Carl interviews the remarkable Martinus Evans this week. Martinus is an 8-time marathon runner, author and award-winning speaker who has empowered thousands of people to embrace the body they have right now, lace up their shoes and MOVE. His passion and his own personal journey inspired him to become the founder of the Slow AF Run Club, a global community who is challenging the preconceived notions of what a runner should look like. His mission is to inspire one million people of all backgrounds, shapes, sizes, colors and creeds to start running. Martinus and his powerful story have been featured in the New York Times, LADBible, The New York Post, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal and more.

Martinus learned how to face and overcome challenges in his youth. He grew up in a blue-collar family on the Eastside of Detroit, He witnessed shootouts and drug deals from his bedroom window. Carl asks him what he was like as a kid. "I was short, fat and somewhat active. In dealing with certain situations, I was also a chameleon!" As an adult he worked as a suit salesman, working 10 hours days and his hip began to hurt. His doctor said, "Your hip hurts because you're too fat. You should walk to lose weight." Martinus was shocked by his doctor's words but turned that into a goal to someday run a marathon.

With sheer determination, courage and a trip to a running shoe store on the way home from the appointment, Martinus embarked on a journey to become a runner. Eighteen months later, he ran his first marathon. Once while running on a bridge during a race, a man taunted him for running as "slow as f%*k." He decided then and there to inspire others to keep going no matter what and decided to wear "Slow AF" proudly when he ran.

Martinus has served as a global ambassador for Adidas and partnered with many brands and has earned a BS in Exercise Science from Central Michigan University, an MS in Health Promotion Sciences and an MA in Digital Media and Design from the University of Connecticut.

Now Martinus has 30+ thousand members to his Slow AF club, an app, a new book. The Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run and just finished a 41-stop book tour. He just launched a non-profit, and he's looking forward to building that up. When not running races, Martinus lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife Char, and enjoys playing fetch with his dog Mabel.

Martinus Evan's life advice:

• Stick with it. "It's been ten years and I still want to quit! You have to outlast the newness of doing something to keep going."

• Having a routine: "Having a routine goes hand-in-hand with 'keep moving'. You need a routine so you CAN keep moving."

• Try new things. "Try new things you didn't think you could ever do in your younger years."

•  Have a delusional belief in yourself. "You have to believe in yourself when no one else will."

• More about Martinus Evans

• Sponsored by How to Retire and Not Die

• Sponsored by Capital Advantage

• (Un)Retirement Travel with the Pro Allan Wright, Zephyr Adventures

• I Used to be Somebody World Tours Tuscany, Portugal, Pickleball Adventure

Diana Landau is the Content Wrangler for Pickleball Media. After 15 years in corporate marketing, in 2012 she pivoted to write and wrangle content for Niche Media's weekly blog. She now manages the "I Used to be Somebody" blog.

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