your child should be hitting this milestone at
this point." And as a parent you're reading them and
you're freaking out if they're not. And then you speak
(47:25):
to, in my personal opinion, someone of an older generation who
just goes, " Put the phone down, put the book down."
Your child is fine and they are going to progress
and develop at their own speed. And those people in my
world are probably the same as, you should know that,
everybody moves at their own speed. And you're like, " Oh
(47:48):
my gosh, oh my gosh. Yes, running is just so
applicable to everything in life." Even a teeny tiny baby
rolling over is like, " Dude did that at his own
pace." Oh, it's so beautiful. Congratulations to you both on
Max, and being a parent in this world is nuts.
(48:12):
Yeah, I'll say is good luck on your next train
cycle, because it's going to look really different. Those stroller
miles, man, you'll be signing up for high rocks before you know it, you'll be like, "
I can push these sleds anywhere."
Martinus Evans (48:32):
I'm training for New York City this year and I was thinking to myself like, " Oh my god, June is
coming up fast." And it's like, " Oh, these miles is
going to be stroller miles." And I'm like, " I don't
know how I'm going to get this done, but we're
going to figure it out."
Becs Gentry (48:45):
You will. You'll figure it out. It'll be, nothing will
match. Seeing his cute little face wherever you see him
on race day, nothing will match that as well. Even
if you are in the depths of agony, it'll all be worth it.
Rob Simmelkjaer (49:01):
Martinus, can't wait to see you at the finish line of the
marathon this year with your baby boy. Hopefully they're waiting
for you. Can't wait to see you at the premiere
of Final Finishes as well in June. It's been amazing
talking to you, one of my favorite stories in the
(49:23):
sport of running what you've done with Slow AF Run
Club. So, thanks for hanging out with me and Becs for
a little while today and we will see you very
soon, Martinus Evans.
Martinus Evans (49:31):
Alrighty.
Rob Simmelkjaer (49:44):
New York Roadrunners is a non- profit organization with a
vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the
transformative power of running. The support of members and donors
like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the
health and well- being of our communities through inclusive and
accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn
(50:06):
more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. And now it's
time for today's Med Minutes.
Meb Keflezighi (50:14):
Pre- training base. Building a strong base with consistent training
or running before starting a structure training is very important.
Follow a graduate training plans 16 to 20 weeks to increase endurance
safely. Focus on nutrition, hydration, and recovery to support peak
performance. Invest in a proper running shoes and gear to
(50:37):
prevent injuries and enhance comfort. There's always a reset button.
It depends when you're getting ready for your next race
when to start off. For me personally, when I finish
one marathon, I'm not going to start from scratch. You
already were fit, but you need to be able to
recover and map out when the next race is going
to be and then start building up a base before and then
(50:59):
to progression run, and then eventually to race pace and
before you start doing intervals. So, it is important to
lay out the plan, personally I like to work from
that deadline and work backward, instead of saying, " Hey, what
is this week and next week?" Don't do that yourself.
Sign up for a race, bring the fitness back where
you were. If you start from scratch, like I said
(51:20):
earlier, you need maybe 16 to 20 weeks, but if you have
just finished a marathon, recover and start building up a
base, bring this fitness back to where you were. And
don't rush it, because if you were in a phenomenal
shape or you finished a marathon, you just need to
retrieve those fitness, so don't put too much pressure over
on yourself. So, have fun and go out for a run and bring that
(51:42):
fitness back to what it should be and you're going to do great.
Rob Simmelkjaer (51:44):
And that does it for another episode of Set the
Pace. I want to thank today's amazing guest, Martinus Evans. If you like
this episode, please go ahead, subscribe, rate, or leave a
comment for the show on whatever platform you're listening on.
This not only helps us, but it helps others find
the show as well. Enjoy the miles, everybody. We'll see
you next week.
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