Training SECRETS To Set RECORDS AT ANY AGE

Rich Roll

Oct 20, 2025

Episode description

Nick Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic, elite marathoner running sub-2:30 in his 40s, and author of The Running Ground. We discuss reconciling with a complicated father, setting running records at 50, why AI terrifies this media CEO, and how running reveals our deepest patterns. READ MORE👉🏼http://bit.ly/richroll943
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00:00:00 Intro
00:01:26 Welcome & Setting the Scene
00:02:09 The Simplicity Paradox of Running
00:05:48 Running as Meditation & Self-Transcendence
00:09:03 Ultra Running & Dissociation
00:10:08 Running’s Double-Edged Sword: Obsession vs. Growth
00:17:50 Challenging Age-Related Mindset Limiters
00:21:46 Transition to Ultra Running & New Lessons
00:26:02 Integrating Other Runners’ Stories
00:31:47 Sponsor Break
00:34:13 Balancing Roles & Stress Management
00:35:28 Influence of Upbringing & Father-Son Dynamics
00:39:05 Intergenerational Patterns & Family History
00:40:10 Father’s Rise and Fall
00:45:22 Processing the Family Legacy
00:48:54 Running as Connection & Healing
00:51:38 Early Running Memories & Influences
00:54:30 Running as Metaphor for Family Dynamics
00:55:10 High School & College Running Journey
01:01:46 Sponsor Break
01:04:30 Stanford Years & Athletic Setbacks
01:07:39 Identity, Adulthood, and Busking
01:17:36 Breakthroughs in Journalism & Law School Decision
01:19:11 2005: A Pivotal Year—Career, Marriage, Running, Cancer
01:21:30 Cancer, Recovery, and Post-Traumatic Growth
01:26:20 Professional and Personal Growth in 30s
01:29:50 Lessons from Family History & Biographical Writing
01:32:08 Competitiveness, Career, and Maturity
01:33:47 Building Business Models for Journalism
01:44:23 The Atlantic, Brand Expansion, and AI Threats
01:51:14 AI, Media, and the End of Reality
02:01:34 Parenting in the Age of AI
02:05:21 AI as a Personal and Professional Tool
02:07:43 Core Lessons from Running & Closing Reflections

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Hi I'm Rich Roll. I'm a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I'm a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles:
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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Achieve rolling peaks of performance through smart training and lifestyle choices

Instead of a linear decline, you can achieve 'rolling peaks' of performance as you age by getting smarter about your training and lifestyle.

#aging

#training

Leverage AI as your personal coach for tailored advice

You can use AI as a personal coach by uploading your training logs and diet to get specific advice, such as a recovery protocol for an injury.

#AI

#recovery

Recognize running's potential to harm relationships and self-awareness

While beneficial, running can also make you self-absorbed, wreck marriages, and be a form of denial rather than a healthy practice.

#relationships

#running

Master your brain to control pain perception during races

Your brain can create and eliminate severe physical pain during a race based on its perception of whether you are going to safely finish.

#brain

#pain

Balance presence and dissociation in endurance running

Endurance running is unique in that it allows you to alternate between a state of total presence and complete dissociation, even within the same race.

#endurance

#mindfulness

Drink beetroot juice daily to enhance physiological performance

Drinking beetroot juice every day is a weird but effective way to improve physiological performance.

#supplement

Push beyond perceived limits to unlock faster performance

It's possible to run significantly faster than you believe you can, but only if you are unaware of your actual pace, showing how the mind limits the body.