1 00:00:00,270 --> 00:00:03,210 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York Road Runners is a non- profit organization with 2 00:00:03,210 --> 00:00:06,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: a vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through 3 00:00:06,570 --> 00:00:10,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: the transformative power of running. The support of members and 4 00:00:10,230 --> 00:00:13,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: donors like you helps us achieve our mission to transform 5 00:00:13,860 --> 00:00:17,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: the health and well- being of our communities through inclusive 6 00:00:17,130 --> 00:00:21,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: and accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: Learn more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,409 Speaker 3: Thank you. New York. Today we're reminded of the power 9 00:00:34,409 --> 00:00:39,270 Speaker 3: of community and the power of coming together. Athletes on 10 00:00:39,270 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 3: your mark. 11 00:00:41,940 --> 00:00:45,420 Speaker 2: The first woman to finish for the second straight year 12 00:00:45,420 --> 00:00:49,140 Speaker 2: here in the New York City Marathon is Miki Gorman, a smiling 13 00:00:49,140 --> 00:00:52,590 Speaker 2: Miki Gorman. And why not? 2: 29:30, the time for good advice. 14 00:00:53,910 --> 00:00:56,550 Speaker 3: Look at the emotion of Shalane Flanagan as she comes 15 00:00:56,550 --> 00:00:59,580 Speaker 3: to the line. Pointing to his chest, pointing to the 16 00:00:59,910 --> 00:01:02,910 Speaker 3: USA he so proudly wears across his chest. A great day for Matt Kapustka. 17 00:01:10,140 --> 00:01:13,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: Hey everybody, and welcome to Set The Pace presented by 18 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: Peloton, the official podcast of New York Road Runners. Happy 19 00:01:17,580 --> 00:01:20,819 Rob Simmelkjaer: holidays to everybody out there. As we get closer and 20 00:01:20,819 --> 00:01:23,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: closer to the end of the year, we're thrilled to 21 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:25,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: have you with us. I'm Rob Simmelkjaer, your host and 22 00:01:25,650 --> 00:01:28,679 Rob Simmelkjaer: the CEO of New York Road Runners. My co- host, 23 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: Becs Gentry from Peloton. She'll be here a little bit 24 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: later in the show to join me for an awesome 25 00:01:34,230 --> 00:01:36,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: interview we had, but she had to run out to 26 00:01:36,330 --> 00:01:38,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: teach a class, so she'll be back in just a 27 00:01:38,850 --> 00:01:42,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: little while. Well, we are just about there at the 28 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:44,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: end of a great year of running here in New York. 29 00:01:45,180 --> 00:01:47,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: This past Saturday, we got to celebrate the start of 30 00:01:47,910 --> 00:01:51,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: the winter, but also a truly banner year for New 31 00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:54,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: York Road Runners. Our team, our runners, our members with 32 00:01:55,380 --> 00:02:00,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: an appropriately named race, the Frosty 5K, a 5K out in 33 00:02:00,150 --> 00:02:05,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: Brooklyn. So much fun in Prospect Park. It was frosty. Over 3, 34 00:02:05,430 --> 00:02:09,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: 300 runners showed up at 28 degrees at start time 35 00:02:09,780 --> 00:02:14,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: in Prospect Park. Lots of people in costumes. Santas and 36 00:02:14,550 --> 00:02:19,800 Rob Simmelkjaer: reindeer and snowmen and Elsas and Olafs and the whole thing. It was 37 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,169 Rob Simmelkjaer: a great, great day. I wasn't able to be there, 38 00:02:22,169 --> 00:02:25,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: but I saw lots of great pictures, not only from 39 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: adults and our staff, but also the kids, the rising 40 00:02:28,620 --> 00:02:31,679 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York Road Runners program was there. We had races 41 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: for the kids ages two to 18, and it was 42 00:02:34,950 --> 00:02:36,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: great to see them out there. Of course, this is 43 00:02:36,870 --> 00:02:39,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: like the magical time of year for so many of 44 00:02:39,330 --> 00:02:41,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: those kids. So they got a chance to run and 45 00:02:41,820 --> 00:02:44,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: then everybody got a little hot cocoa, which was much 46 00:02:44,820 --> 00:02:47,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: needed at the end of the day out in Brooklyn. 47 00:02:47,310 --> 00:02:49,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: So thanks to everybody who came out to run on 48 00:02:49,950 --> 00:02:54,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: Saturday. Also looking ahead to New Year's as well should 49 00:02:54,060 --> 00:02:57,989 Rob Simmelkjaer: be exciting. But we had three great winners on Saturday, Jared 50 00:02:57,990 --> 00:03:01,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: Moore, the men's winner, 16:03. Abbe Goldstein on the women's side, 16: 51 00:03:01,860 --> 00:03:07,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: 45. And Sean Rankin, non- binary at 19:51. For those 52 00:03:07,590 --> 00:03:10,530 Rob Simmelkjaer: of you who are running on New Year's Eve for our 53 00:03:10,590 --> 00:03:13,919 Rob Simmelkjaer: annual Midnight Run, we are so excited for that race. 54 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:15,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: It's going to be amazing. It is, by the way, 55 00:03:16,050 --> 00:03:18,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: sold out as of the moment of this recording, which 56 00:03:18,870 --> 00:03:21,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: is very unusual. We don't usually sell that race out 57 00:03:21,510 --> 00:03:24,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: until much closer to New Year's Eve. But it's already 58 00:03:24,660 --> 00:03:27,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: sold out so people are excited to run. And by 59 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:30,389 Rob Simmelkjaer: the way, one little bit of something new for this 60 00:03:30,389 --> 00:03:33,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: year's race, we're going to have a drone show instead 61 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,360 Rob Simmelkjaer: of fireworks this year at the Midnight Run. That's right. 62 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: A lot of you are accustomed to the big fireworks 63 00:03:39,060 --> 00:03:42,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: show. This year, we're changing things up. You might remember, 64 00:03:42,810 --> 00:03:44,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: before all this rain we had in New York the 65 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: last few weeks, there was a drought and a real 66 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: fire risk in Central Park. So we were asked by 67 00:03:50,730 --> 00:03:54,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: FDNY not to have fireworks. We pivoted, decided to have 68 00:03:54,930 --> 00:03:57,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: a drone show instead. Something that we've been thinking about 69 00:03:57,300 --> 00:04:00,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: doing for a while actually. And so the drones will 70 00:04:00,810 --> 00:04:03,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: be in the air. Drones are a little bit of 71 00:04:03,090 --> 00:04:05,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: a hot topic right now around the New York City 72 00:04:05,310 --> 00:04:08,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: area, but these are going to be drones that we 73 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:10,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: know exactly where they're going. They're going to be in 74 00:04:10,890 --> 00:04:15,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: formation. NYPD, FDNY, everybody knows about these drones and they'll 75 00:04:15,750 --> 00:04:18,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: only be visible really in the immediate area of the 76 00:04:18,690 --> 00:04:21,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: race. So no reason for fear folks. These are our 77 00:04:21,810 --> 00:04:24,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: drones that'll be part of the show on New Year's 78 00:04:24,420 --> 00:04:27,089 Rob Simmelkjaer: Eve, and we look forward to ringing in the New 79 00:04:27,089 --> 00:04:30,210 Rob Simmelkjaer: Year with so many of you that night. 80 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,419 Becs Gentry: Ready to level up your running? With the Peloton Tread 81 00:04:33,420 --> 00:04:37,469 Becs Gentry: and Tread+, you can challenge yourself anytime, anywhere. Whether you're 82 00:04:37,470 --> 00:04:40,529 Becs Gentry: building strength or working on speed, Peloton has a class 83 00:04:40,529 --> 00:04:45,510 Becs Gentry: for every goal, from five to 120 minute workouts. With 84 00:04:45,510 --> 00:04:49,620 Becs Gentry: muscle building classes and flexible training options, you'll have everything 85 00:04:49,620 --> 00:04:52,770 Becs Gentry: you need to crush your next race and then recover 86 00:04:52,770 --> 00:04:56,909 Becs Gentry: from it. All access membership separate. Find your push, find 87 00:04:56,910 --> 00:05:03,659 Becs Gentry: your power at onepeloton. com/ race- training. Peloton, the official 88 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:06,270 Becs Gentry: digital fitness partner for New York Road Runners 89 00:05:06,779 --> 00:05:08,909 Rob Simmelkjaer: Today on Set The Pace, we're joined by a great 90 00:05:08,910 --> 00:05:12,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: friend of New York Road Runners, Nev Schulman. If you 91 00:05:12,330 --> 00:05:16,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: watch MTV, you know Nev. He's a TV host, a father of three, 92 00:05:16,710 --> 00:05:19,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: and a passionate runner. He's known to millions as the 93 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:23,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: face of MTV's Catfish show. But Nev's life took a 94 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: scary turn, scarier than being catfished, in fact, this past August when 95 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:31,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: a bicycle accident left him with a broken neck. But 96 00:05:31,740 --> 00:05:35,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: amazingly, just three months later, he defied the odds by 97 00:05:35,310 --> 00:05:39,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: completing the TCS New York City Marathon as a guide 98 00:05:39,060 --> 00:05:44,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: for Achilles International, helping a blind runner, Francesco Magisano, cross 99 00:05:44,370 --> 00:05:48,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: the finish line. And he's here fresh off running another 100 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: race, the Pyramids Half Marathon in Egypt. And Nev will 101 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: join us to tell us all the incredible lessons that 102 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: he has learned in his career. And of course with 103 00:05:57,510 --> 00:06:00,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: all the recent drama he had with that very serious 104 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,779 Rob Simmelkjaer: accident on a bike and his recovery to run the 105 00:06:03,779 --> 00:06:07,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon. And just like Nev Schulman, our featured member of 106 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,500 Rob Simmelkjaer: the day, Dietmar Stork, is a devoted runner with a 107 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:14,339 Rob Simmelkjaer: love for all kinds of races, from milers and marathons 108 00:06:14,339 --> 00:06:18,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: to overnight, ultra- running adventures. His love for the running 109 00:06:18,870 --> 00:06:22,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: community drives him to be a dedicated volunteer as well, 110 00:06:22,290 --> 00:06:25,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: making Dietmar an irreplaceable member of our New York Road 111 00:06:25,740 --> 00:06:28,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: Runners community. Stay tuned because later in the show, Meb 112 00:06:28,890 --> 00:06:31,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: will be here with Dietmar who will share the inside 113 00:06:31,710 --> 00:06:33,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: scoop on what it's like to lead a team of 114 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: volunteers at the starting line of the TCS New York 115 00:06:36,750 --> 00:06:40,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: City Marathon. And as the days continue to get colder 116 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,589 Rob Simmelkjaer: and shorter, today's Meb Minute will focus on what you 117 00:06:43,589 --> 00:06:46,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: need to do to make sure you stay safe on your winter 118 00:06:46,890 --> 00:06:48,210 Rob Simmelkjaer: run. So stay tuned for that. 119 00:06:48,570 --> 00:06:51,750 Becs Gentry: Growing a business means a lot of audience attracting, a 120 00:06:51,750 --> 00:06:54,420 Becs Gentry: lot of lead scoring, and a lot of long days. 121 00:06:54,750 --> 00:06:57,659 Becs Gentry: But with HubSpot, it's easier than ever for marketers to 122 00:06:57,660 --> 00:07:01,440 Becs Gentry: boost leads and score customers fast, which means pretty soon 123 00:07:01,589 --> 00:07:06,480 Becs Gentry: your company will have a lot to celebrate. Visit hubspot. com/ 124 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,490 Becs Gentry: marketers to learn more. 125 00:07:08,910 --> 00:07:12,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: Nev Schulman's connection to running started as a little kid 126 00:07:12,510 --> 00:07:14,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: watching the New York City Marathon finish line with his 127 00:07:14,910 --> 00:07:18,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: father, a tradition that planted the seed for what has 128 00:07:18,030 --> 00:07:21,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: become a central part of his life. Since running his 129 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:25,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: first marathon in 2015, Nev has completed countless races from 130 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:29,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: 5Ks to ultra marathons, sometimes on his own, sometimes as 131 00:07:29,850 --> 00:07:34,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: a guide for visually impaired runners with Achilles International. Running 132 00:07:34,650 --> 00:07:37,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: for Nev is more than a sport, it is therapy, 133 00:07:37,470 --> 00:07:40,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: adventure, and a way to build community. And as you'll 134 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:44,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: hear, running specifically the goal of running the 2024 TCS New 135 00:07:44,490 --> 00:07:48,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: York City Marathon was what gave Nev the inspiration to 136 00:07:48,180 --> 00:07:51,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: recover, in record time, from an injury that could have 137 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:55,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: changed his life and his running forever. And Nev, it 138 00:07:55,050 --> 00:07:57,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: is so great to have you on Set The Pace. 139 00:07:57,270 --> 00:07:59,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: We've had a chance to meet at a couple of 140 00:07:59,460 --> 00:08:01,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: finish lines, and we're just thrilled to have you on 141 00:08:01,830 --> 00:08:02,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: here. Welcome. 142 00:08:02,970 --> 00:08:04,020 Nev Schulman: Thanks so much for having me. 143 00:08:06,150 --> 00:08:11,160 Becs Gentry: It is so good to see you. It is so good to see you moving. Well, we're 144 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,590 Becs Gentry: way after the fact now, but we're going to get 145 00:08:14,190 --> 00:08:18,720 Becs Gentry: into the nitty- gritty details of what happened to you 146 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,010 Becs Gentry: last year. I haven't actually spoken to you since then and 147 00:08:23,550 --> 00:08:25,861 Becs Gentry: it's so good to see you being you. 148 00:08:25,861 --> 00:08:29,310 Nev Schulman: Thank you. It feels good, too. 149 00:08:29,970 --> 00:08:33,420 Becs Gentry: So okay, let's get on the readers straight into it 150 00:08:33,420 --> 00:08:35,790 Becs Gentry: because I feel like once the readers... The readers. The 151 00:08:35,790 --> 00:08:41,880 Becs Gentry: listeners understand what you went through last August, correct? 152 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:43,050 Nev Schulman: This August. 153 00:08:43,050 --> 00:08:50,100 Becs Gentry: This August. This August. Yeah, August of 2024. So Nev had 154 00:08:50,190 --> 00:08:53,699 Becs Gentry: a really, really terrible accident. And I don't want to 155 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:56,640 Becs Gentry: put it into my words, you lived through every moment 156 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,069 Becs Gentry: of it. So can you tell us all what happened? 157 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:05,189 Nev Schulman: Yeah, in very simple terms, I was riding on my 158 00:09:05,190 --> 00:09:12,720 Nev Schulman: bicycle and miscalculated some traffic patterns and ended up colliding 159 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:18,390 Nev Schulman: with a car going over my handlebars into the back 160 00:09:18,390 --> 00:09:23,820 Nev Schulman: of what was a delivery van, work truck. And I 161 00:09:23,820 --> 00:09:26,670 Nev Schulman: don't remember anything after that. I woke up on a 162 00:09:26,670 --> 00:09:34,020 Nev Schulman: stretcher getting loaded into an ambulance. And at first I 163 00:09:34,020 --> 00:09:36,480 Nev Schulman: thought it seemed as though I was okay. My hands 164 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,660 Nev Schulman: hurt a little bit, but I didn't have any obvious 165 00:09:40,170 --> 00:09:46,140 Nev Schulman: injuries or broken bones that I could see. But upon 166 00:09:46,230 --> 00:09:51,960 Nev Schulman: further inspection, it became clear that in the accident I 167 00:09:51,960 --> 00:10:00,420 Nev Schulman: had broken my C6 spine vertebrae, so I had what's 168 00:10:00,420 --> 00:10:06,390 Nev Schulman: called a stable fracture in my C6, which required immediate 169 00:10:07,530 --> 00:10:11,880 Nev Schulman: spine surgery to alleviate pressure on the spinal cord, which 170 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:15,540 Nev Schulman: was causing nerve pain. So I was rushed to Stony 171 00:10:15,540 --> 00:10:18,809 Nev Schulman: Brook Hospital, which has an intensive care unit for spine 172 00:10:18,809 --> 00:10:24,510 Nev Schulman: injuries. And within 12 hours I was in the operating 173 00:10:24,510 --> 00:10:29,220 Nev Schulman: room having what's called a laminectomy, which is actually a 174 00:10:29,220 --> 00:10:33,120 Nev Schulman: pretty common procedure used to relieve pressure from herniated discs 175 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:38,160 Nev Schulman: or spine- related issues. So it was a wild 24 176 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,520 Nev Schulman: hours. I spent the next six days in the ICU 177 00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:45,840 Nev Schulman: being closely monitored for what many doctors and nurses assumed 178 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:50,370 Nev Schulman: would be an injury that would've caused some paralysis, but 179 00:10:50,370 --> 00:10:56,370 Nev Schulman: remarkably it did not. And I walked out of the hospital 180 00:10:56,370 --> 00:11:01,559 Nev Schulman: a week later. And yeah, that was my August. 181 00:11:03,330 --> 00:11:09,600 Becs Gentry: Wow, that is petrifying. I can't even begin to imagine, 182 00:11:10,050 --> 00:11:14,520 Becs Gentry: not just you personally hearing those words that you've broken 183 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:19,470 Becs Gentry: your neck, your spine injuries. They're just things that you 184 00:11:19,470 --> 00:11:24,660 Becs Gentry: think, no, no, that's not happening to me right now. 185 00:11:24,660 --> 00:11:28,290 Becs Gentry: But did they tell you straight away that you were going to 186 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,290 Becs Gentry: be paralyzed or was there some time where it was 187 00:11:31,290 --> 00:11:32,400 Becs Gentry: we have to wait and see? 188 00:11:32,910 --> 00:11:36,600 Nev Schulman: Well, what was probably the scariest part of the whole 189 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:42,750 Nev Schulman: experience was, I'm not typically a very dramatic person in 190 00:11:42,750 --> 00:11:47,670 Nev Schulman: terms of my reactions to injuries. I often just assume, 191 00:11:47,670 --> 00:11:49,620 Nev Schulman: okay, it's fine, it'll be fine. It's not that bad. 192 00:11:50,070 --> 00:11:54,510 Nev Schulman: So initially again, as I took stock of my body, 193 00:11:54,510 --> 00:11:58,199 Nev Schulman: I thought, okay, I don't have any giant wounds. I 194 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,470 Nev Schulman: don't have any bones sticking out of my skin. I 195 00:12:01,470 --> 00:12:06,120 Nev Schulman: think I'm okay. But I kept complaining about my hands hurting. 196 00:12:06,510 --> 00:12:09,270 Nev Schulman: So they did the MRI and there was a real 197 00:12:09,270 --> 00:12:14,730 Nev Schulman: shift in the energy in the room when it became 198 00:12:14,730 --> 00:12:19,110 Nev Schulman: clear that I had a spine fracture. And when I 199 00:12:19,110 --> 00:12:25,080 Nev Schulman: got to the second hospital, I could tell that every 200 00:12:25,470 --> 00:12:29,160 Nev Schulman: doctor and nurse who came into the room, upon seeing 201 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:36,150 Nev Schulman: the chart and the headline of cervical spine fracture just 202 00:12:36,330 --> 00:12:40,319 Nev Schulman: assumed that I had some paralysis or that there was 203 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,800 Nev Schulman: going to be some long- term paralysis. So every time 204 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,710 Nev Schulman: they came in and they said, " Okay, we're going to 205 00:12:46,710 --> 00:12:49,410 Nev Schulman: do some basic tests. Do you feel this?" And they 206 00:12:49,410 --> 00:12:52,140 Nev Schulman: touched my leg and they said, " Wiggle your toes." And 207 00:12:52,140 --> 00:12:54,059 Nev Schulman: every time I could do all of those things, and 208 00:12:54,059 --> 00:12:57,300 Nev Schulman: I said, " Yes," to do you feel this? I could 209 00:12:57,300 --> 00:13:04,800 Nev Schulman: see that they were surprised, which was both a relief, 210 00:13:05,460 --> 00:13:08,640 Nev Schulman: but also added to the concern that, wow, I guess 211 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:12,809 Nev Schulman: this injury typically doesn't go this way. And most people 212 00:13:12,809 --> 00:13:15,959 Nev Schulman: who come in here with this type of an accident are 213 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:20,040 Nev Schulman: not feeling and saying yes to these things. So I 214 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:21,900 Nev Schulman: knew at the same time how lucky I was, but 215 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:26,849 Nev Schulman: also how serious it was and could potentially become. Because 216 00:13:26,850 --> 00:13:29,940 Nev Schulman: with nerve- related things, you have to watch it closely 217 00:13:29,940 --> 00:13:34,319 Nev Schulman: because it can change and anything can affect it. So 218 00:13:34,710 --> 00:13:38,460 Nev Schulman: there were still a lot of variables that we didn't 219 00:13:38,460 --> 00:13:39,630 Nev Schulman: know how they were going to turn out. 220 00:13:41,010 --> 00:13:43,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: Nev, how long did it take you to get out 221 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:47,189 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the hospital, to start moving again? What was that 222 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:52,800 Rob Simmelkjaer: immediate period like? And I'm curious how it must've gone 223 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: well for you to even have a chance to think about running 224 00:13:55,770 --> 00:13:56,309 Rob Simmelkjaer: a marathon. 225 00:13:56,940 --> 00:14:01,620 Nev Schulman: Yeah, I was in the hospital for six days. I 226 00:14:01,620 --> 00:14:04,439 Nev Schulman: got in there Monday night and I left, I think, 227 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:10,350 Nev Schulman: Sunday. But I remember even on, I guess it was 228 00:14:10,350 --> 00:14:17,610 Nev Schulman: probably Wednesday, not to get too graphic, but I had 229 00:14:17,610 --> 00:14:20,880 Nev Schulman: a catheter for the first two days because I was 230 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:26,790 Nev Schulman: knocked out for the surgery. And when I requested to 231 00:14:26,790 --> 00:14:32,100 Nev Schulman: remove that, I've always been a little, I don't know 232 00:14:32,100 --> 00:14:34,170 Nev Schulman: what the right word is, but I get stage fright 233 00:14:34,170 --> 00:14:37,980 Nev Schulman: when it comes to urinating, not in a toilet. So 234 00:14:37,980 --> 00:14:42,120 Nev Schulman: I remember on Wednesday I said, " Hey, I really need 235 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,020 Nev Schulman: to use the bathroom, but I can't mentally get myself 236 00:14:46,020 --> 00:14:48,600 Nev Schulman: to do it in a bedpan. Can I please go 237 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,260 Nev Schulman: use the bathroom?" And the nurse was so confused and 238 00:14:52,260 --> 00:14:55,230 Nev Schulman: surprised that I was asking if I could get up 239 00:14:55,230 --> 00:14:58,590 Nev Schulman: to go use the bathroom because that is not something 240 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:03,570 Nev Schulman: people typically ask to do in this unit of the 241 00:15:03,570 --> 00:15:07,440 Nev Schulman: hospital. She had to go and get the doctor and ask, " 242 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:09,780 Nev Schulman: Is it okay? Are we allowed to let him up?" 243 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,050 Nev Schulman: It just wasn't protocol that they were used to dealing 244 00:15:13,050 --> 00:15:18,180 Nev Schulman: with. So they eventually decided to let me do it. 245 00:15:19,410 --> 00:15:23,400 Nev Schulman: And once I got up on my feet, it was 246 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,760 Nev Schulman: very hard to get me off my feet. Obviously, I 247 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,190 Nev Schulman: was exhausted and I needed to lay down and rest 248 00:15:29,190 --> 00:15:32,040 Nev Schulman: a lot, but I also wanted to move. I wanted 249 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,979 Nev Schulman: to walk around the hallways. I wanted to try and 250 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,790 Nev Schulman: keep myself active as much as possible, even from that 251 00:15:38,790 --> 00:15:44,010 Nev Schulman: first week, which again came as a very strange but 252 00:15:44,010 --> 00:15:47,040 Nev Schulman: welcome surprise to all of the staff at the hospital 253 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,760 Nev Schulman: because it's just not something, I don't think anyone else 254 00:15:51,030 --> 00:15:55,020 Nev Schulman: who was there that week was doing. I walked past 255 00:15:55,050 --> 00:16:00,270 Nev Schulman: those rooms many times and everybody else on that floor 256 00:16:00,420 --> 00:16:02,700 Nev Schulman: was laying in their bed the whole time. No one 257 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:06,810 Nev Schulman: was getting up like me. So that's how I knew 258 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:12,450 Nev Schulman: initially that, okay, I'm going to be okay. I'm already 259 00:16:12,450 --> 00:16:18,690 Nev Schulman: further along than I think anyone expected. And I had 260 00:16:18,690 --> 00:16:20,910 Nev Schulman: a brace that I wore and the doctor told me 261 00:16:20,910 --> 00:16:22,920 Nev Schulman: I'd be in the brace for at least six weeks. 262 00:16:23,430 --> 00:16:27,330 Nev Schulman: So initially I thought, okay, for the next six weeks, 263 00:16:27,780 --> 00:16:33,540 Nev Schulman: I'm obviously going to be pretty immobile. And I found 264 00:16:33,540 --> 00:16:37,650 Nev Schulman: some sort of workarounds. Obviously, I started physical therapy and 265 00:16:37,650 --> 00:16:41,190 Nev Schulman: they had me on the reclined bike, the recumbent bike, 266 00:16:41,190 --> 00:16:43,230 Nev Schulman: which allowed me to get a little bit of movement 267 00:16:43,230 --> 00:16:47,250 Nev Schulman: in. I got myself one of those mobility scooters so 268 00:16:47,250 --> 00:16:49,980 Nev Schulman: that I could at least get around the neighborhood. I 269 00:16:49,980 --> 00:16:52,980 Nev Schulman: walk my kids to school and go grocery shopping and 270 00:16:52,980 --> 00:16:59,100 Nev Schulman: not be completely reliant on anyone else. But it was 271 00:16:59,100 --> 00:17:04,500 Nev Schulman: pretty disheartening because the injury, the healing of my neck 272 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:07,560 Nev Schulman: was obviously happening. The incision had to heal. The muscles 273 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:12,179 Nev Schulman: in my neck were injured from the accident and the 274 00:17:12,180 --> 00:17:15,149 Nev Schulman: impact. But then of course, they started to atrophy from 275 00:17:15,150 --> 00:17:17,880 Nev Schulman: not using them because of the brace. And even just 276 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:22,080 Nev Schulman: going for a five- minute walk around the block was 277 00:17:22,170 --> 00:17:25,859 Nev Schulman: difficult. It was really hard. My shoulders would get tight, 278 00:17:25,859 --> 00:17:28,530 Nev Schulman: my back would start to hurt. It was very discouraging. 279 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:37,350 Nev Schulman: So initially I really was very skeptical on if and 280 00:17:37,350 --> 00:17:42,990 Nev Schulman: when I'd be back to a fully able- bodied and 281 00:17:42,990 --> 00:17:49,530 Nev Schulman: certain running status. So it was unclear how it was going to go for a 282 00:17:49,530 --> 00:17:50,100 Nev Schulman: while there. 283 00:17:51,330 --> 00:17:56,700 Becs Gentry: Wow. And I want to ask you, because you are 284 00:17:56,700 --> 00:18:03,150 Becs Gentry: very motivated. You're a very headstrong guy. When you were 285 00:18:03,150 --> 00:18:06,450 Becs Gentry: cycling at the time, were you going to pick up 286 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,790 Becs Gentry: your kids from school? 287 00:18:09,090 --> 00:18:13,379 Nev Schulman: Yeah, it was August, so the kids were in day camp. 288 00:18:13,770 --> 00:18:13,889 Becs Gentry: That was it, right. 289 00:18:13,889 --> 00:18:17,520 Nev Schulman: And I was on my way to pick up our 290 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,150 Nev Schulman: then two- year- old or almost three- year- old from 291 00:18:21,150 --> 00:18:28,409 Nev Schulman: camp in the afternoon. So obviously in retrospect, I'm glad 292 00:18:28,410 --> 00:18:33,449 Nev Schulman: it happened on the way to camp. 293 00:18:33,450 --> 00:18:33,629 Becs Gentry: Of course. 294 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:34,800 Nev Schulman: It could just easily happened on the way back. 295 00:18:37,050 --> 00:18:40,710 Becs Gentry: I bring that up because as a parent and as 296 00:18:40,710 --> 00:18:47,250 Becs Gentry: a partner, I can't imagine Laura's freak- out when she 297 00:18:47,940 --> 00:18:51,270 Becs Gentry: probably, first of all, they're like, " Okay, well your child 298 00:18:51,270 --> 00:18:54,929 Becs Gentry: hasn't been picked up yet." And she's like, " This is 299 00:18:54,930 --> 00:18:58,350 Becs Gentry: strange." Gets the call that you've had this horrific accident. 300 00:18:58,949 --> 00:19:04,320 Becs Gentry: And how, as a parent and as a very strong- willed person, 301 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:10,109 Becs Gentry: how did you utilize the love and the support of 302 00:19:10,109 --> 00:19:13,859 Becs Gentry: your family? I'm lucky enough to have met your wife 303 00:19:13,859 --> 00:19:16,470 Becs Gentry: and you guys have such a beautiful connection. I met 304 00:19:16,470 --> 00:19:19,889 Becs Gentry: your gorgeous son a few years ago. You can tell 305 00:19:20,369 --> 00:19:24,179 Becs Gentry: that there's so much love. How did that motivate you 306 00:19:24,330 --> 00:19:26,218 Becs Gentry: to get your butt out of the hospital? 307 00:19:27,209 --> 00:19:34,710 Nev Schulman: Yeah, I still will never really fully understand the roller 308 00:19:34,710 --> 00:19:37,619 Nev Schulman: coaster that my wife went through over the course of 309 00:19:37,619 --> 00:19:41,040 Nev Schulman: this whole process. She got the call from the school 310 00:19:41,070 --> 00:19:42,840 Nev Schulman: or from the camp that no one had come to 311 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:46,619 Nev Schulman: pick up Cy yet. So she knew something was strange 312 00:19:46,619 --> 00:19:48,750 Nev Schulman: because she had seen me leave to go get him. 313 00:19:50,430 --> 00:19:52,590 Nev Schulman: So she got in the car, and then I think... 314 00:19:53,100 --> 00:19:57,240 Nev Schulman: My timeline of this is a little fuzzy. But she 315 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,750 Nev Schulman: obviously then got a call that, " Hey, your husband's been in 316 00:20:00,810 --> 00:20:04,770 Nev Schulman: a bike accident. He's on the way to Southampton Hospital." 317 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,760 Nev Schulman: But from what she had been told, it was, " He's 318 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:12,780 Nev Schulman: okay." Because I was talking. Again, I didn't have any 319 00:20:12,780 --> 00:20:16,560 Nev Schulman: massive major physical visible injuries. So they just assumed, " Hey, 320 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,180 Nev Schulman: we're taking him to the hospital just to get him checked out, 321 00:20:18,180 --> 00:20:22,440 Nev Schulman: but he seems fine." So she thought, okay, I'll pick 322 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,310 Nev Schulman: up Cy and then he'll come home from the hospital either 323 00:20:26,310 --> 00:20:28,080 Nev Schulman: after he gets checked out or we'll go see him, 324 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,950 Nev Schulman: whatever. So it was a little confusing. She then came 325 00:20:31,950 --> 00:20:34,020 Nev Schulman: to the hospital right around the same time that they 326 00:20:34,020 --> 00:20:36,149 Nev Schulman: discovered, that evening, that I was going to need to 327 00:20:36,150 --> 00:20:38,970 Nev Schulman: be transferred to an ICU because I had broken my 328 00:20:38,970 --> 00:20:45,000 Nev Schulman: neck. So it all happened in that evening and she 329 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:47,340 Nev Schulman: realized, oh wow, this is not just some small thing 330 00:20:47,340 --> 00:20:52,109 Nev Schulman: that is going to be over now. And over the 331 00:20:52,109 --> 00:20:56,310 Nev Schulman: course of that week, but even more so the next 332 00:20:56,940 --> 00:21:01,950 Nev Schulman: four weeks, I really... And I've been very aware of 333 00:21:01,950 --> 00:21:05,790 Nev Schulman: and appreciative of the support I have and the family 334 00:21:05,790 --> 00:21:10,800 Nev Schulman: that I am blessed to be a part of. But 335 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:19,170 Nev Schulman: I've never really appreciated fully the level of care and 336 00:21:19,170 --> 00:21:26,100 Nev Schulman: support and selflessness that it takes to go through something 337 00:21:26,100 --> 00:21:29,250 Nev Schulman: like this with your partner with whom you have children. 338 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,080 Nev Schulman: Because what she had to do and the responsibility she 339 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,240 Nev Schulman: had to take on and the stress and the burden 340 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:41,070 Nev Schulman: and the just management of all of the factors and 341 00:21:41,070 --> 00:21:46,859 Nev Schulman: feelings, and the hospital stuff and the nurse stuff, and 342 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,359 Nev Schulman: getting me a chair, there was so much that had 343 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:54,630 Nev Schulman: to happen that I couldn't do or be a part 344 00:21:54,630 --> 00:21:58,918 Nev Schulman: of at all. And I hate to, not that this 345 00:21:58,919 --> 00:22:04,200 Nev Schulman: is the word, but there's the business of caring for someone is 346 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,730 Nev Schulman: immense. And seeing her and my other family members, my 347 00:22:08,730 --> 00:22:11,790 Nev Schulman: uncle and my mom who flew in from California, and 348 00:22:12,150 --> 00:22:15,060 Nev Schulman: everyone who just dropped what they were doing and said, " 349 00:22:15,060 --> 00:22:16,350 Nev Schulman: Okay, this is it. This is what we have to 350 00:22:16,350 --> 00:22:20,369 Nev Schulman: do now. We have to all chip in and support 351 00:22:20,700 --> 00:22:26,190 Nev Schulman: Laura and the kids." Because I was essentially taken care 352 00:22:26,190 --> 00:22:28,560 Nev Schulman: of, but there were so many things that needed to 353 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:35,640 Nev Schulman: also be handled. And so seeing that really, I remember 354 00:22:35,970 --> 00:22:40,889 Nev Schulman: I was sitting with my mother, Laura, my uncle, and 355 00:22:40,890 --> 00:22:43,230 Nev Schulman: they were on the phone, with the hospital and they 356 00:22:43,230 --> 00:22:46,980 Nev Schulman: were dealing with other... And I just started crying. I 357 00:22:46,980 --> 00:22:51,480 Nev Schulman: just couldn't believe the amount of care and love and 358 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,930 Nev Schulman: support that I was feeling from my family in that 359 00:22:54,930 --> 00:22:57,450 Nev Schulman: moment and how much I needed it and couldn't do 360 00:22:57,510 --> 00:23:00,210 Nev Schulman: without it. It was very humbling. 361 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:07,619 Rob Simmelkjaer: I think that's the right word. And you're lucky to 362 00:23:07,619 --> 00:23:10,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: have it and you wish you didn't need it in 363 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: a moment like that. 100%. Okay, Nev, so I've got 364 00:23:13,950 --> 00:23:18,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: to ask you. When did the thought of running the 365 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon even sneak into your mind? Had you already planned 366 00:23:22,260 --> 00:23:26,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: to run, you ran as a guide with Achilles, was 367 00:23:26,460 --> 00:23:31,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: that already on the calendar in the plan when this accident happened? 368 00:23:31,950 --> 00:23:36,090 Nev Schulman: So yeah, last year I ran as a guide with 369 00:23:36,090 --> 00:23:42,180 Nev Schulman: Achilles, and it was such a incredibly meaningful and fulfilling 370 00:23:42,300 --> 00:23:46,980 Nev Schulman: experience, and it was exactly the thing I was looking for in 371 00:23:46,980 --> 00:23:51,810 Nev Schulman: my progression as a marathon runner. Having run the New York City 372 00:23:51,810 --> 00:23:55,020 Nev Schulman: Marathon about I think six or seven times, I realized, 373 00:23:55,020 --> 00:23:56,550 Nev Schulman: okay, there's got to be more to this. How can 374 00:23:56,550 --> 00:24:00,150 Nev Schulman: I find more meaning? How can I find more deeper 375 00:24:00,330 --> 00:24:04,650 Nev Schulman: satisfaction in this event? And so I guided last year 376 00:24:04,650 --> 00:24:08,490 Nev Schulman: and loved it. So I immediately then guided with Francesco 377 00:24:08,490 --> 00:24:11,399 Nev Schulman: in Boston in April. We had such a good time 378 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,070 Nev Schulman: there. He invited me to be his guide again this 379 00:24:14,070 --> 00:24:16,320 Nev Schulman: year in New York City, so I had already agreed 380 00:24:16,710 --> 00:24:22,920 Nev Schulman: to do that. I was also working with the incredible 381 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,400 Nev Schulman: coaching app, Runna, with whom I have a partnership. 382 00:24:26,910 --> 00:24:29,638 Rob Simmelkjaer: And so do we. Of course, we love Runna. Absolutely. 383 00:24:30,479 --> 00:24:35,460 Nev Schulman: And so I was actively training for two upcoming events 384 00:24:35,460 --> 00:24:39,179 Nev Schulman: with them. I was going to run I a half- 385 00:24:39,180 --> 00:24:43,169 Nev Schulman: marathon in the UK, the Great North Half, which is 386 00:24:43,170 --> 00:24:44,730 Nev Schulman: this incredible race, which I've- 387 00:24:44,730 --> 00:24:46,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: Big event. Becs knows well, I'm sure. Yep. 388 00:24:46,860 --> 00:24:51,090 Nev Schulman: So I was training to set my new PB for a 389 00:24:51,090 --> 00:24:55,169 Nev Schulman: half, which was, I think, in September. And then I 390 00:24:55,170 --> 00:24:57,510 Nev Schulman: was going to roll that into hopefully setting a new 391 00:24:57,510 --> 00:25:03,570 Nev Schulman: PB at the Honolulu Marathon in December. And the New York 392 00:25:03,570 --> 00:25:06,119 Nev Schulman: City Marathon was going to be a perfect training race 393 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:07,770 Nev Schulman: to lead up to that. So I had a whole 394 00:25:08,130 --> 00:25:14,850 Nev Schulman: really very elaborate plan for my fall running. Obviously, it 395 00:25:14,850 --> 00:25:18,330 Nev Schulman: became clear that the training for the Great North Half 396 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:21,209 Nev Schulman: wasn't going to happen anymore. But because I was in 397 00:25:21,210 --> 00:25:24,060 Nev Schulman: such good shape and I'd been training so hard, in 398 00:25:24,060 --> 00:25:26,820 Nev Schulman: my head, I was already like, I don't want to 399 00:25:26,820 --> 00:25:31,800 Nev Schulman: lose this fitness. So I had already started thinking, okay, 400 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:34,470 Nev Schulman: I'll put off... The half isn't going to happen. Fine. 401 00:25:34,470 --> 00:25:38,070 Nev Schulman: But maybe just maybe the marathon in December could still 402 00:25:38,070 --> 00:25:41,760 Nev Schulman: happen. And I probably won't set a PB, but it'll still 403 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,359 Nev Schulman: be a cool story to come back to run the 404 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:49,830 Nev Schulman: marathon. Anyway, Runna, who is amazing and very accommodating and 405 00:25:49,830 --> 00:25:52,649 Nev Schulman: understanding immediately said, " Hey, look, Nev, we want you to 406 00:25:52,650 --> 00:25:57,570 Nev Schulman: focus on your recovery. Please, no pressure from us. We're 407 00:25:57,570 --> 00:25:59,760 Nev Schulman: not assuming that you're going to run this year. Let's 408 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,280 Nev Schulman: just put things on hold and we'll pick back up 409 00:26:02,609 --> 00:26:06,570 Nev Schulman: in 2025 once you're healed." So that was a huge 410 00:26:06,570 --> 00:26:09,899 Nev Schulman: bummer because on one hand I appreciated it, but I 411 00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:13,409 Nev Schulman: also was so looking forward to those races. And I 412 00:26:13,410 --> 00:26:16,500 Nev Schulman: was training for it so that it was a little bit of 413 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:21,810 Nev Schulman: a letdown. But I thought, okay, fine. One of the 414 00:26:21,810 --> 00:26:25,140 Nev Schulman: hardest parts of this whole injury was really letting go 415 00:26:25,140 --> 00:26:33,480 Nev Schulman: of expectations and timeline and understanding that taking the appropriate 416 00:26:33,510 --> 00:26:38,669 Nev Schulman: amount of time to heal now might seem long and 417 00:26:38,670 --> 00:26:41,790 Nev Schulman: frustrating, but in the long run will be far more 418 00:26:41,790 --> 00:26:45,030 Nev Schulman: important. So coming to terms with that and saying like, " 419 00:26:45,030 --> 00:26:48,960 Nev Schulman: Okay, fine, my fall running schedule, let's just clear it 420 00:26:49,050 --> 00:26:52,619 Nev Schulman: and not expect to do anything." And as a result 421 00:26:52,619 --> 00:26:56,520 Nev Schulman: of that, I texted Francesco at Achilles and I said, " 422 00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:00,750 Nev Schulman: Hey, don't count on me to run the marathon with 423 00:27:00,750 --> 00:27:02,490 Nev Schulman: you this year because I know it takes time to 424 00:27:02,490 --> 00:27:05,580 Nev Schulman: find new guides. You should start that process now." 425 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,659 Rob Simmelkjaer: Francesco, by the way, I should say, Magisano is not 426 00:27:09,659 --> 00:27:12,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: just an Achilles athlete. He's really a leader at Achilles. 427 00:27:12,090 --> 00:27:14,910 Nev Schulman: Right, he's the director of the New York Achilles chapter, 428 00:27:14,910 --> 00:27:17,609 Nev Schulman: and he's not just a runner, he's a triathlete. And 429 00:27:17,609 --> 00:27:23,129 Nev Schulman: he's actually, in his age and category, I think he's 430 00:27:23,130 --> 00:27:29,460 Nev Schulman: won medals for his racing. So all that, I think, 431 00:27:29,550 --> 00:27:35,730 Nev Schulman: is relevant because don't expect a blind triathlete to give 432 00:27:35,730 --> 00:27:41,010 Nev Schulman: you any sympathy when it comes to coming back from 433 00:27:41,010 --> 00:27:45,300 Nev Schulman: any kind of injury and running a race. He responded 434 00:27:45,300 --> 00:27:50,580 Nev Schulman: immediately, he said, " Nev, I know you're still recovering, but I'm 435 00:27:50,580 --> 00:27:52,740 Nev Schulman: going to count on you to do this with me. 436 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,680 Nev Schulman: I don't care how fast we go, you're going to 437 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:56,250 Nev Schulman: do this." 438 00:27:56,310 --> 00:28:00,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: I love it. I absolutely love it. What a perfect partner 439 00:28:00,420 --> 00:28:03,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: to have in a situation like that. Oh yeah, sorry, you 440 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:08,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: hurt yourself, but you're going to do this because I'm blind 441 00:28:08,940 --> 00:28:11,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: and I've been doing this so you can do this, 442 00:28:11,010 --> 00:28:13,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: too. Yeah, it's actually perfect. 443 00:28:13,140 --> 00:28:18,119 Nev Schulman: That was two weeks after the accident. And that really 444 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:22,710 Nev Schulman: was the first moment I thought like, okay, surely if 445 00:28:22,710 --> 00:28:24,840 Nev Schulman: the doctors expects that I'll be out of the brace 446 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,560 Nev Schulman: in six weeks, that gives me another month to just 447 00:28:29,310 --> 00:28:32,280 Nev Schulman: get in shape enough to walk and maybe jog some 448 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:35,100 Nev Schulman: of this race. What a cool thing that would be 449 00:28:35,100 --> 00:28:40,590 Nev Schulman: to do. And that's when I started thinking like, okay, 450 00:28:40,590 --> 00:28:43,080 Nev Schulman: I guess I could do this. And once the brace 451 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,090 Nev Schulman: came off and I went for that first jog, it 452 00:28:45,090 --> 00:28:50,729 Nev Schulman: became clear that I think this is doable. And so 453 00:28:50,730 --> 00:28:53,100 Nev Schulman: I started building back up as much as I could. 454 00:28:53,100 --> 00:28:55,320 Nev Schulman: I had a good baseline of fitness that I think 455 00:28:55,620 --> 00:28:59,490 Nev Schulman: really helps, and I was able to get in shape. 456 00:29:00,870 --> 00:29:07,050 Becs Gentry: Wow. I mean the inspiration that comes from everything that 457 00:29:07,050 --> 00:29:10,680 Becs Gentry: happened to you from August through to getting across that 458 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,550 Becs Gentry: finish line in November is huge. And I'm sure your 459 00:29:14,550 --> 00:29:19,979 Becs Gentry: whole family were totally and utterly mesmerized by watching you 460 00:29:19,980 --> 00:29:25,020 Becs Gentry: go on that journey. And just again, with Francesco as 461 00:29:25,020 --> 00:29:33,000 Becs Gentry: an incredible person in your team here. So you did 462 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,690 Becs Gentry: the TCS New York City Marathon, you ran it, you 463 00:29:36,690 --> 00:29:39,030 Becs Gentry: ran it with a smile. I saw lots of pictures 464 00:29:39,030 --> 00:29:39,210 Becs Gentry: of you. 465 00:29:39,870 --> 00:29:40,470 Nev Schulman: It was tough. 466 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,280 Becs Gentry: You made it look very enjoyable, even if it was 467 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:48,900 Becs Gentry: on the inside a painful moment. But it's not the 468 00:29:48,900 --> 00:29:51,060 Becs Gentry: only race you've done. So it's not like that's it. 469 00:29:51,060 --> 00:29:54,660 Becs Gentry: You've literally just got back from another race. 470 00:29:55,590 --> 00:30:01,320 Nev Schulman: What was surprising was that I didn't expect the level 471 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:06,630 Nev Schulman: of attention and really the pouring of support that I 472 00:30:06,630 --> 00:30:11,550 Nev Schulman: got when it became public that I had experienced this 473 00:30:11,550 --> 00:30:17,280 Nev Schulman: accident and that I was recovering from this injury. I've been 474 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:21,510 Nev Schulman: on TV for the past 12 years. I love that 475 00:30:21,510 --> 00:30:24,630 Nev Schulman: I have fans and people recognize me and stop me 476 00:30:24,630 --> 00:30:26,790 Nev Schulman: on the street to say hello and take a picture. 477 00:30:27,660 --> 00:30:30,540 Nev Schulman: And I'm very used to that. I get it everywhere, 478 00:30:30,540 --> 00:30:36,300 Nev Schulman: and it's really, it's lovely. The shift that I felt 479 00:30:36,570 --> 00:30:39,719 Nev Schulman: when all of a sudden people heard about my accident 480 00:30:40,530 --> 00:30:47,970 Nev Schulman: and the attention that I got was so wildly different 481 00:30:48,420 --> 00:30:54,810 Nev Schulman: and so much more emotional. There was just this incredible 482 00:30:54,870 --> 00:30:58,920 Nev Schulman: outpouring of empathy, that people would come up to me 483 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:04,229 Nev Schulman: on the streets... Sorry, this guy is just so loud. I 484 00:31:04,230 --> 00:31:06,061 Nev Schulman: don't know if it's so loud for you, but I'm going to run. Has anyone ever actively been running on your podcast? 485 00:31:06,061 --> 00:31:15,481 Rob Simmelkjaer: Actually, this is the first. Actually, running on the podcast. We can use again. 486 00:31:15,481 --> 00:31:21,450 Nev Schulman: Okay, this should be better. Okay. So what was so 487 00:31:21,450 --> 00:31:24,180 Nev Schulman: wild was that all of a sudden people would see 488 00:31:24,180 --> 00:31:27,090 Nev Schulman: me and they would say, " Oh my God, I heard about 489 00:31:27,090 --> 00:31:29,160 Nev Schulman: your accident. How are you? I hope you're feeling better." 490 00:31:29,370 --> 00:31:32,850 Nev Schulman: And everyone wanted to share stories of either their own 491 00:31:32,850 --> 00:31:39,420 Nev Schulman: accidents or other people's recoveries. And I've never had people say, " 492 00:31:39,870 --> 00:31:45,780 Nev Schulman: I prayed for you." And just really opened their hearts 493 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:47,940 Nev Schulman: to me, whether it was on social media or in 494 00:31:47,940 --> 00:31:51,780 Nev Schulman: person. And as a result, there was this whole new 495 00:31:54,180 --> 00:31:58,170 Nev Schulman: story. There was this new narrative that I'd had an 496 00:31:58,170 --> 00:32:01,230 Nev Schulman: accident, but that I was on the road to recovery and 497 00:32:01,770 --> 00:32:06,210 Nev Schulman: really working hard and very much sharing my journey. And 498 00:32:06,270 --> 00:32:11,880 Nev Schulman: that strangely, but wonderfully, opened some doors to some new 499 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:18,540 Nev Schulman: opportunities, one of which was with Brooks with whom I 500 00:32:20,250 --> 00:32:23,970 Nev Schulman: ran the New York City Marathon this year, and also 501 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:28,620 Nev Schulman: with the Pyramids Half Marathon, which is this incredible event 502 00:32:28,620 --> 00:32:33,930 Nev Schulman: that takes place in Cairo. And I got invited to 503 00:32:34,260 --> 00:32:39,570 Nev Schulman: participate. And because I was already on the road recovery 504 00:32:39,570 --> 00:32:43,860 Nev Schulman: and feeling pretty good, I immediately said, " Yes, of course 505 00:32:43,860 --> 00:32:49,560 Nev Schulman: I would love to do that." My wife, who has 506 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:53,700 Nev Schulman: her own interesting running journey, who had recently, after 13 507 00:32:53,700 --> 00:32:55,650 Nev Schulman: years of not running because of a knee injury, started 508 00:32:55,650 --> 00:33:00,600 Nev Schulman: running again, mainly because she saw that, if I can 509 00:33:00,630 --> 00:33:03,300 Nev Schulman: start running again after breaking my neck, surely she can 510 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:09,720 Nev Schulman: start running again too. So we started training again together, 511 00:33:10,230 --> 00:33:15,210 Nev Schulman: and I got her invited to also run the half- 512 00:33:15,210 --> 00:33:17,940 Nev Schulman: marathon with me this last weekend. And so we both 513 00:33:17,940 --> 00:33:25,440 Nev Schulman: went to Cairo and just participated in this incredible event, 514 00:33:25,710 --> 00:33:27,930 Nev Schulman: which was a huge accomplishment for her because she hadn't 515 00:33:27,930 --> 00:33:31,440 Nev Schulman: run a half- marathon in 13 years, and we had 516 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:36,540 Nev Schulman: never run a race together. It's been a wild year 517 00:33:37,050 --> 00:33:41,520 Nev Schulman: of extremes for me going from maybe never running again 518 00:33:41,790 --> 00:33:46,500 Nev Schulman: to not only running again, but these new incredible opportunities. 519 00:33:46,500 --> 00:33:49,050 Nev Schulman: And now my wife who was inspired to start running 520 00:33:49,050 --> 00:33:51,420 Nev Schulman: as well, and we're now running together and I think 521 00:33:51,420 --> 00:33:55,920 Nev Schulman: we're going to run the London Marathon in April. It's 522 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,370 Nev Schulman: amazing how, for her growing up as a runner in 523 00:33:59,370 --> 00:34:01,170 Nev Schulman: high school and now me becoming a runner as an 524 00:34:01,170 --> 00:34:05,969 Nev Schulman: adult, the running theme has really woven through our lives 525 00:34:05,970 --> 00:34:08,009 Nev Schulman: and now brought us together and created all these new 526 00:34:08,010 --> 00:34:12,720 Nev Schulman: opportunities. And it's just been an amazing experience. 527 00:34:13,620 --> 00:34:14,130 Becs Gentry: Wow. 528 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:20,009 Rob Simmelkjaer: It is amazing. Yeah, sometimes these things happen and doesn't 529 00:34:20,010 --> 00:34:23,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: look like a good situation at first. You wouldn't choose 530 00:34:23,790 --> 00:34:27,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: it to happen again, but you look back some months 531 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: or years later and really good things can come out 532 00:34:30,450 --> 00:34:34,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: of accidents and bad situations. I always wonder with people 533 00:34:34,830 --> 00:34:37,919 Rob Simmelkjaer: who are runners or athletes who go through these situations, 534 00:34:38,340 --> 00:34:41,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: whether you think the running that you had done before, you've 535 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:44,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: been running your whole life, you'd run, I think 23 536 00:34:44,520 --> 00:34:48,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: Road Runners races before this accident. Whether you think that 537 00:34:48,570 --> 00:34:50,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: helped you get through all of this. The fact that 538 00:34:50,910 --> 00:34:53,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: you were able to come out of this as well 539 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: as you did and surprise the doctors, having that level 540 00:34:56,850 --> 00:35:01,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: of fitness both physically and mentally would probably be something 541 00:35:01,380 --> 00:35:03,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: that would help somebody get through something like this. 542 00:35:03,509 --> 00:35:09,180 Nev Schulman: Yeah, I think absolutely. In fact, I remember my physical 543 00:35:09,180 --> 00:35:11,940 Nev Schulman: therapist who I've been going to for a long time, 544 00:35:11,940 --> 00:35:14,700 Nev Schulman: or he's a bunch of things. He's not just physical 545 00:35:14,700 --> 00:35:17,910 Nev Schulman: therapist, but he specifically does a lot of sports medicine 546 00:35:17,910 --> 00:35:22,110 Nev Schulman: and works with a lot of runners. And I saw 547 00:35:22,110 --> 00:35:26,520 Nev Schulman: him maybe three or four weeks after the injury for 548 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:29,219 Nev Schulman: the first time, when I was already up and about 549 00:35:29,219 --> 00:35:32,910 Nev Schulman: and moving and talking about wanting to start running soon. 550 00:35:33,390 --> 00:35:38,400 Nev Schulman: And he said that, in his experience working with many 551 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,930 Nev Schulman: people over the years, the quicker you get back out 552 00:35:42,930 --> 00:35:45,420 Nev Schulman: there, the quicker you're active and the less time you 553 00:35:45,420 --> 00:35:50,730 Nev Schulman: spend not moving and letting your muscles and your body 554 00:35:51,030 --> 00:35:57,300 Nev Schulman: atrophy and weaken, the better. And that he was so 555 00:35:57,300 --> 00:36:02,730 Nev Schulman: happy, even if some doctors might not recommend being so 556 00:36:02,730 --> 00:36:06,450 Nev Schulman: mobile or running so soon after, he said from everything 557 00:36:06,450 --> 00:36:09,390 Nev Schulman: he's seen and all the patients he's worked with, the 558 00:36:09,390 --> 00:36:11,759 Nev Schulman: sooner you get back out and on your feet the 559 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:21,300 Nev Schulman: better. And yeah, I didn't expect it. But I think 560 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:25,260 Nev Schulman: knowing that, for me, running is such a crucial form 561 00:36:25,260 --> 00:36:29,130 Nev Schulman: of both fitness and exercise, but really more than anything, 562 00:36:29,550 --> 00:36:38,250 Nev Schulman: I think, mental health really is, simply put, I had to. I 563 00:36:38,250 --> 00:36:40,710 Nev Schulman: had no choice. The six weeks that I was in 564 00:36:40,710 --> 00:36:45,450 Nev Schulman: the neck brace and mostly in a reclined position were 565 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:52,620 Nev Schulman: torture. I just wanted to move. I knew I liked 566 00:36:52,620 --> 00:36:55,049 Nev Schulman: running, but I didn't really understand how important it was 567 00:36:55,050 --> 00:36:57,239 Nev Schulman: to me and how vital it was to my mental 568 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,420 Nev Schulman: health until there was a moment where I didn't know 569 00:37:00,420 --> 00:37:02,310 Nev Schulman: if I'd be able to do it again. And I 570 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:09,690 Nev Schulman: didn't do it for even just those six weeks. I 571 00:37:09,690 --> 00:37:12,780 Nev Schulman: got dark and I needed it, and I started looking forward 572 00:37:12,780 --> 00:37:13,680 Nev Schulman: to it so much. 573 00:37:14,969 --> 00:37:22,109 Becs Gentry: Tell me, did your training also change though? The way 574 00:37:22,110 --> 00:37:24,780 Becs Gentry: you viewed running, yes. The way you viewed your body, 575 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:29,010 Becs Gentry: yes, your relationships. But how you've gone into those few 576 00:37:29,010 --> 00:37:31,379 Becs Gentry: months that you had before the TCS New York City 577 00:37:31,380 --> 00:37:35,100 Becs Gentry: Marathon, the Pyramids Half, and now going forward, what's going 578 00:37:35,100 --> 00:37:36,239 Becs Gentry: to be different for you? 579 00:37:38,489 --> 00:37:42,960 Nev Schulman: For sure. It was frustrating because, like I said, I 580 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:49,140 Nev Schulman: had been really peak training fitness up until the morning 581 00:37:49,140 --> 00:37:53,910 Nev Schulman: of the accident. And I was starting to, as you 582 00:37:53,910 --> 00:37:56,760 Nev Schulman: know, and I might mute for a second because it sounds 583 00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:57,900 Nev Schulman: like there's an ambulance coming. 584 00:37:58,860 --> 00:38:00,151 Rob Simmelkjaer: That's okay. It's New York. We're used to it 585 00:38:00,151 --> 00:38:07,469 Nev Schulman: Anyway. That morning I had done a really fast routine, 586 00:38:07,469 --> 00:38:12,509 Nev Schulman: which was... What do you call an exercise where you 587 00:38:12,510 --> 00:38:16,290 Nev Schulman: do, it was like a half a mile and then 588 00:38:16,290 --> 00:38:20,279 Nev Schulman: a quarter of a mile faster, and then an eighth of a mile faster? And it 589 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:25,259 Nev Schulman: was a progression run, I guess. Progression run. And I had just crushed it, and 590 00:38:25,950 --> 00:38:30,600 Nev Schulman: I was so high on that adrenaline of seeing my 591 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:37,920 Nev Schulman: progress and feeling the speed. And so I haven't done 592 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,860 Nev Schulman: a lot of that. So there's only been a few years 593 00:38:40,860 --> 00:38:44,580 Nev Schulman: where I've really trained aggressively to set PBs, one of 594 00:38:44,580 --> 00:38:47,460 Nev Schulman: which was in 2018 for the New York City Marathon where 595 00:38:47,460 --> 00:38:51,960 Nev Schulman: I did my PB. But since then, it's mostly been 596 00:38:53,190 --> 00:38:58,410 Nev Schulman: maintaining a baseline level of fitness and then building up 597 00:38:58,530 --> 00:39:02,339 Nev Schulman: towards races, but not with the expectation of pushing myself to 598 00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:05,940 Nev Schulman: go too fast. So I was really starting to feel 599 00:39:06,300 --> 00:39:09,029 Nev Schulman: that excitement of like, oh, wow, I'm getting faster, I'm 600 00:39:09,030 --> 00:39:12,870 Nev Schulman: getting stronger. This is so fun. So it was tough 601 00:39:12,870 --> 00:39:19,620 Nev Schulman: because, obviously, after not running for six weeks and recovering 602 00:39:19,620 --> 00:39:23,610 Nev Schulman: from a pretty major accident, my first run back was 603 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:29,219 Nev Schulman: terrible. Felt terrible. It was so slow and short and 604 00:39:31,050 --> 00:39:34,680 Nev Schulman: disappointing on the heels of the last run I had gone 605 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:42,480 Nev Schulman: on. It was emotionally tough because leading up for the 606 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,520 Nev Schulman: next six weeks, which I think is the amount of 607 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:48,570 Nev Schulman: time I had before the marathon, there was a very 608 00:39:48,570 --> 00:39:53,280 Nev Schulman: slow build up of, first I just have to see 609 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,830 Nev Schulman: if I can run three miles. Okay, I can do 610 00:39:55,830 --> 00:39:58,710 Nev Schulman: three miles, let me do five. And then, okay, I 611 00:39:58,710 --> 00:40:02,339 Nev Schulman: got to six or seven, and I thought, okay, I can 612 00:40:02,340 --> 00:40:04,529 Nev Schulman: go enough of a distance now to know that my 613 00:40:04,530 --> 00:40:08,880 Nev Schulman: neck isn't going to hurt or cause me any real 614 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:11,310 Nev Schulman: problems. So now let me see if I can start 615 00:40:11,310 --> 00:40:14,250 Nev Schulman: bringing the pace down a little bit. So I got 616 00:40:14,250 --> 00:40:17,550 Nev Schulman: down into the eights, which for me is pretty slow to 617 00:40:17,550 --> 00:40:23,340 Nev Schulman: be running an 8: 30, 8:45 pace. So I thought, okay, 618 00:40:23,340 --> 00:40:24,570 Nev Schulman: let me see if I can bring that down. And 619 00:40:24,780 --> 00:40:27,330 Nev Schulman: started testing. Every run I was testing. Can I go 620 00:40:27,330 --> 00:40:29,009 Nev Schulman: a little faster? Is it going to hurt? Am I 621 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:32,219 Nev Schulman: okay? Can I go a little further? And so I slowly got 622 00:40:32,219 --> 00:40:37,080 Nev Schulman: that back down into the sevens and going enough of 623 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,440 Nev Schulman: a distance that it felt like, okay, this could work. 624 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:42,779 Nev Schulman: And I remember at that time I was also texting 625 00:40:42,780 --> 00:40:46,200 Nev Schulman: with Francesco and giving him updates and saying, " Hey, what 626 00:40:47,730 --> 00:40:50,400 Nev Schulman: shape are you in because here's where I'm at and I 627 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:53,520 Nev Schulman: want to make sure that you don't we're on the 628 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:55,230 Nev Schulman: same page and that you're not going to try and 629 00:40:55,230 --> 00:41:01,230 Nev Schulman: go too fast or whatever." So eventually I did my 630 00:41:01,230 --> 00:41:04,080 Nev Schulman: longest run leading up to the marathon, which was, I 631 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:09,270 Nev Schulman: think, 20 miles with some breaks in there. But it 632 00:41:09,270 --> 00:41:13,590 Nev Schulman: felt okay. And I just remember thinking like, okay, I can 633 00:41:13,710 --> 00:41:18,660 Nev Schulman: do this. I think I'll be okay. I definitely was 634 00:41:18,660 --> 00:41:23,640 Nev Schulman: undertrained though in terms of miles for a race and 635 00:41:24,150 --> 00:41:28,379 Nev Schulman: only really six weeks of active, and hardly even really, 636 00:41:28,380 --> 00:41:33,270 Nev Schulman: because the first few weeks of that was just test runs. 637 00:41:34,140 --> 00:41:38,610 Nev Schulman: So to answer your question, absolutely having the baseline of 638 00:41:38,610 --> 00:41:43,830 Nev Schulman: the last eight years of running pretty consistently allowed me 639 00:41:43,830 --> 00:41:48,060 Nev Schulman: to, I think, recover way faster, get back to a 640 00:41:48,330 --> 00:41:56,160 Nev Schulman: comfortable pace and distance, and not to say wing it, 641 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:00,360 Nev Schulman: but jump in to training close to the race and 642 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:04,560 Nev Schulman: still manage to get through it despite it being a 643 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:08,130 Nev Schulman: pretty, it was hard work, but I did get to 644 00:42:08,130 --> 00:42:08,730 Nev Schulman: the finish line. 645 00:42:09,780 --> 00:42:12,239 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes, you did. Yes, you did. As you always do. 646 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:15,239 Rob Simmelkjaer: Nev, I want to change gears and just talk a 647 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:19,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: bit about why people know Nev Schulman and your career, 648 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:24,299 Rob Simmelkjaer: which is such an interesting one. Breaking onto the scene 649 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:31,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: in 2010 with this documentary, Catfish, which has become really 650 00:42:31,230 --> 00:42:36,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: part of the lexicon of American in English language. You 651 00:42:36,780 --> 00:42:40,980 Rob Simmelkjaer: basically have a word that you created and something around 652 00:42:40,980 --> 00:42:44,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: that. And what was it like for you, for those 653 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:48,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: who don't know much about Catfish, the documentary then the 654 00:42:48,270 --> 00:42:51,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: show that came after it, how did that all happen? 655 00:42:51,870 --> 00:42:56,280 Rob Simmelkjaer: And did you see this life coming at you when you 656 00:42:56,280 --> 00:43:00,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: first had this idea to create that film? 657 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:06,840 Nev Schulman: Yeah, so I grew up in New York City and 658 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:09,780 Nev Schulman: my brother and a lot of my friends are filmmakers, 659 00:43:10,020 --> 00:43:17,910 Nev Schulman: so I was always around very creative film- focused people. And as 660 00:43:17,910 --> 00:43:22,739 Nev Schulman: a result, in college I started a production company making 661 00:43:22,739 --> 00:43:25,980 Nev Schulman: bar mitzvah and wedding videos, and then I got into 662 00:43:25,980 --> 00:43:29,100 Nev Schulman: filming dance and photography. And so I've always been in 663 00:43:29,100 --> 00:43:34,469 Nev Schulman: that world, but I certainly never had any ambitions to 664 00:43:34,950 --> 00:43:37,620 Nev Schulman: be the subject of a documentary and certainly never to 665 00:43:37,620 --> 00:43:40,080 Nev Schulman: host a television show. It all happened very much by 666 00:43:40,080 --> 00:43:47,610 Nev Schulman: accident. I, in 2007, was approached via MySpace by a 667 00:43:47,940 --> 00:43:53,370 Nev Schulman: young girl in Michigan who had seen my photography website 668 00:43:53,850 --> 00:43:56,489 Nev Schulman: where I posted a lot of photos of dancers and 669 00:43:56,489 --> 00:44:00,510 Nev Schulman: had been inspired by my photos to use them as a 670 00:44:00,570 --> 00:44:05,700 Nev Schulman: subject of watercolor paintings, as she was an aspiring artist. 671 00:44:06,630 --> 00:44:09,719 Nev Schulman: And it was so charming and adorable. And I very quickly started 672 00:44:09,719 --> 00:44:13,500 Nev Schulman: corresponding with her and her mom via MySpace and then 673 00:44:13,500 --> 00:44:19,410 Nev Schulman: Facebook. And really created this charming friendship. And she then 674 00:44:19,410 --> 00:44:21,630 Nev Schulman: would send me the paintings and they were really good, 675 00:44:21,630 --> 00:44:23,250 Nev Schulman: and we were putting them up on the wall. And 676 00:44:23,489 --> 00:44:25,919 Nev Schulman: my brother, who again, like I said, is a filmmaker, 677 00:44:27,300 --> 00:44:32,340 Nev Schulman: was just so curious that he started documenting it, here and there saying, " 678 00:44:32,340 --> 00:44:34,230 Nev Schulman: Oh, what is this new package?" Or I was on 679 00:44:34,230 --> 00:44:36,180 Nev Schulman: the phone or I'd read a funny email or whatever 680 00:44:36,180 --> 00:44:38,969 Nev Schulman: it was. And over the course of the next nine 681 00:44:38,969 --> 00:44:44,009 Nev Schulman: months, my friendship and relationship with the family grew. I 682 00:44:44,010 --> 00:44:47,040 Nev Schulman: became friends with the sister and the cousin and the 683 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:50,790 Nev Schulman: babysitter and the whole family in this small town in 684 00:44:51,180 --> 00:44:55,260 Nev Schulman: the upper peninsula of Michigan. And I started to flirt 685 00:44:55,410 --> 00:44:58,290 Nev Schulman: with the older sister who was close to my age 686 00:44:58,710 --> 00:45:02,069 Nev Schulman: and lived on a horse farm and rode horses and 687 00:45:02,070 --> 00:45:08,430 Nev Schulman: played music. I lived this very country, artsy life that I 688 00:45:08,430 --> 00:45:11,219 Nev Schulman: had always fantasized that maybe one day I would live. 689 00:45:12,420 --> 00:45:17,190 Nev Schulman: And we weren't dating because we hadn't met, but we 690 00:45:17,190 --> 00:45:22,319 Nev Schulman: were awaiting the opportunity to finally meet. And I think 691 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:26,430 Nev Schulman: we both assumed that when we did, we'd immediately fall 692 00:45:26,430 --> 00:45:33,210 Nev Schulman: in love. That was the expectation. Fast- forward. We were 693 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:38,670 Nev Schulman: filming a dance festival in Vail. They said something to 694 00:45:38,670 --> 00:45:40,710 Nev Schulman: me that seemed a little strange. I looked it up. 695 00:45:40,710 --> 00:45:43,800 Nev Schulman: It discovered that they had lied about a property they 696 00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:46,739 Nev Schulman: said they had bought, which was still for sale. There 697 00:45:46,739 --> 00:45:49,170 Nev Schulman: was a song they had sent me that I discovered 698 00:45:49,500 --> 00:45:52,380 Nev Schulman: actually they had just stolen off the internet. So we 699 00:45:52,380 --> 00:45:56,489 Nev Schulman: started investigating and very quickly discovered that a lot of 700 00:45:56,489 --> 00:45:58,350 Nev Schulman: the things they had told me might not be true. 701 00:45:59,730 --> 00:46:02,700 Nev Schulman: We went to Michigan. We surprised them. We filmed the 702 00:46:02,700 --> 00:46:06,390 Nev Schulman: whole thing. And what we discovered was that almost none 703 00:46:06,390 --> 00:46:08,790 Nev Schulman: of what they had told me was true. And many 704 00:46:08,790 --> 00:46:10,410 Nev Schulman: of the people that I had thought were real and 705 00:46:10,410 --> 00:46:11,940 Nev Schulman: had been interacting with were not. 706 00:46:11,940 --> 00:46:12,029 Becs Gentry: What? 707 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:18,120 Nev Schulman: Anyway, we created the documentary Catfish, which came out in 708 00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:24,359 Nev Schulman: 2010. And that tapped a nerve because people from all 709 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:26,940 Nev Schulman: over the country and then the world started reaching out 710 00:46:26,940 --> 00:46:30,270 Nev Schulman: to me with their wild stories of online deception and 711 00:46:30,270 --> 00:46:35,520 Nev Schulman: relationships that had ended with them discovering that they had 712 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:39,029 Nev Schulman: been lied to. And then, of course, the term catfished. 713 00:46:39,930 --> 00:46:42,239 Nev Schulman: And so we started offering to help these people by 714 00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:44,820 Nev Schulman: making the show and taking them on the crazy types 715 00:46:44,820 --> 00:46:48,660 Nev Schulman: of journeys that I had been on. So that's how 716 00:46:48,660 --> 00:46:53,339 Nev Schulman: Catfish happened. Hey, this guy, someone just took a picture 717 00:46:54,150 --> 00:46:57,989 Nev Schulman: of/with me because he's a fan 718 00:46:57,989 --> 00:47:00,209 Rob Simmelkjaer: Nev is on the street right now. So he's got 719 00:47:00,210 --> 00:47:03,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: passersby being like, " Hey, it's Nev Schulman." And taking a photo of 720 00:47:04,890 --> 00:47:07,259 Rob Simmelkjaer: you while you record this podcast interview. 721 00:47:07,259 --> 00:47:08,550 Becs Gentry: Exactly. Wow. 722 00:47:08,549 --> 00:47:10,680 Nev Schulman: Anyways, so yeah, so that's how I started making the 723 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:13,469 Nev Schulman: show, and we've been making it now for 12 years. 724 00:47:14,460 --> 00:47:17,130 Nev Schulman: And it's been this incredible journey of traveling around the 725 00:47:17,130 --> 00:47:21,719 Nev Schulman: world, but primarily the country, meeting people and holding their 726 00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:25,320 Nev Schulman: hands through a very strange emotional journey of discovering that 727 00:47:25,380 --> 00:47:28,530 Nev Schulman: someone that they, in many cases, are in love with 728 00:47:29,010 --> 00:47:33,300 Nev Schulman: is not at all who they present themselves to be. 729 00:47:34,860 --> 00:47:36,870 Nev Schulman: So that's how I ended up doing this. 730 00:47:37,799 --> 00:47:43,290 Becs Gentry: And then here you are now going around the, I 731 00:47:43,290 --> 00:47:45,330 Becs Gentry: want to say country, but have you done it internationally 732 00:47:45,330 --> 00:47:45,960 Becs Gentry: as well? 733 00:47:46,020 --> 00:47:50,700 Nev Schulman: We have done some episodes. Yeah, we did an episode 734 00:47:50,700 --> 00:47:52,801 Nev Schulman: in Canada, we did an episode in the UK. 735 00:47:52,801 --> 00:47:59,010 Becs Gentry: I feel like I saw a UK one. And here you are, catching everyone out, 736 00:47:59,820 --> 00:48:02,819 Becs Gentry: just not in a bad way though. I think you're 737 00:48:02,820 --> 00:48:07,170 Becs Gentry: saving everyone heartache and pain and you're putting the bad 738 00:48:07,170 --> 00:48:09,270 Becs Gentry: people back on the shelf. 739 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:14,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: Even just introducing this concept, Nev, that this is a 740 00:48:14,940 --> 00:48:21,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: thing that people do do this people to other people, maybe inserts just maybe that little 741 00:48:21,660 --> 00:48:26,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: bit of healthy skepticism perhaps that people should have when 742 00:48:26,190 --> 00:48:29,070 Rob Simmelkjaer: they're meeting people online, at least at first. 743 00:48:29,370 --> 00:48:34,200 Nev Schulman: Yeah. The show came out with the, or at the 744 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:39,540 Nev Schulman: same time as dating apps really took hold as well 745 00:48:39,540 --> 00:48:42,719 Nev Schulman: as social media in general. And I think for a 746 00:48:42,719 --> 00:48:46,350 Nev Schulman: lot of people there was this naivete, certainly for me, 747 00:48:46,739 --> 00:48:51,509 Nev Schulman: that people will tell you the truth. And that's not 748 00:48:51,510 --> 00:48:56,009 Nev Schulman: always the case. And with the internet and social media 749 00:48:56,010 --> 00:49:02,339 Nev Schulman: came this ease and access to the ability of creating 750 00:49:02,370 --> 00:49:06,480 Nev Schulman: an alter ego and presenting oneself in a way that 751 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:10,950 Nev Schulman: may not be exactly, either slightly different or in some 752 00:49:10,950 --> 00:49:15,090 Nev Schulman: cases entirely different from who you really are. And so 753 00:49:16,530 --> 00:49:22,590 Nev Schulman: the conversation has obviously grown around who are we and 754 00:49:22,590 --> 00:49:23,489 Nev Schulman: what can we... 755 00:49:23,489 --> 00:49:23,491 Speaker 7: You're the best. I love him. I'm crazy about the show. Love you. 756 00:49:23,491 --> 00:49:23,492 Nev Schulman: Thank you. Thank you. 757 00:49:23,492 --> 00:49:23,582 Rob Simmelkjaer: Unbelievable. 758 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:39,719 Nev Schulman: We sort again accidentally created this term Catfish, which wasn't 759 00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:43,830 Nev Schulman: even really intended to be used to describe someone, but 760 00:49:44,460 --> 00:49:48,660 Nev Schulman: it took on a life of its own. And now 761 00:49:48,690 --> 00:49:55,170 Nev Schulman: is in the dictionary as a second definition for the 762 00:49:55,170 --> 00:49:59,610 Nev Schulman: word, relating to anyone who uses social media to present 763 00:49:59,610 --> 00:50:05,219 Nev Schulman: a false version of themselves. But yeah, we had hopes 764 00:50:05,219 --> 00:50:09,330 Nev Schulman: that by making the show and showing people that this 765 00:50:09,330 --> 00:50:12,239 Nev Schulman: happens, that it would eventually go away or that people 766 00:50:12,239 --> 00:50:15,000 Nev Schulman: would know how to avoid it. But here we are 767 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:19,530 Nev Schulman: now, 300 episodes later and it doesn't seem to be 768 00:50:19,530 --> 00:50:25,830 Nev Schulman: going anywhere. So clearly humans have a desire and, I 769 00:50:25,830 --> 00:50:29,370 Nev Schulman: think, need, some cases for better and some cases for 770 00:50:29,370 --> 00:50:32,430 Nev Schulman: worse, to express themselves in ways that they may not 771 00:50:32,430 --> 00:50:36,450 Nev Schulman: be comfortable doing in real life. And the internet gives 772 00:50:36,450 --> 00:50:40,500 Nev Schulman: them that ability to create new characters and say things 773 00:50:40,500 --> 00:50:43,260 Nev Schulman: they may not feel comfortable saying or act in ways 774 00:50:43,260 --> 00:50:47,400 Nev Schulman: that they're not comfortable acting in their real world. And 775 00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:50,910 Nev Schulman: sometimes it's great. But obviously when it crosses paths with 776 00:50:50,910 --> 00:50:52,710 Nev Schulman: someone else who doesn't know that you're doing that, it 777 00:50:52,710 --> 00:50:58,739 Nev Schulman: can get very complicated and, in some cases, also entertaining. 778 00:50:58,830 --> 00:51:00,509 Nev Schulman: So that's what we've been doing. 779 00:51:02,460 --> 00:51:04,590 Becs Gentry: And we've been loving it for all these years and 780 00:51:04,590 --> 00:51:08,279 Becs Gentry: all these episodes and all of these uncoverings. It's growing 781 00:51:08,700 --> 00:51:13,320 Becs Gentry: and still a show that I will 100% watch. I 782 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:15,840 Becs Gentry: love watching it when I'm traveling, which is strange. I travel 783 00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:19,650 Becs Gentry: a lot. Okay, so one more thing we want to 784 00:51:19,650 --> 00:51:24,509 Becs Gentry: ask you, just as a moment of inspiration, as Rob 785 00:51:24,510 --> 00:51:28,650 Becs Gentry: says, somebody who's run multiple Road Runners events in the 786 00:51:28,650 --> 00:51:31,410 Becs Gentry: past, and we hope to see you at many, many more 787 00:51:31,410 --> 00:51:34,170 Becs Gentry: moving forward, I'm sure there's no doubt about that. But 788 00:51:34,170 --> 00:51:39,570 Becs Gentry: what words of inspiration could you leave our listeners, to 789 00:51:39,570 --> 00:51:47,280 Becs Gentry: anyone who is potentially overcoming something life- changing, what could 790 00:51:47,280 --> 00:51:48,960 Becs Gentry: you say to inspire them to keep going? 791 00:51:49,440 --> 00:51:55,560 Nev Schulman: Something that I've thought about before. One of the things 792 00:51:55,560 --> 00:51:59,009 Nev Schulman: that I love about running is that you can do 793 00:51:59,010 --> 00:52:03,360 Nev Schulman: it anywhere. And I spend a lot of time in 794 00:52:03,360 --> 00:52:07,410 Nev Schulman: Anywhere, USA. A lot of the places that I go 795 00:52:07,410 --> 00:52:11,489 Nev Schulman: to you've never heard of. They're a few hours away 796 00:52:11,489 --> 00:52:16,230 Nev Schulman: from the nearest city or airport, and there's very little 797 00:52:16,739 --> 00:52:20,460 Nev Schulman: to do there. You're not going to find a run 798 00:52:20,460 --> 00:52:23,400 Nev Schulman: club. You might not find a track. You might not 799 00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:27,390 Nev Schulman: even find a path or bike lane to run it. 800 00:52:27,420 --> 00:52:33,480 Nev Schulman: So I've had to really rely on my love for 801 00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:40,500 Nev Schulman: running because I'll go out and I'll just hit the 802 00:52:40,500 --> 00:52:45,750 Nev Schulman: road. And 99% of the time, I'll go on a 803 00:52:45,989 --> 00:52:49,020 Nev Schulman: one or two hour run. I will not see another 804 00:52:49,020 --> 00:52:53,700 Nev Schulman: runner. I might not even see another pedestrian in many 805 00:52:53,700 --> 00:52:58,259 Nev Schulman: of these places, But once in a while I will. 806 00:52:58,830 --> 00:53:02,730 Nev Schulman: And I remember recently, I don't remember where I was, 807 00:53:02,940 --> 00:53:04,560 Nev Schulman: it was a few years ago now, but I was 808 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:09,180 Nev Schulman: on a run and I turned onto a road and 809 00:53:09,750 --> 00:53:12,270 Nev Schulman: probably a quarter a mile ahead of me there was 810 00:53:12,270 --> 00:53:18,600 Nev Schulman: another runner going the same way as me. And for 811 00:53:19,050 --> 00:53:22,200 Nev Schulman: it was probably a mile or two, I was trailing 812 00:53:22,200 --> 00:53:25,860 Nev Schulman: them until they eventually turned and went into their neighborhood 813 00:53:25,860 --> 00:53:28,170 Nev Schulman: to go back home. And I continued straight. And I 814 00:53:28,170 --> 00:53:33,569 Nev Schulman: just remember thinking that person will never know that I 815 00:53:33,570 --> 00:53:37,739 Nev Schulman: was running behind them. They didn't see me. They never 816 00:53:37,739 --> 00:53:40,950 Nev Schulman: looked back because they probably assumed there wasn't anyone behind 817 00:53:40,950 --> 00:53:48,060 Nev Schulman: them. But for that 10 or 15 minutes I was using them. 818 00:53:48,450 --> 00:53:53,549 Nev Schulman: I was drafting, if you will, emotionally off of them, 819 00:53:54,420 --> 00:53:56,610 Nev Schulman: excited to know that there was someone else out here. 820 00:53:56,610 --> 00:54:00,060 Nev Schulman: It was cold, it was early, but there was someone 821 00:54:00,060 --> 00:54:03,779 Nev Schulman: else out here who was doing it too, who loves 822 00:54:03,780 --> 00:54:06,870 Nev Schulman: it as much as I do. And again, the idea 823 00:54:06,870 --> 00:54:13,860 Nev Schulman: that they didn't know I was using and inspired by 824 00:54:13,860 --> 00:54:18,930 Nev Schulman: them made me think that, okay, maybe I'm that person for 825 00:54:18,930 --> 00:54:23,460 Nev Schulman: someone else. Maybe physically in real life or even just 826 00:54:24,930 --> 00:54:31,170 Nev Schulman: theoretically someone's behind me and using me as that, oh 827 00:54:31,170 --> 00:54:33,540 Nev Schulman: yeah, there is someone else out here who loves this, 828 00:54:33,570 --> 00:54:41,460 Nev Schulman: who's working hard. I'm not alone. And so I often 829 00:54:41,460 --> 00:54:45,210 Nev Schulman: think about that. That idea that what I love about 830 00:54:45,210 --> 00:54:52,170 Nev Schulman: running specifically is that it's a huge community, but we're 831 00:54:52,170 --> 00:54:55,110 Nev Schulman: all, you have to do it on your own. It's 832 00:54:55,110 --> 00:54:59,190 Nev Schulman: really like an individual thing. And so I love that even as 833 00:54:59,190 --> 00:55:02,759 Nev Schulman: an individual sport, whether we come together physically in races 834 00:55:03,330 --> 00:55:06,690 Nev Schulman: or whether we accidentally run into each other on runs, 835 00:55:07,739 --> 00:55:11,010 Nev Schulman: we're connected to each other. And we rely on each 836 00:55:11,010 --> 00:55:15,569 Nev Schulman: other to set the pace, go a little further, work 837 00:55:15,569 --> 00:55:19,141 Nev Schulman: a little harder, and just get out there and do it. 838 00:55:19,141 --> 00:55:19,142 Becs Gentry: I love that. 839 00:55:19,142 --> 00:55:25,530 Rob Simmelkjaer: I love it. I love it. Beautifully said, incredibly true. I can 840 00:55:25,530 --> 00:55:29,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: relate very much to what you say when it comes 841 00:55:29,370 --> 00:55:32,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: to just seeing that other runner out there or being 842 00:55:32,580 --> 00:55:37,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: seen in some cases. Nev, amazing talking to you. You 843 00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:41,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: are really a great storyteller as you obviously do for 844 00:55:41,250 --> 00:55:43,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: a living. And you tell your own story as well 845 00:55:43,950 --> 00:55:47,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: as any. So thank you. So glad that you have 846 00:55:47,190 --> 00:55:50,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: recovered, that you're back out there running, and we look 847 00:55:50,340 --> 00:55:53,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: forward to seeing you at many NYR races over the next 848 00:55:54,030 --> 00:55:58,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: year and beyond. And continuing to watch you flourish as 849 00:55:58,140 --> 00:55:59,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: you tell these stories. 850 00:55:59,370 --> 00:56:01,650 Nev Schulman: And thank you guys for what you do at New York Road 851 00:56:01,650 --> 00:56:05,520 Nev Schulman: Runners. It's such an important part of my life and 852 00:56:05,520 --> 00:56:10,469 Nev Schulman: New York City. I'm thrilled to be a part of the 853 00:56:10,469 --> 00:56:13,739 Nev Schulman: New York Road Runner family, so I really appreciate it. 854 00:56:13,739 --> 00:56:14,009 Nev Schulman: Thank you. 855 00:56:28,890 --> 00:56:34,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: Dietmar Stork loves cats. He loves music and he loves running. Dietmar 856 00:56:34,170 --> 00:56:37,799 Rob Simmelkjaer: has an impressive running resume with eight ultra- marathons, 10 857 00:56:37,800 --> 00:56:42,719 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathons, and 53 half- marathons under his belt. Beyond his personal 858 00:56:42,719 --> 00:56:46,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: running achievements, which include 159 races with New York Road 859 00:56:46,620 --> 00:56:50,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: Runners, he is deeply involved with our organization serving as 860 00:56:50,310 --> 00:56:56,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: a volunteer leader at critical race events, including unloading buses 861 00:56:56,010 --> 00:56:57,989 Rob Simmelkjaer: at the marathon starting line, which is by the way, a 862 00:56:58,050 --> 00:57:00,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: very important job. So if you got off on a 863 00:57:00,750 --> 00:57:04,049 Rob Simmelkjaer: bus this year on Staten Island, Dietmar and his team 864 00:57:04,050 --> 00:57:06,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: were there to guide you to your village. 865 00:57:06,900 --> 00:57:10,260 Med: Thanks, Rob. Dietmar, welcome to the Set the Pace podcast. How are 866 00:57:10,260 --> 00:57:10,950 Med: you doing today? 867 00:57:11,219 --> 00:57:12,960 Diemar Stork: Good, how are you doing now? Good to see you. 868 00:57:13,320 --> 00:57:16,290 Med: Likewise. Good to see you. You have a very impressive record. 869 00:57:16,530 --> 00:57:18,660 Med: How'd you do it and what's your favorite distance? 870 00:57:20,250 --> 00:57:24,450 Diemar Stork: I would say the half- marathon is the favorite distance because I don't know, 871 00:57:25,680 --> 00:57:28,320 Diemar Stork: I just like it. I run it a lot. And at some point I realized 872 00:57:28,320 --> 00:57:31,470 Diemar Stork: I guess that must be my favorite distance because it's 873 00:57:31,800 --> 00:57:36,090 Diemar Stork: a little less hard than running say a 10K and it's 874 00:57:36,090 --> 00:57:39,600 Diemar Stork: not a marathon. So I really enjoy those. How did 875 00:57:39,600 --> 00:57:42,870 Diemar Stork: I get to it? I started running, I want to 876 00:57:42,870 --> 00:57:45,810 Diemar Stork: say 20 years ago roughly, and I've started running because 877 00:57:45,810 --> 00:57:48,420 Diemar Stork: my doctor actually said to me, " You're living very unhealthy 878 00:57:48,420 --> 00:57:50,220 Diemar Stork: and you need to do something otherwise we put you 879 00:57:50,220 --> 00:57:53,939 Diemar Stork: on medication." So I said, " Well, I'm 30- something years 880 00:57:53,940 --> 00:57:58,770 Diemar Stork: old, I better do something." And I started, by accident, 881 00:57:58,770 --> 00:58:02,490 Diemar Stork: I discovered running, and I realized that I really love that. And I was 882 00:58:02,490 --> 00:58:06,930 Diemar Stork: still living in Berlin. I run the Berlin half- marathon a 883 00:58:07,140 --> 00:58:09,510 Diemar Stork: few times, and then I said, " Well, it's a half- 884 00:58:09,510 --> 00:58:12,690 Diemar Stork: marathon, I should do a full marathon." And then I did to a Berlin Marathon. 885 00:58:13,920 --> 00:58:16,050 Diemar Stork: And then I moved to the States. And with New 886 00:58:16,050 --> 00:58:18,210 Diemar Stork: York Road Runner I really took off. I didn't realize 887 00:58:18,210 --> 00:58:22,140 Diemar Stork: I went over 150 races already, but I'm running a 888 00:58:22,140 --> 00:58:23,820 Diemar Stork: lot of history with them. 889 00:58:24,870 --> 00:58:26,910 Med: Excellent. I'm pretty sure you have a lot of stress 890 00:58:26,910 --> 00:58:30,750 Med: from your run, but you were also volunteer leader at the 891 00:58:30,750 --> 00:58:34,590 Med: bus uploading at the marathon start. What does your day 892 00:58:34,590 --> 00:58:37,980 Med: look like that day, and do you have any interesting stories? 893 00:58:39,450 --> 00:58:41,880 Diemar Stork: That was very interesting. So first of all, I've been 894 00:58:41,940 --> 00:58:44,520 Diemar Stork: volunteer lead for two years now, and I'm volunteer leading 895 00:58:45,000 --> 00:58:47,670 Diemar Stork: quite a lot. I've done it 12 times this year. 896 00:58:47,670 --> 00:58:49,680 Diemar Stork: But that was the first time at the marathon actually. 897 00:58:49,680 --> 00:58:53,820 Diemar Stork: I've been volunteering at, I want to say, seven marathons 898 00:58:53,820 --> 00:58:57,630 Diemar Stork: before, but that was my first time as a lead, which 899 00:58:57,630 --> 00:59:00,180 Diemar Stork: was very different. Plus it was the first time at 900 00:59:00,180 --> 00:59:02,970 Diemar Stork: the start. I used to volunteer at the finish line. 901 00:59:04,320 --> 00:59:08,100 Diemar Stork: So the day was relatively simple. As an idea, we 902 00:59:08,100 --> 00:59:10,860 Diemar Stork: had the buses coming, all the buses which came to and from 903 00:59:10,860 --> 00:59:13,380 Diemar Stork: the ferry or the buses which came from New Jersey, 904 00:59:13,950 --> 00:59:18,240 Diemar Stork: they all came to our area on School Street. I 905 00:59:18,240 --> 00:59:20,610 Diemar Stork: had my volunteers going onto the bus, greeting all the 906 00:59:20,610 --> 00:59:24,120 Diemar Stork: runners, making sure that they know what's going on, get 907 00:59:24,120 --> 00:59:27,840 Diemar Stork: the runners out of the buses, and then gets them 908 00:59:27,840 --> 00:59:32,790 Diemar Stork: into the start minutes. So far, so easy. But obviously, 909 00:59:32,790 --> 00:59:35,520 Diemar Stork: we had a few issues there. I came in, for 910 00:59:35,520 --> 00:59:38,550 Diemar Stork: example, I had a runner who was staying in a 911 00:59:38,550 --> 00:59:41,910 Diemar Stork: hotel, and the hotel employees, the cleaning crew, thought that 912 00:59:41,970 --> 00:59:44,250 Diemar Stork: his bag was as big and everything else in there 913 00:59:44,550 --> 00:59:47,580 Diemar Stork: was trash, so they threw out the bag. So he 914 00:59:47,580 --> 00:59:50,430 Diemar Stork: came to the start without anything and was obviously very, 915 00:59:50,430 --> 00:59:53,610 Diemar Stork: very nervous about it. So we had to assure that 916 00:59:54,030 --> 00:59:57,570 Diemar Stork: we will help them. We got him a new bib 917 00:59:57,570 --> 00:59:59,250 Diemar Stork: and he could run the race. I assumed he could 918 00:59:59,250 --> 01:00:02,130 Diemar Stork: run the race. I didn't follow it afterward. This happened 919 01:00:02,130 --> 01:00:08,760 Diemar Stork: a few times. The oddest thing I would say is 920 01:00:08,760 --> 01:00:12,060 Diemar Stork: we found a ukulele on the bus, so somebody must 921 01:00:12,060 --> 01:00:18,150 Diemar Stork: have entertained the bus by playing ukulele. I don't know where it ended up unfortunately, 922 01:00:18,150 --> 01:00:20,760 Diemar Stork: but if you were a ukulele player that day, kudos 923 01:00:20,760 --> 01:00:23,250 Diemar Stork: to you. But I also was very, very sad to 924 01:00:23,250 --> 01:00:25,740 Diemar Stork: see a nice instrument being left behind. 925 01:00:26,490 --> 01:00:29,340 Med: Wow. You got some interesting stories. But you also know 926 01:00:29,340 --> 01:00:32,430 Med: you have done 159 races for the New Yorker Runners, 927 01:00:32,820 --> 01:00:35,250 Med: and then you've given back a lot as a volunteer. 928 01:00:35,250 --> 01:00:38,130 Med: Since you have been in both sides of the stories, 929 01:00:38,460 --> 01:00:40,830 Med: what advice do you have for runners at the start? 930 01:00:42,480 --> 01:00:45,150 Diemar Stork: At the start, as a runner, I'm always getting nervous 931 01:00:45,150 --> 01:00:48,120 Diemar Stork: no matter which distance it is. I must say that, and 932 01:00:48,120 --> 01:00:53,940 Diemar Stork: that's something we of course experienced on Marathon morning that 933 01:00:53,940 --> 01:00:58,230 Diemar Stork: runners were nervous and so on. I think there, it's 934 01:00:58,230 --> 01:01:01,410 Diemar Stork: just do how you feel like you're running that day. 935 01:01:01,410 --> 01:01:03,450 Diemar Stork: For me, it's always, I never know how I go 936 01:01:03,450 --> 01:01:05,760 Diemar Stork: into a race. For me, it's always I'm starting and 937 01:01:05,760 --> 01:01:09,300 Diemar Stork: then I know how I feel at that day. I'm trying 938 01:01:09,300 --> 01:01:13,800 Diemar Stork: to pursue with that pace. Because I've been running a 939 01:01:13,800 --> 01:01:18,060 Diemar Stork: lot, I've tried not to run every single race too 940 01:01:18,060 --> 01:01:21,840 Diemar Stork: hard. I think I sometimes run a little harder than 941 01:01:21,840 --> 01:01:24,390 Diemar Stork: I should be, but I'm trying to always set a 942 01:01:24,390 --> 01:01:27,390 Diemar Stork: specific goal and try to somehow stick with it. I've been 943 01:01:27,390 --> 01:01:29,400 Diemar Stork: running a little bit less the last few years, and I 944 01:01:29,790 --> 01:01:32,940 Diemar Stork: noticed that improved actually my running. Instead of doing 15, 20 945 01:01:32,940 --> 01:01:36,330 Diemar Stork: races a year, I do my nine plus one. With 946 01:01:36,330 --> 01:01:39,450 Diemar Stork: New York Road Runners, I'm running nine, 10 times every single 947 01:01:39,450 --> 01:01:42,930 Diemar Stork: year and a few races outside. And that helped actually help 948 01:01:42,930 --> 01:01:45,480 Diemar Stork: improving my running by saying it's race a little bit 949 01:01:45,930 --> 01:01:49,170 Diemar Stork: less, train a little bit more. And the time I 950 01:01:49,350 --> 01:01:53,340 Diemar Stork: am not spending on running now myself, I'm spending and 951 01:01:53,340 --> 01:01:56,581 Diemar Stork: volunteering and making sure that this part of the race is going smoothly. And that is a lot of fun. I love that. 952 01:01:56,581 --> 01:02:03,390 Med: I'm pretty sure it's a lot of fun. And I'm pretty sure you're a very 953 01:02:03,390 --> 01:02:06,300 Med: busy person. You have run a lot of races, but 954 01:02:06,300 --> 01:02:09,510 Med: you also have volunteered a lot. How do you decide 955 01:02:09,510 --> 01:02:13,320 Med: whether you going to race or whether you're going to volunteer, and how do 956 01:02:13,320 --> 01:02:14,430 Med: you make that a big decision? 957 01:02:14,940 --> 01:02:18,540 Diemar Stork: Yeah, there are certain races I love running. I love running, for example, 958 01:02:18,540 --> 01:02:22,140 Diemar Stork: the Fred Lebow Half Marathon. I enjoy doing. It's every 959 01:02:22,140 --> 01:02:26,340 Diemar Stork: January. It's really hard, and I really dislike the last 960 01:02:26,340 --> 01:02:28,590 Diemar Stork: hill before the finish line, but I really want to 961 01:02:28,590 --> 01:02:31,440 Diemar Stork: do that. So that's something where I'm saying I'm running 962 01:02:31,440 --> 01:02:35,070 Diemar Stork: this one. But there's also other races. The New York 963 01:02:35,070 --> 01:02:37,320 Diemar Stork: City Half Marathon, it's my favorite half- marathon. Of all 964 01:02:37,320 --> 01:02:39,570 Diemar Stork: the halves I've done, this is the one where I'm 965 01:02:39,570 --> 01:02:42,090 Diemar Stork: saying, if somebody is a runner, you should want this 966 01:02:42,090 --> 01:02:46,080 Diemar Stork: one. It's awesome. But then I'm thinking, well, it's like 967 01:02:46,080 --> 01:02:49,500 Diemar Stork: sharing with somebody. I say, " Okay, I've done it six, 968 01:02:49,500 --> 01:02:52,860 Diemar Stork: seven times. I don't even remember how often somebody else 969 01:02:52,860 --> 01:02:56,130 Diemar Stork: should experience this too." So they should have that. And I try to 970 01:02:56,130 --> 01:03:00,300 Diemar Stork: then enable that by being a volunteer leader, by making sure 971 01:03:00,300 --> 01:03:02,730 Diemar Stork: our volunteers have a great day, that they are enjoying 972 01:03:02,730 --> 01:03:07,260 Diemar Stork: the race, and that then the runners have a great day. So sometimes I'm 973 01:03:07,260 --> 01:03:10,710 Diemar Stork: not necessarily running my most favorite race, and instead I'm 974 01:03:10,710 --> 01:03:14,669 Diemar Stork: volunteering there. But specific races throughout the year, I like 975 01:03:14,670 --> 01:03:18,660 Diemar Stork: doing Fred Lebow is coming up, for example. I love 976 01:03:18,660 --> 01:03:19,290 Diemar Stork: every single year. 977 01:03:20,490 --> 01:03:24,870 Med: Excellent. And you have qualified for via 9+ 1 program 978 01:03:24,870 --> 01:03:29,400 Med: for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. So the question is are you 979 01:03:29,400 --> 01:03:31,230 Med: going to run or are you going to volunteer? What's your 980 01:03:31,230 --> 01:03:32,640 Med: mind thinking right now? 981 01:03:33,390 --> 01:03:36,060 Diemar Stork: Currently, my mind is saying I'm volunteering. I actually signed 982 01:03:36,060 --> 01:03:39,180 Diemar Stork: up to be at the start again. And I entered the 983 01:03:39,180 --> 01:03:41,940 Diemar Stork: lottery for Berlin. So currently my mind is set to 984 01:03:41,940 --> 01:03:45,780 Diemar Stork: saying I'm running Berlin and I'm volunteering again because of volunteer 985 01:03:46,080 --> 01:03:53,430 Diemar Stork: experience. It was so nice. I always find it, there's 986 01:03:53,430 --> 01:03:55,770 Diemar Stork: a certain pressure when you're running New York because all 987 01:03:55,770 --> 01:03:58,260 Diemar Stork: my colleagues and friends, everybody who's living all in New 988 01:03:58,260 --> 01:04:02,610 Diemar Stork: York, everybody's saying are you running New York. And afterwards everybody's saying, " 989 01:04:02,610 --> 01:04:06,300 Diemar Stork: How did do?" I always feel a certain pressure saying, 990 01:04:06,300 --> 01:04:09,270 Diemar Stork: no, I really, really have to be extremely well doing 991 01:04:09,300 --> 01:04:11,970 Diemar Stork: well at that race. So it's a much bigger pressure 992 01:04:11,970 --> 01:04:14,580 Diemar Stork: than if I'm running, say an ultra marathon for example, 993 01:04:14,820 --> 01:04:16,950 Diemar Stork: where everybody just said, " Oh wow, you did an ultra 994 01:04:16,950 --> 01:04:19,560 Diemar Stork: marathon. That's awesome." But nobody says, " How did you do?" 995 01:04:19,560 --> 01:04:23,310 Diemar Stork: And knows how fast it is. So I think right now my 996 01:04:23,310 --> 01:04:26,939 Diemar Stork: mind is saying I'm volunteering again and I'm doing 2026. 997 01:04:28,140 --> 01:04:31,709 Diemar Stork: I'm running another time, and then I hope I get into 998 01:04:31,710 --> 01:04:33,900 Diemar Stork: Berlin and run Berlin another time this year, which I 999 01:04:33,900 --> 01:04:35,070 Diemar Stork: haven't done since 2009. 1000 01:04:36,240 --> 01:04:38,550 Med: I hope you get to Berlin, but we also want to 1001 01:04:38,550 --> 01:04:40,500 Med: say thank you for all the hard work that you 1002 01:04:40,500 --> 01:04:42,810 Med: have done as a volunteer, but also doing an amazing 1003 01:04:42,810 --> 01:04:46,350 Med: races at the New York Road Runners. Dietmar, thanks for 1004 01:04:46,350 --> 01:04:48,090 Med: being with us today and keep up the great work. 1005 01:04:48,720 --> 01:04:49,140 Diemar Stork: Thank you. 1006 01:04:49,530 --> 01:04:52,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, thank you Med. Thank you Dietmar, and thanks 1007 01:04:52,440 --> 01:04:54,960 Rob Simmelkjaer: Dietmar for being a member of New York Road Runners. 1008 01:04:55,260 --> 01:04:57,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: Now it's time for today's Med Minutes. 1009 01:04:57,870 --> 01:05:02,220 Med: Winter running safety. Winter running can be tough, but safety 1010 01:05:02,220 --> 01:05:06,720 Med: should always come first. With short days and icy conditions, 1011 01:05:07,110 --> 01:05:10,530 Med: make sure you wear bright reflective gear so you are 1012 01:05:10,530 --> 01:05:15,900 Med: visible to drivers, especially in low- lit conditions. Choose well- 1013 01:05:15,900 --> 01:05:20,490 Med: lit routes and be cautious of slippery spots. Consider wearing 1014 01:05:20,490 --> 01:05:24,240 Med: shoes with good tracks and adding spikes if you're running 1015 01:05:24,300 --> 01:05:28,140 Med: on ice. Stay aware of your surroundings. And if your 1016 01:05:28,140 --> 01:05:31,350 Med: weather's harsh, it is okay to adjust your route or 1017 01:05:31,350 --> 01:05:34,110 Med: take a day off. I like to say sometimes this 1018 01:05:34,110 --> 01:05:36,780 Med: is a good day for a treadmill run as an 1019 01:05:36,780 --> 01:05:40,200 Med: option. Make sure you make a wise decision for today 1020 01:05:40,410 --> 01:05:42,420 Med: and for the long season because you don't want to 1021 01:05:42,420 --> 01:05:45,480 Med: slip and fall. For example, for me, in 2010 when 1022 01:05:45,480 --> 01:05:48,540 Med: I was in Mammoth Lakes, California, after I won the TCS New York 1023 01:05:48,540 --> 01:05:51,660 Med: City Marathon, I was getting ready for Boston. There was a 1024 01:05:51,660 --> 01:05:54,390 Med: black ice on top of the snow, so you have 1025 01:05:54,390 --> 01:05:56,940 Med: to be aware of your surroundings. I slipped and fell 1026 01:05:57,150 --> 01:06:00,630 Med: and I prepatellar bursitis, which means I just fell on my 1027 01:06:00,630 --> 01:06:02,550 Med: knees and it took a long time to recover. So 1028 01:06:02,850 --> 01:06:05,850 Med: be aware of your surroundings. Be making a wise decision. 1029 01:06:05,850 --> 01:06:09,120 Med: Sometimes just jumping on the treadmill is okay or taking a day off 1030 01:06:09,150 --> 01:06:10,440 Med: if the weather is really bad. 1031 01:06:10,860 --> 01:06:13,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, that does it for a holiday edition of 1032 01:06:13,560 --> 01:06:15,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: Set The Pace. I want to thank our guest today, 1033 01:06:15,660 --> 01:06:19,980 Rob Simmelkjaer: Nev Schulman and Dietmar Stork. If you like this episode, 1034 01:06:19,980 --> 01:06:22,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: please go ahead, subscribe, rate, leave a comment for the 1035 01:06:22,770 --> 01:06:27,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: show, wherever you listen. Merry Christmas to everybody celebrating. Happy 1036 01:06:27,030 --> 01:06:30,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: Hanukkah, that starts right around Christmas as well. Have a 1037 01:06:30,300 --> 01:06:33,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: great, great holiday week. Enjoy the miles. We'll see you 1038 01:06:33,270 --> 01:06:33,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: next week.