From Prison Guard to Endurance Star: Ken Rideout on Mindset, Non-Negotiables & Self-Accountability

The heart and soul of this podcast is personal transformation—and today’s story of metamorphosis is one of the most compelling, improbable, and inspirational tales I have ever heard. Narrating this epic saga is Ken Rideout, a guy who has transcended a litany of seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become one of the world’s pre-eminent master athletes. Now 51, he smokes his running competitors like a bad habit—and is only beginning to hit his stride. It’s a land mine littered path that didn’t come easy. A rough and chaotic childhood, a battle with addiction, learning harsh truths as a prison guard right out of high school, and later losing colleagues on 9/11 are just a few of the many obstacles he’s faced and overcome. Nonetheless, and without any formal experience, he somehow made it to Wall Street and beyond—and has been stacking goals ever since. Ken’s latest goal? To be crowned masters champion in all the world’s most prestigious marathons. Crowned “World’s Best Marathoner Over 50” by the New York Times (in an article written by friend of the podcast Matt Futterman), it’s fair to say this former boxer is already well on his way to achieving that goal. Today we walk through Ken’s journey, covering his early years reared in chaos, his time spent as a prison guard, and how he hustled his way against all odds to get to Wall Street. We also dive into the opioid addiction that nearly cratered his life, his mid-life renaissance as an athlete, his inhuman drive, his unique professional approach to training, and the mindset tools he’s leveraged to create improbable success—all of which are layered with a rare and colorful humility. Watch: YouTube. Read: Show notes. Today’s Sponsors: Athletic Greens: 75 whole food sourced ingredients designed to optimize 5 key areas of health. Go to: athleticgreens.com/richroll to get a FREE year supply of Vitamin D ​AND​ 5 free travel packs of AG1 with your first purchase. Indeed delivers 4x more hires than all other job sites combined. There are no long-term contracts and you’ll only pay for quality applications matching the sponsored job description. Start hiring NOW with a 75$ sponsored job credit at Indeed.com/RICHROLL. Terms and conditions apply. Matcha: Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, this is the highest-quality matcha available. Head over to Matcha.com and use code RICHROLL for 20% off your entire first order. Navitas Organics: Fine purveyors of delicious organic superfoods. For a limited time you can get 30% off your entire order by using the code RICHROLL at navitasorganics.com/richroll. Ken is truly one of a kind, and this one is packed with powerful lessons on discipline, self-accountability, and the importance of consistency. Get on board the rollercoaster—and prepare for a thrill. Peace + Plants, Rich