What Lil Nas X & Casey Neistat Learned From a Sub-3-Hour Olympic Run Coach | Roberto Mandje

[00:00:00] Roberto: Genetics loads the gun and lifestyle pulls the trigger. Oh, that’s good. We didn’t choose our parents, right? So the lifestyle that we lead is what’s going to maximize our potential. I’m most inspired by my kids. I want to set a good example for them. Being able to move my body and use it as long as possible.

[00:00:18] Roberto: And what that looks like today might be different than what it might have looked like 20 years ago or 20 years from now, but I just want to be able to do sports and be 

[00:00:26] Daren: active. Imagine this, you’re Casey Neistat, filming your life, breaking YouTube, and now you’ve got an Olympic runner, Roberto Mandje, by your side, telling you to run faster than you ever run before.

[00:00:38] Daren: The goal, sub three hours, the reality. You don’t nail it overnight, but with Roberto’s guidance, you break through the walls you didn’t know existed and get closer than you ever thought possible. What you will learn in this episode, why understanding your why can be the secret sauce for showing up and pushing through tough training days.

[00:00:56] Daren: What Roberto Mandje. Man, Jay’s experience at the 2004 Olympics can teach you about resilience, mindset, and coaching. And oh yeah, he ran with Elgar Rouge. Yes, the goat when balancing physical training with mental preparation becomes crucial for long term success and a bunch more. Welcome to conversation zone two, where we, the 1 percent better runner, who is me and a bunch of other people go for a shakeout run before the Sydney, Australia marathon with Olympic runner and run coach slash race pacer, Jay Elgar.

[00:01:24] Daren: Roberto Mandje. He’s worked with pop musician Lil Nas X, Casey Nastat, and other awesome runners. Roberto’s all about that 1 percent better life, proving that tiny gains can make a huge difference over time. I’m Darren, run coach, sub three hour marathoner and 10 hour Ironman finisher. And since 2012, I’ve been coaching other runners, researching and experimenting on how to get 1 percent better.

[00:01:45] Daren: I do this through habits and incremental gains, my training, racing, and life also that you can run and live your best one step at a time. One last thing, is a bit one way where I’m talking to you, but don’t know anything about what you’re doing, et cetera. So to fix that, I’d love for you to shoot me an email, Instagram, or Strava DM with a photo and or quick message showing me where you’re listening to this, whether it’s on a run at the gym or on your commute, I think that’d be pretty cool.

[00:02:11] Daren: Let’s get into the episode. Hey, buddy. How are you? Nice to meet you. Yeah, how’s it going? Good, good, good, good. Alright, I have Mr. Roberto Mandje. Mandje? Mandje, okay. I’m trying to say it all French. Okay, yeah. It’s actually 

[00:02:28] Roberto: Dutch. 

[00:02:29] Daren: Dutch, ah. And he is New York based right now, originally from New York. Spain?

[00:02:34] Daren: Barcelona born. Yeah. 

[00:02:35] Roberto: Yeah. 

[00:02:36] Daren: Has ran the Olympics, 2004 Athens, and we’ll get into that in a second. Between all of that, has there been any like weird, funny questions or comments from, from any of those famous runners that, uh, that you coached? 

[00:02:51] Roberto: Good question. I, I would say, yeah, cause it’s maybe fresh in my mind.

[00:02:55] Roberto: The most recent being Lil Nas X and Mars. He was very new to racing. I believe that was his first race ever. So. There’s a lot of first time moments on that run on the Manhattan Bridge. 

[00:03:08] Lil Nas X: We’re at mile six. All right. Mile six and it was nothing. Yeah. Okay. It was a lot. We’re here at mile six. Almost halfway there.

[00:03:15] Lil Nas X: Yeah. He 

[00:03:16] Roberto: was like such a positive guy. So optimistic and really like to have fun. So we had a really good time, but he was just very much like, wow, this is long. And like, does everybody get a medal? And you know, he was excited that he got a medal at the end and, but he was also really blown away by how.

[00:03:33] Roberto: Supportive. Everybody was of each other during the run, passing people being passed, whatever. So for me, I had somebody who’s run a lot, a lot of races and for many years it was cool to live that like first time moment with somebody because like it’s something where people like you and I who’ve run for so long don’t experience anymore.

[00:03:53] Roberto: Our first run was so many years ago. We don’t remember how it felt. So To kind of be there for somebody’s first race was really special. That’s 

[00:04:01] Daren: cool. That’s cool. And I’m sure like, you’re not star struck, uh, at all, but it’s always interesting celebrities cause that’s like a whole new world for them. Like, it’s just like, they’re used to being on stage and all that.

[00:04:13] Daren: And he was like a part of it. Whereas, you know, obviously he’s the one that everyone’s looking at. So I could imagine that. Well, the funny thing 

[00:04:20] Roberto: with him is that I literally did not know who he was. Um, until that morning, I’d never heard of him. So I guess I live under a rock. So when I met him, um, I had no idea who he was.

[00:04:34] Roberto: So we really got to know each other that 30 minutes, hours. So before the race, and then of course, an entire 30 of the race. So yeah, really nice guy. But, uh, yeah, I don’t get starstruck. I think the only person who I might be like giddy if I ever got to meet them or coaches, you know, messy, cause I’m busy.

[00:04:52] Roberto: Such a football fan. And he’s a Barcelona legend. But, uh, aside from that, I mean, even with him, everybody’s just a human being. And if they’re stepping into running, then they’re really coming into my house where I have like the level of expertise. So. It also kind of levels the playing field regardless of what their background is.

[00:05:12] Daren: This is the 1 percent Better Runner video podcast of sorts and all about consistency habits, incremental improvements. Cause I mean, that’s honestly, that’s the, that’s the juice. That’s the sauce. Yeah. That makes everything. It’s boring, but it makes everything what goals do you look for in implementing with like, say, someone wants to work with you and have you coach them.

[00:05:38] Daren: Are there any specific like go to habits that you, that you look to implement the people or is it, is it different across the board? 

[00:05:45] Roberto: Um, I mean, people are different, which is going to sound like I’m going to contradict myself. So bear with me. Everybody’s different, generally speaking, but at the day, we’re all the same in terms of like, why we want to do something.

[00:06:02] Roberto: So, with somebody, when I’m working with them, whether they have a goal of running a marathon, period, or running a marathon, or half marathon, whatever, under a certain time, I try to go back to like, what their why is, their reason for doing it, because that’s really going to be like, The big driver and the big, um, you know, like your North Star, if you will.

[00:06:27] Roberto: So, okay, like, what’s your why? Like, I want to honor my parents. I want to honor a friend. Or, you know, whatever the reason is, like, establishing that why. Because that’s what’s also going to get you, help get you out of bed on some of those mornings where you don’t want to go for a run or Get you through those bad patches in a long run or even in the race.

[00:06:46] Roberto: So get that out of the way. And then, you know, kind of just do it deeper. If I tell me a little bit about your running background, if there’s any, if there’s been a long layoff, whatever. So I get to kind of study them as a system and download as much information. And then I start to see where we could start to plug training in and how, and like what the level of commitment is work life balance, because I want to make it as easy as possible.

[00:07:14] Roberto: Um, and that’s the least stressful because running, especially endurance running itself is challenging. So try to eliminate as many stresses as possible and frame it and say, Hey, you’re doing this because you want to do this. What is your why again? And once we get all that sorted and yeah, we just start to Sort out the training and okay, this is your goal.

[00:07:36] Roberto: Let’s work backwards from goal race day to today. How many weeks do we have or months and what kind of training we’re going to do? I’ll try to give them an overview so that way they can come and see. The roadmap, but in order to not overwhelm them say hey, this is a giant pizza But we’re not have to eat it all in one sitting We’re gonna chop it up in slices and have fun along the way and that’s kind of like the thing and along that way We just get a little bit better week over week whether that’s half a percentage or 1 percent you know I don’t know that like Progress isn’t going to necessarily be linear, there isn’t, there’s no such thing as an ideal build up.

[00:08:16] Roberto: There might be good days, bad days, good weeks, bad weeks, but you’re the sum of your training. And again, framing it that way and coming back to your why helps kind of like reset things and then yeah, execute. 

[00:08:29] Daren: So, well put, it’s just something that I Funny, funnily enough, I don’t actually implement Y enough into what I talk about with Habit.

[00:08:39] Daren: And it actually is like, it’s the North Star, as you said, in Simon Sizzik’s book. So no, I’ll start with Y, that’s a, that’s a great one. Future Darren here. I won’t do the thing, you know, that thing where people go, Hey, you should subscribe, rate, share, give a thumbs up, rah, rah, rah, rah. Now, while I’d love for you to do that anyways, I’d rather you do something that would actually help you implement this whole 1 percent better every day thing that I’m absolutely obsessed about this episode, while helpful, most likely is just the first step of many to transforming you to being more consistent in your training, racing, and training.

[00:09:12] Daren: And your life. The next steps would be to sign up for our free weekly newsletter, the 1 percent Better Runner. And I’ll just put it bluntly for some of you, your obsession with your quick wins might just kill your running career. Use our weekly tools and tactics from the newsletter to put yourself on the road of 1 percent daily improvement.

[00:09:29] Daren: Or settle for a life full of mediocrity, your choice. Sign up at either DLakeCreates. com forward slash news or the link in the show notes or description below. Let’s get back into it.

[00:09:53] Daren: So going to hop on the, uh, 2004 Olympics, 

[00:09:57] Lil Nas X: 1500. 

[00:09:58] Daren: I think you were, Going to do a 3, 000 meter steeple, right? Yeah. And you got, you got injured in the race? 

[00:10:04] Roberto: Yes, uh, long story, hopefully not longer, long story short. It’s the Olympics, my first time there. So I’m thinking we’re going to fly because it’s the Olympics.

[00:10:15] Roberto: Yeah. And didn’t even think about how it would be tactical. And then having Hikam Al Gurush in the race, He’s the king of the mile and 1500s. Everybody’s just watching him. So anyway, I’m thinking we’re going to go on like 155, 156, and we went on like, I think like 204, 206. Yeah. Which is a respectable time for an 800, but it’s not, it’s not up to scratch for that.

[00:10:42] Roberto: So, you know, you have all these fit human beings just jostling, jostling. Yeah. Anyway, at some point, he goes out the front and just smacks the pace. And when he did that, like, everybody’s scrambling to, you know, bridge the gap. Yeah. And at some point there, a French guy, forget his name, and one of the American guys, I think like they bumped into each other, and I think one of them might have gone down.

[00:11:10] Roberto: Anyway, I stepped on the, on the inside rail of the track, which is like maybe, Two inches high like five centimeters high and just pop my ankle. Oh, and I knew right then I Was done. I mean, there’s adrenaline and all that but like you kept running you finished, right? Yeah. Yeah I gotta finish. It’s not a marathon.

[00:11:30] Roberto: But like I knew I’m just watching them pull away Yeah, and my ankle like I’m losing feeling in my foot when I’m putting it down. Oh Hey, I was just gutted. So yeah after that I was like The steeplechase, which is even tougher or more demanding on the joints. Yeah. As if there’s no way in hell I could come back.

[00:11:47] Roberto: I think it was the next day. And, uh, Yeah, and, and run and jump and all that, so. So, yeah, I, uh, I pulled out and, Yeah, I was gutted, but that’s life. 

[00:12:02] Daren: That is life. Yeah. So, I mean, great story. And it’s so amazing that you got to run with El Gurush, which, if you don’t know who El Gurush is, listeners, watchers, he is still one of the greatest of all time.

[00:12:11] Lil Nas X: Yeah. Uh, 

[00:12:12] Daren: some would say that, uh, Jakob Ingebrigtsen might not be as good as him. Some would say. Well, he’s gonna He’s gonna get close. His record’s on borrowed time, that’s for sure. True. True, it is. Uh, and yeah, Jakob Ingebrigtsen is, uh Coming in for all of them, but uh, he’s got that mouth though. 

[00:12:29] Roberto: Yeah, that’s what records are meant to be done, right?

[00:12:31] Roberto: Broken? Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah, he has the mouth, but it’s a new generation. So yeah, 

[00:12:36] Daren: I call him the Kanye of a track and field Yeah, yeah, hope he doesn’t go to Kanye on everybody. It’s amazing that you got to run with him keep up with him 

[00:12:43] Roberto: Yeah, he was so nice because he knew that something had happened Behind him so he actually Stuck around and you know waited for the last few finishers the French guy American guy myself included You know shook hands and everything.

[00:12:55] Roberto: So really great guy so it was fun because I got to cheer him on the next few nights when he completed a Awesome double of the 5, 000 meter and 1, 500 meter Gold medal 

[00:13:07] Daren: on that obviously disappointing race. What did you take away from that? That is like giving you resilience moving into your You Trail runs, obviously marathons, coaching.

[00:13:17] Daren: Like what is, what is one thing that you took from that? 

[00:13:19] Roberto: I mean, it took a while, you know, I was 22 years old. So it’s like hard lessons to learn, but you know, months and years later and obviously till today, I just learned, like put things into perspective. Like, no matter how bad you think things are, it’s not the end of the world.

[00:13:34] Roberto: If you could wake up the next day and you’re still fortunate enough to be healthy, alive. And you know, I was, and I am. So it also like, I was super nervous for that race. And again, it wasn’t the end of the world. I asked her that it put things into perspective where it’s like, okay, if you could run that race and survive and he didn’t go the way you want it to, like there should be nothing else running wise that should ever get you that nervous that you can handle anything, whether it goes your way or not.

[00:14:01] Roberto: So, so, you know, it taught me about resiliency, framing and like being grateful for your health and Being able to come back another day and still do what you do, which is like, I enjoy running. I enjoyed it back then in a different level. And now I kind of enjoy it more in the service of others. You know, it’s not, it’s no longer about me.

[00:14:23] Roberto: Like I love pacing people to their goals. I love coaching people. Yeah. It just taught me like the reach of running and, and how you could really, Help other people whether you’re learning at that level inspiring them or now at my level where it’s just coaching and Working with you know everyday runners or citizen runners as I call them.

[00:14:44] Roberto: So yeah 

[00:14:45] Daren: citizen runners. That’s great. I love it in service You can step back to, let’s say 2010, and you’re, I think you’re still, you’re still pro running, uh, you were doing like trail runs and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Professionally. You can step back and talk to that person. Would you tell that Roberto anything different or would you, would you, would you try to change anything?

[00:15:11] Roberto: Yeah. I mean, it’s tough. Cause I. Yeah. Yeah. Anything I change, then, like, how does it alter the future, you know? Yeah. So not to get all, like, QUANTUM PHYSICS and blow your mind, where it’s like, um, I’ll just Maybe I would, what I would say is, uh, be kinder to yourself. Because I deal, when I was running at the pro level, I was definitely hard on myself, you know, like I would win races, especially in the trail circuit.

[00:15:38] Roberto: And sometimes even if I won, if I didn’t break a course record, or I didn’t win by a certain amount. I would not celebrate in the same way. So yeah, I say like, be kind to yourself. Um, but also I would just say like, keep investing in yourself. Like that’s something that, uh, I do now. Keep learning and enjoy, enjoy the ride because it goes by quickly.

[00:16:03] Daren: Best 

[00:16:04] Roberto: in yourself. 

[00:16:05] Daren: That’s, uh, that’s again, that’s one of those things I know to do that, but you pointing it out. It’s like, Damn and don’t don’t feel guilty is another thing. I’ll I’ll add to that. He’s 

[00:16:17] Lil Nas X: yeah, 

[00:16:17] Daren: don’t feel guilty about investing in yourself because You know something even cost that’s I guess the first thing.

[00:16:23] Daren: Yeah cost time energy 

[00:16:25] Lil Nas X: Yeah, 

[00:16:25] Daren: like you’re gonna get minimum 2x out of it, you know Maybe in a few years sometimes 10x gains and rewards from it. Yeah, the return of your investment So I like that like that a lot. All right last question to end off this Conversation in zone 2 mr. Roberto 

[00:16:40] Lil Nas X: Don’t do 

[00:16:41] Daren: it You travel a lot.

[00:16:44] Daren: You help people, pace people, running their best times via a mixture of virtual and in person, which is awesome. Uh, coaching. I think not a lot of people do that. It’s a great business model. But, it involves a lot of, as I said, travel. Flying across to Sydney, Australia here. 

[00:17:02] Roberto: Yeah, I do not live in Sydney. Yeah, he does 

[00:17:04] Daren: not live in Sydney, no.

[00:17:05] Daren: What one habit do you, that is your staple, that grounds you? And keeps you, just like, keeps the, what is it, the wheels on the track, or, keeps the train on the track. So you don’t get off, because obviously you’re super fit, dude. Like, you know, you’re 42, you’re the same age as me. Yeah, 

[00:17:19] Roberto: yeah. 

[00:17:20] Daren: And 

[00:17:20] Roberto: Shout out to the 40 year olds.

[00:17:21] Roberto: Yeah, I know. 

[00:17:23] Daren: And, uh, yeah man, I mean, you know, we got good genetics, but we also work very hard. 

[00:17:27] Lil Nas X: Yeah. 

[00:17:27] Daren: To get here, you definitely. Is there any, any one thing that you do that like, That’s the one thing that will trump 

[00:17:33] Roberto: them all. Um, I want to say one thing because it’s all about balance, but you know, one quote that I really liked that I just mentioned to somebody I was on the phone with yesterday is, uh, genetics loads the gun and lifestyle pulls the trigger.

[00:17:44] Roberto: So that’s good to kind of break that down. It’s like, yeah, genetics. You said we have good genetics. We didn’t choose our parents. Right. So thanks mom and dad or whatever. But like the lifestyle that we lead is what’s going to maximize our potential. Right. And how we lead it. So for me, there isn’t just one thing.

[00:18:01] Roberto: Like I’m definitely inspired by others out there getting after it, but I’m most inspired by my kids. I want to set a good example for them in just about everything I do. So in the physical literacy or movement space, I just want to say. being able to move my body and use it as long as possible. And what that looks like today might be different than what it might’ve looked like 20 years ago or 20 years from now.

[00:18:26] Roberto: But the thing is, I just want to be able to do sports and be active. Whether that qualifies me as a hybrid athlete or a fitness coach or whatever, those are all labels. But like the point is, I want to use my body and help other people use theirs and get the most out of their fitness. and prolong their life as long as possible.

[00:18:49] Roberto: And obviously in doing so, I inspire and motivate both of my kids, set a good example for them, and then obviously the people who I work with hands on. So genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger, and I’m just trying to live that life. 

[00:19:03] Daren: Appreciate that, man. Thank you for your time. Thanks for sharing miles with me as a Ron Romero’s Romano told me yesterday.

[00:19:08] Daren: Appreciate you, brother. 

[00:19:09] Roberto: Yeah. Thank you for having me. All right. 

[00:19:12] Daren: Time. I’m absolutely obsessed with it as it’s one of the things we can’t make more of, but ironically, we as humans, we created it. Thanks for giving us your time to listen, watch, or read this episode. We love helping runners get 1 percent better each day, one step at a time, and can only reach more runners by people like you sharing this out to runners like you.

[00:19:31] Daren: Get it. We are. We also have a weekly newsletter that helps runners live better lives through consistent self improvement. Unlike other running podcasts and videos, the 1 percent Better Runner focuses on how small daily habits ripple into broader life success, helping runners perform better both on and off the road, all in about five minutes per week.

[00:19:50] Daren: This was produced in Sydney, Australia. And I’d like to acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation who are the traditional indigenous Custodians of the land Mega respects. If you wanna contact us about anything, email talk@dlakecreates.com. Spelled TAL k@dlakecreates.com, all the normal way. We’re also on the socials, mainly Instagram and Strava at D Lake Creates.[00:20:13] Daren: Or the 1% Better Runner Train Smart Race and Live Easy. Peace.