Book Review: Laughter and Lessons from The Slow AF Run Club

Ever zipped through a stack of books with newfound speed only to stumble upon a story that's like looking into a heartwarming, hilarious mirror? That's exactly what happened to me with "The Slow AF Run Club" by Martinus Evans. The latest episode is a rollercoaster of laughs and earnest moments as I recount the lessons and laughter in Martinus' odyssey as a plus-size runner. From his sharp wit in the face of unsolicited medical advice to facing hecklers with courage, his narrative isn't just a book—it's the embodiment of every 'average bear' who's ever laced up running shoes. 

Whether you're a running newbie or a pavement-pounding veteran, you'll walk away (or sprint, if that’s your style) from this episode with actionable insights, a few good chuckles, and maybe even the urge to join a run club that celebrates every finish, no matter the pace.

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Welcome to the Pain Free Athlete Podcast. I'm your host, dana Jones. I am a certified personal trainer and I'm here to help you achieve your fitness goals without pain. In each episode, I'll share tips and strategies that will help you stay safe and pain free while you're working out. I'll also interview experts in the field of fitness and pain management. So if you're ready to learn how to stay active and pain free, then subscribe to the Pain Free Athlete Podcast today. Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Pain Free Athlete Podcast. I'm your host, dana Jones.

Speaker 1: 0:39

So today's topic is a book review, as I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I started doing this Jimquick reading course and so I learned how to like navigate books and you know how to read sentences and all the stuff, and that's gonna have to be a tale for another day, but anyway. So since I've done the reading course, I've been rationsally reading, which has been kind of fun for me. So I think, like my goal to start off was I'm gonna read, you know, 12 books, so I figure, one book a month, that's pretty good rate and I should be educated by this and this is gonna be fantastic and I think already I've read like 16 books. So I all the books on the list, right, we all have those lists of things that, oh, we're gonna get to and then eventually you do or don't or whatever. So one of the books that I've been wanting to read and it came out last year is called the Slow AF Run Club and it's by Martinez Evans and he is a plus size runner and this book is pretty much hysterical, and part of it is because I feel like it's talking to my soul. He has such wonderful humor. His examples and his stories are just wrong in a good way, you know, because we've all made these mistakes and essentially what he you know, he is, as he calls himself, a self-identified black, fat male runner and he talks to us. You know, the average everyday athlete, the you know, slower, older, bigger bodies, people who've color, you know all that kind of stuff, and I just wanted to kind of bring up a couple of points. I'm not gonna review the entire book or talk about each chapter or anything like that, because I don't want to ruin it for you. I want you to have some fun reading it, but there's definitely some key insights that I wanted to share with you.

Speaker 1: 2:51

So in the introduction he talks about how he started this running journey, because he was at the doctor and the doctor pretty much told him to lose weight or die, and if you are a person that's a little bit bigger than the average bear, going to the doctor is always a challenge. There's things that I've learned that you know. You don't have to get weighed if you don't want to, because that's always. You know, though, going to the doctor's kind of iffy for me anyway, but the getting weighed things seems like oh, here we go, and I can't even tell you how many times I've been told to go on a vegan diet, or you know that's good for losing weight, or this or that you know and it's. There's not even a question or a discussion about whether or not I want to lose weight, but then I feel like I have to make up all these excuses in there. So to be in that position where the doctor says, hey, you need to lose weight or die is discouraging and pissed him off, which is fantastic, because otherwise he wouldn't be where he is today if he didn't do that and he told the doctor that he was going to run a marathon, and the doctor said well, that's, you're gonna die, and just the idea of like, wow, that's really shitty that you said that to him and you know, just to kind of ruin a little bit, he has run over eight marathons and he's still alive and you know, this is a good thing. Just in general.

Speaker 1: 4:20

His storytelling is phenomenal and I just enjoy the humor that he infuses into the book. And he calls them cautionary tales and I think about it. I'm like, yeah, they are cautionary tales because you know, it's definitely like you want people to heed the warnings, avoid the faux pas and not do what he did or what I do or anything like that. But he deals. He talks about how he deals with hecklers. He talks about, you know, running while black, which is kind of frightening, but totally understand because he's a big dude and he's black and you know if you're running in the neighborhood sometimes people don't like it and he just I think what I ended up taking away after reading the book was like I think I'm okay to run, like, and I know that I've talked about, I really don't like running, but I kind of like there's a part that I do, but there's also a lot of weirdness and shame that's around, like my performance in my running and after listening to him, like I think if I just run with the right people, I may be okay.

Speaker 1: 5:29

So he started talking and you know I don't know it was just it was pretty entertaining. So he started talking about the first time that he got. He started to run, he decided he was going to run after he went to the doctor and he got on the treadmill and, of course, ended up like wiping out on the treadmill. And he was I think it was at his apartment building or something like that. So he had two dudes on either side of them that were clearly running at a seven mile an hour pace or something stupid like that, and he thought, oh, I could do that too, and then he ends up wiping out.

Speaker 1: 6:03

And you know, it's just. I mean, those are some of the things that happen. It's like you get there, you don't really know what to do. You're kind of embarrassed to ask people for help because everybody who's there doing stuff is really, you know, athletically attractive, I guess is the way to say it. You know they're sleek and they look like they're in shape and you know they don't look approachable, those kinds of things. And you know, it's just, it's kind of crazy. But one of the stories that he kind of goes into is talking about kind of not knowing what you're doing when you're, you know, in a race. And I started thinking about like, yeah, I think.

Speaker 1: 6:48

So Anna talked me into triathlon number one, which was insane. You know, it wasn't, it was a micro, like a kind of a micro triathlon, so it's like a hundred yards swim, a, I think it was a five mile bike and a three mile run, or may have been less than that, and it was up here in Northern California and it was in April and it was, I know, stupid. It was like 43 degrees in the morning, so it was like totally frozen. So it was a very weird experience that I was able to live through. But triathlon number two, I learned a very interesting lesson.

Speaker 1: 7:26

So I was talked into this again by Anna and her crazy cousin Tim Shout out to Tim, because I know you listen occasionally and it was in Vysalia, and Vysalia, you know, I don't know, it's like in the middle of California kind of, and you know the weather here is always funny, right, you never know what you're getting. But it was in April. So my thought was like, oh, it's going to be 70 degrees and everything's going to be fine. Well, that particular day it was 94 degrees and because I wasn't very fast, all of a sudden I was chugging along and then I noticed that I passed a rest stop and there was no water. And then I passed another rest stop and there was no water and there was no people and I went holy crap, like they all left. And so then and I still had, because we were running laps, so I still had two laps to go and I went I don't have any water. I didn't bring any water with me, and so we were actually finding water bottles, like on the side of the road, because a girlfriend was running with me and she's pouring them over my head, because, of course, I don't feel good now that I'm running in this heat and I'm not drinking anything. And we ended up. You know, we finished the race.

Speaker 1: 8:35

I was pretty hot, pretty embarrassed that I did not plan properly for this race, and that was one of the big things that he talks about is like be prepared. You know, don't expect the race directors especially if you're slow don't expect the race directors to have everything for you, because that's not going to be case. And a lot of times when you're slow, they do stupid shit like close down the course or pull all the cones. So you're running and you're like I don't know where I'm supposed to be going. And even if they have time set up because a lot of times when people come up with races they're like, ok, if you don't run a marathon, say in six hours, then you know, don't sign up right, because they, you know, may be permitting. There's a lot of reasons why people set time limits. A lot of times it's because it's a long time to be out there and you know they don't want to wait for people that are slow.

Speaker 1: 9:30

So it's always good especially if you know that you're slow and you know that this is probably going to be happening to carry water, to carry, you know, some gels, some snacks or whatever, so that you, when it happens because it's probably going to happen when it happens that you can take care of yourself. So it's just, you know it was something that he said and I thought about it and was like yeah, how many? You know, I only got into that situation once. From then on, I always had plenty of water with me, or you know. So I would bring the little handheld bottles or hydration packs, if they race allowed it, you know, whatever it was, because I wanted to make sure that I didn't.

Speaker 1: 10:13

I wasn't in that situation and even when you're dealing with nutrition, a lot of times, like you know, if you follow the, the instructions on the packages, it's like oh, you know, one gel every half an hour, or something like that. But there's a lot of times where they say, oh, you don't need a gel. It's like well, but if I'm a heavier athlete or if I'm moving a lot slower, I'm going to need a lot more energy than you know the person who is a different weight and has been doing this. So it was. You know. That was one of the things that's like yeah, that's a good lesson, right? Everybody should know that lesson.

Speaker 1: 10:50

It's like do not depend on a race to support you. Now, obviously you could do some research and figure out, you know, which races are very well supported and which races aren't, but just know that sometimes they change. There's a cycling event that I do, and for a long time they had plenty of food and did a bunch of stuff and then, as money started getting tight and venue costs, you know, increased for them, then they stopped providing food for us and they're not the same amount of food and it wasn't you know this like good food. You're like, oh, I pay a lot of money, I'm hoping I get good food. Now I've done events where they've run out of food. You know the finish line food in your home. Wow, I paid you know 100 bucks to ride around and now I come back and there's like a couple of pieces of pizza and and whatever. Right, they didn't have stuff. So it's best to do your research and make sure that you know the events that you're going to or established and that there is some support. And you know, and if there's a cut off time and you don't reach that cut off time, then probably you shouldn't race that race. You know, let them know right, or let them keep their elite runners and then do the races that are more family friendly, that do accommodate runners that are slow.

Speaker 1: 12:10

So what was the other thing? So he talked about Chafing the story in there. I can't match it. I'm not going to tell it too much, but if you were an athlete and you've ever done anything and you've dealt with chafing his blow by blow of everything, that happened is wrong but funny, and just the idea of really being smart about the clothing that you wear, the supportive I don't know what they are.

Speaker 1: 12:47

I want to say ingredients, but it's not ingredients. Materials like what? Is it booty butter or like a shami butter, or there's a million different things. That these nuts is another brand. These are like anti chafing creams and solves and you know, some of them are Vaseline based or whatever. That if you got things that are going to rub together, they're probably going to rub together and if you're doing a repetitive action for a good amount of time, they're going to hurt a lot. And you think you're fine until you get in the shower and then you're like, oh, I just need a little soap. And then you do the soap and then you're praying to God or you're crying or you're holding your breath or you just pass out from the excruciating pain. That is what he calls the chief monster, which I thought was so funny. Anyway, but that's, it's real stuff.

Speaker 1: 13:45

So I always remember my acupuncturist said you know, cotton kills and that was a hiking thing that they used to talk about or hiking or biking, and you know any of that long term stuff, because you know the issue with cotton is it absorbs the moisture and then it doesn't dry out. And if the temperature changes, then all of a sudden you're freezing your backside off and it's not a good thing. And so you know he talks about using like high tech wear or, you know, like the tech fibers. You know there's obviously a lot of debates about, you know, synthetic versus natural. So, like I remember, a long time ago, I used to get like stuff that was bamboo, their stuff that gets a little stinky. So you have to be mindful of that. And, of course, there's plenty of online recipes to deal with stinky clothing. You know those kinds of things. But it was a very good.

Speaker 1: 14:38

If you're just starting to work out or you're just starting to run or even triathlon For the first time, this is a good book to read because he really does nail down the basics from everything from what you need to wear, how you deal with your feet In terms of you know really getting with shoe stores to go in there and have them do a gate analysis and really take a look at the shoe on your foot and make sure you know. One of the things he brings up that a lot of people are frustrated with now is that you know there's this constant like need by shoe companies to keep changing styles. And you know just little things. Like you know, I wear Nike's and you know they dropped the the heel thing for a while, so the back of the shoe it was like riding on my Achilles and then of course somebody said, oh, you need to raise it up. And then they raised it up too far, you know. So they do these things and so they come out with the version and it's, like you know, running shoe number one. And you know, now you're up to iteration number 13 and you know, and it's very frustrating.

Speaker 1: 15:45

I have one client who buys multiple pairs as soon as she finds something that works. Then she's like I'm just going to go ahead and drop, you know, three bills on three pairs of shoes, and that way I know that at least for the next year and a half or so that I'm going to be taken care of, or however long it takes to go through shoes. And just you know that's something to think about, especially if you're somebody who finds something that works. Buying multiple pairs of something is fantastic. I do it with bike shorts, if I find bike shorts that fit, if there's a bra that works. A lot of times I'll do that. I still am holding out to try to find the right bra, because it's just, I don't know what it is. It's really hard finding the right bra, you know. But shorts and shorts that don't ride up, and you know the socks, the right socks, and you may blister, or you know, there's all kinds of things that you really need to consider. But one of the things is really like once you find something that works for you, you should buy multiple pairs of it and just put them away in your closet.

Speaker 1: 16:45

And then, you know, set a reminder, because shoes, now, you know they say they're good from about 300 to 500 miles and I don't know, you know, some of them seem to get really soft and squishy after less than that. Some of them can hold on a little bit longer. I think it depends on you, your body style, the way that you run, your gait style. You know, if you're, you know, a slapper and a dragger or whatever, you're probably going to go through your shoes a lot faster than somebody who just kind of floats along as they're running. And again, it's just about where you're training right, though that plays also a factor. Right, are you running on trails, are you running on the concrete, are you running on the track? So that really plays a part in the wear and tear on shoes.

Speaker 1: 17:31

So he also talks about, you know, finishing a race and then dealing with the aftermath and really talks about getting outside support for that. Because a lot of times when people set a goal, they have this kind of post-race depression and I had it after I finished my 70.3 because I had been working for I don't know six months, seven months on racing and every day, right, you know, or every week, that is what is going on. Is that? You're thinking about it? You're doing it? You know, oh, am I going to run? You know what is my plan for this week, and then all of a sudden you finish, you have that euphoria yeah, I did it, and then you don't know what to do.

Speaker 1: 18:25

And so he prepares a couple of different strategies. You know where he talks about like having a race schedule set up for the year so that you can avoid those downs, because you know some people, especially if it's a big race, you know, and he talks about doing, you know, new York City Marathon and some of those really like high value races, there is a huge buildup. If you're doing an Ironman for the first time, there is that buildup of like holy crap, this is a really, really big you know do, and then when I do it I want to like ride that high for a long time and then you know it doesn't happen. Right, there's not another Ironman. That's going to happen next week. Things have changed. Now there is another Iron man that happens.

Speaker 1: 19:08

If you have the money, you travel across the country and do it again, but your body can't tolerate it, just like you can't really run back to back marathons. It's not really that great for your body. You need that time to rest and recover and do the things that you need to do, you know. But he talks about really just having that support team. You know who are the people that you're going to have in your life that are going to help support you. You know your training buddies. You may have a weightlifting person, you may have a running person. Who do you go for? You know massages with who is. You know your therapist. You know maybe you need a sport therapist, maybe you need a coach, just having all of those people around you to deal with things, because you know, a lot of times we don't always finish right and that's another thing to deal with too is the you know like, oh, I got hurt and I couldn't race, or there was weather right. I know, you know, with Ironman and triathlons, a lot of times like there's bad weather in the water, there's, you know, like, too much wind, so the chop is crazy. You know there's rain that will cancel rides or shorten the rides, or you know those kinds of things and you know you need to have like an entourage to help support you through the mental challenges of racing and you know, I think that's not bad advice.

Speaker 1: 20:35

The final piece that I kind of wanted to share about is that he one of his chapters is Cross-Trainer Die and really talking about the importance of making sure that you do things, and how he found this out was that he decided to do like a challenge and he just kept doing his little challenge and he was getting all these warning signs of things that were hurting and eventually it kind of put him in a place where he was unable to run for almost a year and had to go for physical therapy and all that stuff and found out you know that obviously this was preventable and the number one reason for preventing it or the number one, I guess, resolution for preventing it was that idea of cross-training, lifting weights, doing other activities, you know, getting yourself in the pool, riding your bike, and that you're just not doing one activity. I love that. I love the idea because you are training your brain as well.

Speaker 1: 21:35

Right, a lot of times, you know, doing one activity can be mind-numbingly boring. And getting out and going oh, I know I'm going to go to a dance class with so-and-so on Monday, you know, or every Monday, or something like that or I know I'm going to go ride my bike on Saturday with whoever Like there's a great way to keep yourself in shape and by diversifying your palette of activities you really do help keep your body on top. And of course, that weightlifting piece is always a big piece because you want to be strong through all these activities. And that eventually, if you do something repetitively where you're only using a certain you know muscle or whatever the other muscles are like, yeah, you got it, and then that creates the imbalance and then that's when you find that little shooting pain or you know plantar fasciitis or the other things that kind of pop up. So just being mindful of that and you know, for me, I think the biggest takeaway that I had from this book is, like, really about finding your people and making sure that you're with people that make you feel good and that support you in whatever you're choosing to do, and there's so many different things.

Speaker 1: 22:52

You know, when I first started triathlon, there wasn't a lot around here, and now it seems like you know well again, there's not a whole lot around my area, but there seems to be a lot of races that are popping up and there are a lot of people that are interested in doing things. And I think the biggest takeaway I got was that you know you just really need to find the right community for you to race in and just a little self-plug by running into some of the situations that he ran into about the inclusivity of the event. This is like the main reason why I created or we created because it was definitely a kind of group consciousness kind of thing the triathlon that I host and why it's untimed and why you know you get a medal for participating and we don't want you knocking down a five-year-old to finish first or you know those kinds of things is because we want everybody to participate and I probably the most important thing about the whole race is that my friend, sue's husband, kevin, rides with the last person and he chats them up and he does a fantastic job and I don't want anybody else doing the job, because he is a rock star. You know, shout out to Kevin because he really talks to the people, he distracts them a little bit if he notices they're in pain, he cheers them on and he makes them not feel bad about being last and that is fantastic because we all need a Kevin who's running alongside of us or riding his bike next to us and just cheering us on and talking about, like, what we've done to get to where we are and that we should celebrate it. And I think that's probably one of the biggest takeaways and I get a lot of compliments on that, which I think is funny. But you know, it's because it's not me, it's Kevin and I don't. I think we just we were doing it because we didn't want to lose anybody and the outcome has been much greater than I could have ever imagined and just the fact that some people just feel like I feel good about what I'm doing and I'm glad I freaking finished and that's what I want to hear. So anyway, kind of bringing it back.

Speaker 1: 25:23

The book again is Slow AF Run Club and it's Martinez Evans and I recommend you read it. It's a good read If you're an intermediate runner or you're a beginner runner. I think it's fantastic. He does cuss a lot. So if you have issues with the F word, just know that it's going to be used a lot in the book and, you know, definitely look out for the Chaff Monster story. And anyway, that's all I got for now. Thank you so much for listening. Don't forget to rate and review and I will catch you later.