FULL SEND PODCAST — NELK Boys Internal | Ep. 183

Recorded: January 29, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the NELK Boys' monumental 100-mile ultra marathon challenge. The group, along with coach Matt Johnson, discusses the physical and mental journey, preparation, logistics, setbacks, key moments from the live stream event, the personal transformations experienced, and lessons learned. The episode highlights themes of discipline, accountability, pushing past limits, camaraderie, and how this achievement might set new standards for creators and inspire their audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The 100-Mile Challenge: Motivation & Preparation

• Monumental Undertaking:
  • Kyle and the crew wanted a new, challenging goal that would keep them “locked the fuck in” ([15:23]) and away from distractions.
  • The idea was born after a call with Cole, son of Gary Brecka, who was training for a similar feat.
• Why Running?
  • Unlike hitting the gym, running an ultramarathon delivers unavoidable pain and darkness—a pure test of mental and physical endurance ([14:43]-[15:53]).
  • “There's no real consequence [with only lifting]. So I was looking for something last year that was going to keep me locked the fuck in.”—A ([15:43])
• Professional Guidance:
  • Coach Matt Johnson (ultrarunner, military background) crafted the plan, highlighting individualized structuring based on everyone's schedules and progress ([18:15]).

2. The Training Process & Accountability

• Dedication:
  • Training involved 71 days of progressively increasing mileage, peaking at weeks with 80-100 miles ([23:30]).
  • Post-run recovery was essential: hours spent on stretching, massage, sauna, cold plunge, and prioritizing sleep.
• Building Trust:
  • Coach Matt was initially skeptical about the group’s commitment—especially about syncing their runs with watches for accountability ([20:15]).
  • Kyle “mooching” the program to the friends turned out to boost group accountability, though it ruffled coach's feathers a bit ([21:24]).
• Addiction to Self-Improvement:
  • “You just get addicted to it. It becomes literally a drug. Like working out and getting your heart rate up, getting your body moving, like, it just makes you feel good.”—A ([12:20])
  • Ultra-running attracts ex-addicts and those seeking to channel pain to purpose ([13:02]).

3. Experiencing the Run: Highs, Lows & Logistics

• Early Struggles:
  • Contrary to expectations, pain hit earlier than planned, especially after music and support vans had to leave due to a narrow road ([29:43]).
• Group Dynamics:
  • Having a team was a mental boost—on tough stretches, those feeling strong pulled up the weaker ones ([28:35]).
• Fuel & Aid:
  • Runners consumed up to 10,000+ calories throughout in the form of energy gels, candy, soda, Rice Krispies, and donut holes ([25:47],[26:56]).
  • “I would bring out a thousand milliliters of water ... and Kyle would take double this ... wham, and just suck the whole thing down.” —Coach Matt ([27:23])
  • Caffeine and ibuprofen were strategically used in the back half to push through pain ([30:14]-[31:08]).

4. Mindset, Growth & Relatability

• Mental Benefits:
  • Running and physical transformation offered escape and clarity, with Matt sharing a deeply personal story about trauma and using running for self-healing ([07:46]-[10:09]).
  • Kyle: “My biggest fear in life is losing self control ... whenever I feel like I'm losing self control, it scares the living out of me, bro.” ([10:20])
• Accountability’s Power:
  • Publicly committing (e.g. posting progress on Instagram) created accountability that fueled consistency and resilience ([11:48]).
• Conquering Doubt:
  • “That's why people tuned in, because they're like, are they actually gonna finish this?” –A ([48:16])
  • The importance of setting deadlines and creating pressure to follow through ([49:36]).

5. Aftermath & Reflections

• Physical Toll:
  • Recovery involved lingering pain, shivering, muscle cramps, and deep fatigue ([41:36]-[42:19]).
• Emotional Impact:
  • Overwhelmed by supportive messages; Drake donated $150,000 during the live run, which provided a huge morale boost ([53:44]-[54:05]).
• Setting the Bar:
  • The group discusses how rare this accomplishment is among creators, with only a tiny fraction of the population finishing ultramarathons ([37:24]).
  • “People are calling this the biggest athletic achievement by a YouTuber of all time.”—Coach Matt ([37:45])
• What's Next?
  • Still passionate about fitness, but will return to variety content. Discussion of even bigger challenges for viral potential ([46:43]-[49:05]).
  • “You always got to make it bigger. So if we do do another challenge like this, it's going to be ... with a special guest ... I don't know what it will be, but I'm definitely 200 miles. But that's not enough. That's not enough.” —A ([47:12])

6. Inspiring Others & Internet Impact

• Setting the Trend:
  • The achievement is likely to trigger more creators to attempt similar life-changing challenges ([44:39]).
  • “I think other people might now have an itch to go out and do some like this and people will go back and be like, this is when Kyle did that 100 mile run and it could be the trend.” —C ([44:39])
• Relatability & Vulnerability:
  • Discussion with Steiny about setting real goals, skepticism about his discipline, and how accountability/doubt can drive transformation ([50:18]-[50:40], [52:07]-[52:14]).
  • Broader conversation about authenticity in 2026 content—fans want real, personal journeys, not just characters ([56:49]-[57:28]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mental Endurance:
  • “Running was the place that I could go to find peace. In those times of mental chaos ... I was able to go there and escape the life that I hated.”
    —Coach Matt ([09:14])
• On Accountability:
  • “When you say that you're gonna be somebody and then you become that person, what feeling is better?”
    —B ([11:56])
• On Group Success:
  • “How do you find six that want to go run a hundred? You don't. Like... I can't even figure out what food we want to get, let alone like, go do this, like, massive fitness”
    —B ([36:51])
• Conquering Doubt:
  • “When you put in the work and you win and you shut people the fuck up. Yeah, that's one of my favorite feelings.”
    —A ([45:35])
• On Living Authentically:
  • “Why are you living your life for anyone else? ... You should be living your life right now, like, you're gonna die one day. Are you gonna be on your deathbed thinking about, 'Oh, I tried to make these people on the Internet happy'?”
    —A ([57:29])
• On Recovery:
  • “After the race when I came here, I was dead ... my legs were just like ... seizing up and I was shivering. I had to put on my winter jacket and a beanie.”
    —A ([41:39])
• On Drake’s Support:
  • “Drake came in and obviously that fucking energized us too. And it's like, okay, I'm going to finish this.”
    —A ([53:55])

Important Timestamps

• 100 mile challenge introduction, pressure among friends: [01:37]-[04:49]
• Training logistics, group mentality: [17:08]-[20:02]
• Coach Matt's personal story, role of running in mental health: [07:46]-[10:09]
• Fueling and group strategies: [24:22]-[27:23]
• First real pain and solitary running stretches: [29:39]-[31:08]
• Finishing the run, emotional reaction: [35:03]-[36:13]
• Recovery discussion: [41:36]-[42:19]
• On negative comments and proving doubters wrong: [45:25]-[45:35]
• Drake donates $150k during the run: [53:44]-[54:05]
• Setting future challenges and the importance of public accountability: [46:43]-[51:02]
• Kyle on living life for himself and authenticity: [56:49]-[57:29]

Additional Highlights

• Live streaming as the future: A consensus that the rawness of livestreamed challenges is often more impactful than edited YouTube content ([59:36]-[60:28]).
• Documentary in progress: A raw, behind-the-scenes doc on the 100-mile journey will drop soon on the Nelk main channel ([60:35]).
• Humor and camaraderie: The boys share funny, gross-out moments from the run—like nature breaks and sharing snacks ([62:01]-[62:21]).

Final Thoughts

The episode captures the grit required to undertake an ultra marathon and frames it as a metaphor for personal growth, discipline, and authentic content creation. The camaraderie, group accountability, and sharing of both physical suffering and triumphs inject unique energy and relatability. This feat sets a new cultural milestone for creator communities—one built not only on spectacle, but on real, disciplined self-improvement.

“Let’s just continue grinding. Being the best versions of ourselves.”
—A ([62:36])