The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst From “Lose Weight or Die” To Running Marathons: The Inspiring Story of Martinus Evans
Today's guest is Martinus Evans. Martinus has run eight marathons since his doctor told him to “lose weight or die” in July 2012. Since then, he’s also coached hundreds of runners and been featured in The New York Times, Men’s Health, The Wall Street Journal, Runner’s World, New York Post, LADbible, HuffPost, Magnolia, and U.S. News & World Report. Martinus is the Founder and CEO of the Slow AF Run Club, a community of over 10,000 members worldwide. When he’s not running races around the world, he enjoys speaking passionately about issues related to size-inclusivity, mindset, DEI, and mental health.
We discuss: how being told to “lose weight or die” fueled his anger to transform his life, how he went from running 15 seconds on a treadmill to running multiple marathons, why you can be both overweight and healthy, how using an alter ego helped Martinus destroy self-doubt, how he overcame early challenges and kept going when things got tough, how sports and tragedy kept Martinus away from selling drugs as a kid and much more.
What to Listen For:
- 00:00 Intro
- 00:30 “Lose weight or die”
- 05:08 Fueled by anger and rage
- 07:42 Was this the first time he tried to get fit?
- 09:55 Running his first 5k
- 11:21 Mistreated by other runners
- 14:21 Did he experience challenges early on?
- 19:11 Everyone should be physically active
- 21:52 You can be overweight and HEALTHY
- 24:38 Having a plan and building community
- 26:39 Falling in love with the process
- 29:27 Discipline builds motivation
- 31:42 Why he doesn’t want to win races
- 33:39 Running his first marathon
- 37:20 Being heckled at mile 19
- 40:30 It’s you vs. your mind vs. everyone else
- 43:55 What’s his diet like?
- 47:31 How often does he get bloodwork done?
- 49:47 How did Martinus avoid selling drugs as a kid?
- 54:54 The importance of playing sports
- 56:36 Being bullied in school
Episode Resources:
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