From 354 Pounds to Chasing 100 Miles | Dan LaMorte

Dan LaMorte is a New York City stand-up comedian and ultra runner who has lived more lives by 31 than most people do in a lifetime. He started comedy at 19 after a career-ending college baseball injury. By 23, he was one of the youngest comics ever passed at the Comedy Cellar — and weighed 354 pounds. In this conversation, Dan opens up about growing up on the spectrum, battling addiction, blowing out his elbow, ballooning in weight, and the moment two car crashes and a fatty liver diagnosis forced him to change everything. He shares how running replaced drugs, how obsession can be both a curse and a superpower, and what it was like to collapse at mile 60 of a 100-mile race with chest and jaw pain — later waking up in the ICU. We also talk about relapse, divorce, grief, rebuilding after public backlash, and why he’s now moving to Leadville to chase one of the hardest races in the world. This episode isn’t about perfect discipline. It’s about resilience, identity, and what happens when you refuse to quit — even when life keeps knocking you down. Subscribe / listen on all platforms: https://lnk.to/the-other-side-of-hard Thank you to our sponsors Ketone-IQ: ⁠ketone.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT” Rho Nutrition: https://rhonutrition.com/ Code "RIDEOUT" Athletic Brewing: ⁠https://athleticbrewing.com/ Code "RIDEOUT" Chapters (00:00) Meet Dan LaMorte: Autism, comedy, and finding community (00:44) Instagram connections and protecting your time (05:32) Jersey upbringing, baseball, and tough-love parenting (08:56) 5AM lifts, Asperger’s, and obsessive drive (13:03) College baseball, weed bust, and Tommy John surgery (18:04) Standup as survival: injury to open mics (23:28) Comedy Cellar pressure and weight gain spiral (28:13) Life at 350 pounds: shame and daily reality (31:53) Turning point: car wrecks, fatty liver, LA hikes (35:40) Running, diet shifts, and long-term health (39:43) Ultra lessons, relapse cycles, chest pain scare (41:58) When easy pace feels off: early warning signs (43:13) Mile 40 red flags: chest and jaw pain (44:06) ER diagnosis: spontaneous pneumomediastinum (45:30) ICU aftermath and rhabdo recovery (45:59) Reframing setbacks: resilience and self-talk (50:05) 100-mile obsession and using quitting as fuel (51:35) Health scares, Europe trip, drinking relapse (53:57) Back to training and favorite mountain ultras (55:21) Trail fall, broken fibula, elevator blackout (59:00) Third hospital visit and divorce tension (01:02:24) Wife leaves, grandfather dies: grief and perspective (01:05:14) Viral heckler clip, backlash, relationship strain (01:09:17) Touring dreams, sudden loss, anger and gratitude (01:12:29) Chicago to LA alone: heartbreak and overtraining (01:15:21) Final month with Grandpa: support and momentum (01:18:34) Leadville lottery, altitude prep, crew questions (01:19:52) Family cabin signs and getting into Leadville (01:20:50) Post-divorce reset: renting in Leadville (01:23:07) Fueling long ultras: gels, Tailwind, Ketone IQ (01:23:58) Comedy vs ultra culture: ego and community (01:30:10) Online hate, Strava pressure, public triggers (01:37:23) Training consistency, injury reality, show-up mindset (01:41:49) Fixing the foot: insoles, lifting, calf work (01:48:08) Mishka, memoir writing, and wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices