From Addiction Rehab to a 2:38 Marathon - Jack Ahern

Jack Ahern joins the podcast just days after running a 2:38 PB at the Gold Coast Marathon. Matt and Jack talk through his build, racing while sick, marathon-specific training, hill sprints, fueling, Bali heat training, his Berlin Marathon goals, and Jack's powerful story of recovering from meth addiction and rebuilding his life through sport. Jack Ahern Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackahearn_/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/49569041 Matt Fox Links Coaching: https://sweatelitecoaching.com/matt-fox/ Supporters Club: https://sweatelite.co/supporters-club/ Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/6248359 Show Notes Jack Ahern joins the Sweat Elite Podcast just days after running a 2:38 marathon PB at the Gold Coast Marathon. Despite being sick for weeks in the lead-up, dealing with flu-like symptoms, headaches, IV drips, and a WHOOP recovery score of just 3% on race morning, Jack still managed to hold things together and come away with a personal best. Jack breaks down his training block, including half marathon tune-ups around 1:14:30, a small PB in Perth, marathon-specific workouts, and the consistent use of short 10-20 second hill sprints. He explains how the build gave him confidence, how he approached Gold Coast, and what he learned from being dropped by the 2:35-2:36 group around 32-34km. The conversation also covers Jack's fueling, what he will adjust before Berlin, and why he believes training in the Bali heat gives him an edge. Jack also shares his background with rare honesty, speaking about teen methamphetamine use, crime, police raids, rehab in Bali, halfway house life, and how he eventually rebuilt himself through sport, COVID-era running challenges, ultras, coaching, and the marathon. Timestamps 00:00 Gold Coast PB Intro 02:34 Training Block Overview 03:55 Half Marathon Tune Ups 05:21 Marathon Mindset 09:47 Hill Sprints Explained 16:49 Sickness Before Race 21:59 Race Day Recap 26:36 Lessons and Berlin Goals 31:17 Addiction Story Begins 36:07 Police Raids Fallout 38:18 Choosing Rehab Abroad 40:35 Life Inside Bali Rehab 43:07 Halfway House Reset 44:46 Back to Sport and Fitness 46:16 COVID Runs and Ultras 48:47 Marathon Spark and Sub Three 50:53 Goals and Mindset 53:29 Fueling the 2:38 57:27 Bali Heat Training Edge 01:00:15 Coaching in Hot Conditions 01:03:27 Wrap Up and Where to Follow