Above The Influence with Mishka Shubaly

Above The Influence with Mishka Shubaly

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and writer–ultra runner Mishka Shubaly is aimed squarely at anyone who’s sick of glossy recovery clichés and wants the unfiltered version instead. The chat is raw, funny, and very direct.

Mishka calls himself “a former drunk” and pushes back hard on the idea that sobriety turns life dull: “My life is…as fun and as chaotic as it was when I was drinking, if not more, but somehow infinitely more manageable.” You’ll hear him talk about going from “a drunken shithead” barback to sober ultra runner, published author, musician and Yale writing instructor, without ever pretending it was easy or glamorous.

The episode is especially useful for people in early sobriety, families of those still using, and anyone who’s heard “you’re just switching one addiction for another” when they’ve taken up running or sport. Mishka and Blu tear that line apart, with Mishka saying, “For me, man, running is the opposite of addiction. That’s how you destroy addiction.

You go in and burn it out.” Parents might wince (in a good way) when Mishka bluntly calls out enabling, urging them to “shut it off” – cars, credit cards, and comfy safety nets that keep their adult kids stuck. They also question old-school treatment and rigid 12‑step dogma, arguing that recovery methods need to move beyond a 1940s template.

There’s plenty here for runners too: using grief as fuel, turning rage into miles, and that memorable image of fear being “just a possum”, not a monster, once you face it. Mishka finishes by laying down a free, simple challenge: November with “three R’s” – reading, writing and running for 30 minutes a day.

If you like your recovery content honest, a bit sweary, and packed with lived experience, this one might get you lacing up your shoes – or at least asking what else you’ve been telling yourself is impossible.