The Hidden Third with Mariana van Zeller

Episode: From Addict to Ironman
Date: November 12, 2025
Guest: Dr. Rob Archuleta, Founder of Addict to Athlete

Overview

This episode explores the harrowing journey of Rob Archuleta: from a methamphetamine addiction that consumed over a decade of his life, to his reinvention as an Ironman triathlete, licensed addiction counselor, and founder of Addict to Athlete. Host Mariana van Zeller and Rob open up about addiction, recovery, survivor’s guilt, and how endurance athletics became the backbone of a unique recovery movement. The conversation goes deep into the roots of addiction, the stigma that persists, the challenges within the rehab industry, and the transformative power of purpose and community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rob’s Upbringing and Early Struggles

• Background and Identity:

  • Rob grew up in a small Colorado town in a loving but typical Hispanic family, often a "latchkey kid" (02:00).
  • Pop culture was a powerful influence: “I was raised by MTV back then... I talk about Depeche Mode, who, like, created who I am, the good and the bad.” (02:00)

• Early Trauma and Sexual Identity:

  • Rob describes sexual abuse by a male family member, resulting in confusion about his sexual identity but not direct guilt or shame (02:43–05:07).
  • “I came out as heterosexual because what felt natural to me was... being gay. And so I feel like it took a leap to go, oh, no, this is who I am.” (05:00)

Entry into Drug Use and Meth Addiction

• Looking for Belonging:

  • Lack of purpose and tribe: “I think our addiction problem in the United States stems from lack of purpose.” (05:20)
  • The club/rave scene became a welcoming community: “It’s where I found my tribe, with open arms.” (07:04)

• Path to Meth:

  • Initial exposure was through the club scene—first alcohol and LSD at age 21, but strong attraction to the experience and community (07:41).
  • “Meth is the Bruce Lee of other drugs, because it will kick the other drugs’ asses out of your life. I did meth, and I was instantly hooked.” (08:31)
  • Rob vividly describes his first experience: “I felt euphoric... You feel invincible... It really felt like, man, this is what I’ve been looking for my whole life.” (10:01)
  • Addiction rapidly escalated, with snorting shifting to smoking, leading to total dysfunction (11:10–11:52).

Addiction’s Impact and Rock Bottom

• Daily Functioning and Decline:

  • Held jobs while using, notably selling women’s shoes in Vegas, but eventually paranoia, physical health deterioration (teeth falling out, face picking), and losing ties to family set in (13:29–14:32).
  • “That job was so fun... but I was energetic, charismatic, funny, confident, just, like, everything just came easy, like, I always had energy, and so it would. That’s the seduction of it, right? It works till it doesn’t.” (14:11)

• Creativity and Insomnia:

  • Meth enabled a hyper-creative phase but made Rob lose touch with reality and self-care (16:24).
  • He recounts a lifelong battle with insomnia, which drugs initially seemed to “solve.”

• Consequences and Turning Point:

  • Escalating criminal behavior (e.g., forging temp tags), estrangement from family, and encounters with law enforcement (17:53–19:00).
  • The real turning point: Grandmother’s last words—“pull your shit together”—followed by her death. “I never had an irreversible consequence... Never being able to get my grandmother back… was enough to say stop.” (20:19–24:10)
  • Symbolic act: Gluing sobriety chips to his grandmother’s gravestone (24:58).

Notable Quote:

“That's why I always tell people it's consequences, not when—because consequence is abstract. I might get in trouble. Or I could for sure be high and have fun. And so I always went for the for sure thing and never got clean.”
— Rob (19:00)

Recovery: From Meth to Ironman

• Detox and the Struggle with Anhedonia:

  • Rob quit meth cold turkey—a rare feat—helped by forced sobriety due to a snowstorm and isolation after his grandmother’s death.
  • Describes post-addiction anhedonia: “You do not feel pleasure. You do not feel well. Nothing brings you joy.” (39:13)
  • Gained significant weight: “I went from like 155 pounds to like 260 in three months.” (30:13)

• From Food Addiction to Exercise:

  • “I substituted one addiction for another—absolutely. Once that's... That's harder to recover from than addiction was for me.” (31:27)
  • Eating disorders and weight struggles are deeply complex, sometimes harder to address than drug addictions (31:53).

• Discovering Athletics as Healing:

  • Pre-workout supplements and running helped break the anhedonia (41:39–42:41).
  • The foundation of Addict to Athlete—using shared exercise and group “meetings” in parks and gyms to support recovery (42:47–43:51).
  • “People who have been through addiction... are really good at endurance sports, really willing to do endurance sports.” (44:24)

Memorable Moment:

“The reason it's called Suffer Well is because that's what we say in endurance sports before we race. We're like, suffer well because you're gonna suffer... Suffer well. We're not going to escape life without suffering. Suffering is relative and everybody does it differently, but we know what it's like to suffer well.”
— Rob (47:38)

The Science and Power of Athletic Recovery

• Community, Purpose, and Identity:

  • Rob stresses that religion and exercise endure in recovery because “there is no finish line.” (45:37–46:02)

• Research and Outcomes:

  • Addict to Athlete conducted a four-year independent study, with results showing participants fared as well or better than traditional treatment (45:00).
  • Endurance sports offer a “superpower” for many in recovery, channeling formerly destructive drive into achievement.

• Risks of Addiction Transfer:

  • Both speakers recognize the potential for exercise addiction, but agree it's far healthier than drug dependency. “Because of all the addictions I've had, someone told me, 'You do everything but meth.' You're right, I do everything but meth.” (49:26)

On Stigma, Treatment, and Systemic Problems

• Societal Stigma and Moral Judgements:

  • The episode analyzes the moral model of addiction, discussing stigma especially in hospitals and for pregnant mothers with substance use disorder (35:44–37:10).
  • “If you care about the baby, care about the mom. You have to do both.” (35:56)

• Addiction Is Not Choice:

  • “The biggest misunderstanding is that it's choice... What recovery implies is that something was normal at baseline, then it got jacked up and then you recover... But so many people were born into addiction... We're asking them to be reborn into a society and a life they've never experienced.” (81:16)
  • Understanding circumstances and childhood environments is critical.

• Flaws in the Rehab System:

  • Medicaid billing, lack of funding, and perverse incentives (e.g., urine testing “liquid gold,” profiteering in the rehab industry) are major problems (70:05–75:13).
  • “Anytime we have a payer dictating treatment... that's problematic.” (75:13)

• Finding Solutions:

  • Calls for prevention, person-centered care, integrated fitness and nutrition, and workforce development (78:56–79:32).
  • Refers to the promise and limitations of decriminalization efforts without proper infrastructure, comparing Portugal and Oregon (75:18–76:11).

Survivor’s Guilt, Imposter Syndrome, and Gratitude

• Ongoing Struggles:
  • Rob still feels imposter syndrome and survivor’s guilt: “I almost feel ashamed when people call me Dr. Rob... How come so many of my friends died?” (58:34)
• Living in Gratitude:
  • “Sometimes I wake up, I look at my dog, and I'm like, I fucking love you. Do you know what I mean? Like, I love you. You make my life better... I look at my house... I get to run, and I’m so grateful... Not having money, not having drugs... And to be where I am now, it's real.” (00:00/58:34)

Notable Quote:

"I think people that have been through hell, that make it out the other side, we want to do that. Like, we want to look at everything and say, thank you... Thank you for just giving me this last chance.”
— Rob (61:39)

Notable Quotes

• On the Ironman Mentality:

  “When I'm doing that and people are dying and stressed, I'm like, dude, I used to walk from one end of Vegas to the other in the heat with combat boots... Like, this has got aid stations.” (46:56)

• On Life After Recovery:

  “You may feel like you don't deserve this, but also understanding that you don't deserve bad… Remind them that they could have what they want… they deserve life, they deserve happiness.” (68:00)

• On Stigma and Social Judgment:

  “Nobody wants to be judged for their worst moment or defined by the worst moment. And with social media and society, how often do we judge people by their worst?” (65:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rob’s Background & Early Trauma: 02:00–05:19
• First Drug Use & Quest for Community: 05:20–09:14
• First Experience with Meth: 09:16–11:52
• Consequences and Hitting Rock Bottom: 17:53–24:10
• Turning Point—Grandmother’s Last Words: 20:19–24:10
• Post-Detox Challenges (Weight, anhedonia): 30:13–41:39
• Birth of Addict to Athlete: 42:47–44:26
• Endurance Sports as Recovery: 45:00–47:38
• On Stigma & Systemic Challenges in Treatment: 35:44–41:39, 69:41–81:08
• Survivor’s Guilt and Imposter Syndrome: 58:34–65:36
• Final Thoughts: Addiction as Rebirth, Not Recovery: 81:16–84:59

Final Thoughts

This raw, insightful episode highlights the deep humanity and complexity behind addiction and recovery. Rob’s story underscores the necessity of purpose, community, understanding, and innovative, individualized approaches—not just abstinence—for real recovery.
At its heart, the conversation calls for compassion, an end to stigma, and recognition that those who have “been through hell” and come out the other side have a unique strength to share with the world.

Further resources:

• Rob Archuleta’s book: Suffer Well: A Tale of Inspiration, Determination, and Perspiration.
• Addict to Athlete: [Website Link Provided on Show]
• Follow Mariana van Zeller for more episodes of The Hidden Third.