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Ken Rideout was a tough, money-minting Wall Street player until a series of financial crises and opioid addiction nearly ruined him. But instead of succumbing to the demons of drug abuse and economic ruin, Rideout weathered the storm.
“Every time I’ve been in the depths of hell, I’ve turned it into a strength,” he says.
Rideout is now a successful investor and the world’s fastest over-50 marathon runner. On the latest episode of One Day with Jon Bier, I talked to him about how it changed his life, the importance of a non-stop mindset, and his five essential tips and tactics for living your best life.q
“Being present is very important”
Rideout has won countless races, including the 50-plus division at the New York and Boston Marathons. He recently placed first in the Gobi March, a grueling seven-day, 155-mile foot race in central Mongolia.
But he says half the battle is simply manifesting.
“If I hadn’t had the balls to go there and take the starting line, I never would have known I could do it, and it became like a crowning achievement for me,” he says of the Gobi race. “But guess what doesn’t happen? If I don’t go there, nobody cares because I don’t win. I don’t know what I can do.”
Rideout emphasizes the importance of constantly being present and putting in maximum effort, whether it’s training, pursuing new experiences or taking on challenges.
“Attendance isn’t just about race day. The race itself is a beauty pageant,” she explains. “The hard work was done months in advance, in the rain, in the snow, in the dark.”
Related: I ran a marathon without training. Here’s what I learned and how it made me a better entrepreneur.
“Do things outside your comfort zone”
Rideout means pushing new boundaries.
“One thing I have always done that has been a great strength is that I will try anything,” she says. “I’m willing to try anything.”
He tells the story of talking to his wife a few weeks before the Goby marathon after having second thoughts.
“I said to her, ‘I think I can win, but do I really want to sleep in the desert for six days? I’m not a camper. I like to stay in fancy hotels. But she said, ‘You always talk about doing things outside of your comfort zone. You say all this shit online you should take your own advice.’ And as soon as she said it, I thought: That was it.”
“Thriving in Routine”
Rideout credits a disciplined daily routine with helping him stay motivated and accountable to his fitness goals. According to him, establishing consistent habits makes everything automatic.
“I missed the calling not to join the Army when I had the chance,” he says.
Her typical weekday routine involves taking the kids to school (she has 4) and running for 90 minutes around 8:30. She takes a shower break and finishes work, and around 4pm lifts weights for 30 minutes. . So, she takes her kids to Jui Jitsu and has family dinner.
He says, “For people who might have motivation issues in certain areas, I can tell you that when you do something enough, eventually, it just becomes automatic.”
Related: The power of routines
“Learning from failures”
Rideout explains how quitting during an Ironman in Kona, Hawaii, in 2012 was his biggest blowout as an athlete, but it also changed his mindset.
“I quit. I stopped in my tracks, gave up like a big child,” he recalls. “I was so disgusted with myself that it basically transformed my entire journey. I told my wife, ‘I’ll never feel like this again. I’d rather be dead. I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to live.’ with this feeling. When I think about quitting that race after getting there and then disrespecting the race and all the people who do it in a weird way, it makes me feel less than zero… I promise you I will fucking do it. die before quitting.”
“Endurance is the key.”
How does a former opioid addict in his 50s outperform clean, mean athletes in their 20s? Rideout says it’s all about endurance.
“As you get older, you get tougher mentally. You have things more in perspective,” he explains. “When you’re younger, you do so much. There are a lot of distractions and it’s great. But once you realize that time is ticking, then you really start to focus and optimize the things that are important to you.” you now.
“I still don’t think I’m a good runner. I’m just trying harder than people.”