From Rehab to Running Ultra Marathons | with Wes Plate
Wes Plate, co-founder of Automatic Duck, shares his story of overcoming alcohol abuse and becoming an ultra-marathon runner.
From Out-of-Shape to Running a 240 mile Ultra Marathon | with Wes Plate
About Episode
“It’s all about how you get to the starting line. That’s the real story.”
– Wes Plate
There aren’t many of us working 12 + hours a day in a dark room in post-production that think about running 240-mile ultra-marathons. We have enough to worry about on a daily basis, whether it’s building an at home work station (and fumbling with complicated WFH workflows) or learning new skills to weather the market during this pandemic, or chasing after our kids while simultaneously home-schooling them (and desperately trying to keep them off screens all day long). The last thing on our minds is training for an ultra endurance marathon.
Today’s guest, Wes Plate, didn’t start out with such a lofty goal either. Wes is a former editor turned software developer for Apple who works on the team developing Final Cut Pro X, so he’s no stranger to working long hours. He was a self-proclaimed workaholic and an alcoholic who hit rock bottom in 2007, weighing 240 pounds. After checking himself into rehab (after hitting rock bottom at a family Christmas party), he knew he had to get his life back in order.
In today’s conversation, you’ll hear the challenges and hard lessons that Wes learned on his journey from being a depressed, overworked alcoholic to a lean and happy Ultramarathoner. He shares the secrets and strategies he uses to overcome injuries and obstacles that life presents along the way. And he speaks in-depth about the mindsets that have led to his transformation into a happy and healthy father, professional, and athlete.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut and hopeless to get back on track, Wes’ story will provide inspiration and motivation to get you off the couch and onto your own starting line – however you choose to define it.
Episode Highlights
- Wes’ experience working for apple on the team that makes Final Cut Pro X
- How Wes balances a demanding job for Apple with moonlighting as an Ultra Marathon runner.
- His story of hitting rock bottom after gaining weight and putting his mental and physical health on the back burner which led to checking himself into rehab for alcohol addiction.
- How he used a Garmin watch and telephone poles to kick-start a running routine.
- How he used small goals to build habits to improve his health.
- How he signed up for 5K races to get fit enough to join Fitness in Post.
- The importance of nutrition and hydration after finishing his first 50K race and barely being able to walk afterward.
- The real story is how you get to the starting line and not about how you perform in the race.
- How he sees himself as a normal guy, not a super athlete that just wants to do hard things step by step.
- How saying yes to running led to a domino effect of life improvements like meeting his running heroes and being part of the Ultrarunning community
- Why he’s learned to treat failure as just another piece of information to learn from
- The similarities between training for Ultra marathons and the creative process
Useful Links
About Guest
Wes Plate worked in Seattle as an offline editor in the late 90s and early 2000s.
In 2001 he co-founded Automatic Duck, a software company that became well-known for making timeline translation plug-ins for Avid, FCP and AE users. Today he works at Apple as a Product Designer in the Pro Apps group working on Final Cut Pro.
Wes doesn’t edit professionally any more, but does have a YouTube channel where he shares videos of his epic running adventures.
Wes Plate’s Website, Wes Plate on Instagram, Wes Plate on YouTube, Wes Plate on Twitter, Wes Plate on Linkedin
Episode Credits
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
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