What if the voice that says “stop” is just the first hill, not the finish line? Adam Kerr joins us to trace a path from blackout drinking and teenage suicidal ideation to winter ultras, last-person-standing backyard races, and a meditation practice that opened into awakening. The story isn’t about medals. It’s about levers: the moment you cut ties with wet places, the morning you run before the day runs you, the lap where accepting pain hurts less than fighting it, and the breath that brings you back to now.
We dig into the nuts and bolts that make the mindset real: hiring a coach to fix imbalances, learning to fuel on time so your race doesn’t end early, and using volunteers, crew, and community as non-negotiable support. Adam breaks down the Arrowhead 135 in subzero temps, the strategy of 4.167-mile hourly loops for 42 straight hours, and the strange clarity that comes after a night of hallucinations when sunrise resets the nervous system. He also shares how sobriety began not with spectacle but with a quiet morning where a new lever appeared—then the hard years of rebuilding hobbies, navigating bars, and choosing better tools.
Underneath the miles runs a deeper current: Transcendental Meditation, breathwork, and stoicism as daily practices to shorten the distance back to calm. Adam describes moments of awakening and nonduality in clear language—no mystic gatekeeping, just the recognition that presence was always here. We talk leadership on job sites, moving from command to service, and why ultras are a masterclass in community: you don’t pass someone struggling; you help them reach daylight.
If you’re curious about endurance training, sobriety, mental health, or spiritual practice, this conversation offers grounded tactics and a hopeful map. Listen, share with someone who needs a lever, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review to help others find the show. What sunrise are you working toward?
0:00 Opening, Guest Intro, Shared Song
2:07 From Non‑Athlete To Endurance Mindset
10:15 Quitting Nicotine And Discovering Running
18:04 Coaching, Injury Prevention, And Fueling
31:23 Backyard Ultra: Last Person Standing
39:20 Why Push Limits And What It Reveals
46:35 Sobriety: Rock Bottom To First Steps
55:40 Advice For The Newly Sober
58:54 Parenting, Alcohol, And Honest Talk
1:02:20 Depression, Therapy, And Tools
1:15:06 Stoicism, Breathwork, And Presence
1:18:45 Leadership, Work, And Service
