What happens when you sign up for a 50-mile ultramarathon… and barely train for it?

In this solo episode, Matt breaks down the entire Oracle Rumble 50 — the early confidence, the brutal climbs, blowing up at mile 13, surviving hours in the desert heat, and dragging a broken body across the finish line nearly 15 hours later.

He shares: • Why under-training was a huge mistake • The mental lows that almost made him quit • How pain, ego, and grit collide in ultra endurance • And the real lesson about respecting hard goals

This isn’t a highlight reel — it’s the real cost of doing hard things, and why preparation matters.

What if fatherhood starts before the baby?

In this in-person episode of The New School Dad, Matt Bank sits down with Zach Shipley — married, 29, no kids yet — to talk about preparing for fatherhood before pregnancy, birth, and sleepless nights. They dive into building a strong marriage first, leading at home without being a burden, reducing your wife’s mental load, and learning to handle conflict like a team.

Zach opens up about growing up with divorced parents, how that shaped his view of marriage, and why intentional preparation matters more than “figuring it out later.” This is a conversation for men who want to become great dads on purpose — not by accident.

If you’re married, thinking about kids, or want to lead your family better starting now, this one’s for you.

Zach's X: https://x.com/zSh1p

Zach's Substack: https://substack.com/@zachshipley

Zach's IG: @zach.shipley.1

NSD Substack:

Jason's X: https://x.com/jasonparker216

Cycle Stride Training: https://www.cyclestridetraining.com/

New School Dad Q&A Substack:

First-ever in-person episode of The New School Dad—recorded live in Tucson, Arizona during Tribal Training weekend ahead of the Oracle Rumble 50-Miler. Jason Parker (dad of two boys, 3 and 5 months) breaks down what “New School Dad” means to him: lead with action, drop the rigid roles, and get in the arena with your wife and kids. We talk split-parent childhood lessons, building a cohesive family, raising brothers with structure (without the lazy “boys will be boys”), and why he’s building Cycle Stride Training as a real safety net for his family. Practical, honest, and packed with mindset.

In this episode of The New School Dad, Matt shares a raw, real-time lesson on toughness, safety, and fatherhood.

What started as concern that his oldest son, Brooks, was “getting soft” turns into a powerful reframe after an unexpected ER visit, IVs, CT scans, and a moment that stopped Matt in his tracks.

The realization?

Your kids aren’t least tough because they’re weak — they’re least tough with you because they feel the safest.

This episode is about kid toughness, parental expectations, letting go of ego, and understanding what it truly means when your child shows vulnerability at home. If you’ve ever wondered why your kid seems tougher everywhere else but melts down around you, this one will hit home.

These are the good days. Stay present. Stay in motion.

Phil's twitter: https://x.com/PhilipLee_ENAK
ENAK's twitter: https://x.com/EnakFlavors
Enak Website: https://enakflavors.com/

In this episode of The New School Dad Podcast, Matt sits down with Phil Lee — father, two-time Ironman, pastor, and founder of ENAK Flavors — to unpack what it really looks like to take a leap when your family depends on you.

Phil shares his definition of “New School Dad,” the pressure he felt moving his family back to the U.S., and the moment in Walmart where he questioned if he could even provide. He opens up about the grind of restaurant leadership, the mental load of never being fully “off,” and the fear of missing his daughter’s childhood. From losing 50+ pounds to pushing through open-water panic, Phil explains how discipline, agency, and doing hard things shaped him — and why he invested $15K into ENAK to create urgency and build a life he could control.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between security and calling, this conversation will hit home.

Most dads think asking “Can I?” is the respectful thing to do.

“Can I go shower?”
“Is it okay if I work out?”
“Do you mind if I…?”

But what if that question isn’t kindness—what if it’s outsourcing leadership?

In this episode, Matt breaks down a trap he fell into himself: permission-seeking at home. Using a real morning routine with his kids, he explains how constantly asking your wife to decide for you adds to her mental load, turns her into the project manager of the house, and slowly erodes leadership in your marriage.

You’ll learn:

• Why “passive leadership” feels respectful but isn’t

• How asking creates more stress instead of less

• What leadership at home actually sounds like

• How to move from boy mode to man mode without becoming a dictator

This isn’t about barking orders or ignoring your wife. It’s about initiative, foresight, responsibility, and owning the outcome—while still listening and adjusting.

From permission-seeking to ownership.
From boy mode to man mode.
This is what New School Dad leadership looks like.

In this solo episode of The New School Dad, Matt shares a real moment from his week that completely changed how he thinks about leadership. After a young employee slept through half a workday, Matt realized the mistake wasn’t the kid’s—it was his. Drawing from the idea of “Extreme Ownership,” Matt breaks down why clarity, directness, and personal responsibility are the foundation of great leadership, whether you’re running a business or raising a family. If something goes wrong, the first place to look is in the mirror. This episode is about owning your role, leading better, and showing up stronger for your team and your kids.

In this episode of New School Dad, Matt gets very real—and very honest—about a topic most dads don’t talk about: vasectomies.

Seven days post-procedure, Matt walks through why he and his wife made the decision, the generational difference between “old school” and “new school” thinking, and what responsibility actually looks like when your family is complete. From three C-sections to hormone-free birth control, this episode reframes the conversation as less about masculinity and more about stepping up.

Matt also breaks down the full experience—what happens before, during, and after the procedure—including what he wish he had known going in, mistakes he made (take the Valium), and what recovery really felt like when it didn’t go exactly by the book.

This episode is equal parts informative, reflective, and uncomfortable—in the best way. If you’re a dad thinking about the next chapter of family life, this one’s for you.

In this solo episode, Matt reflects on plans, momentum, and the hard lesson that life doesn’t care about your timeline.

With 25 days left before a 50-mile ultramarathon in the Arizona desert, Matt realizes how quickly “I’ve got time” can turn into being behind. After coming off the NYC Marathon, easing off training, and then getting hit with a full-house flu over the holidays, his carefully thought-out plan fell apart—because life happened.

This episode is a reminder that momentum matters. You don’t need to go hard all the time, but you can’t afford to stop completely. Whether it’s running, work, parenting, or simply showing up for your family, staying in motion is what keeps you ready when things inevitably go sideways.

If you’ve ever told yourself you’ll “get back to it later,” this episode is your nudge to stay ready—so you don’t have to get ready.

In this solo episode, Matt shares a simple but meaningful shift his family has made in how they parent: instead of trying to constantly entertain their kids, they’ve started including them in everything.

Inspired by the book Hunt, Gather, Parent, Matt reflects on how American parenting often creates pressure to keep kids busy—and how other cultures simply invite children into everyday life. From making sourdough pancakes and homemade tortillas to packing boxes for an upcoming move, this episode explores what happens when kids are part of the process instead of something to manage around.

Yes, everything takes longer. Yes, it can be frustrating. But it’s also more fun, more memorable, and ultimately more grounding—for both parents and kids.

If you’re feeling rushed, overwhelmed, or caught between “getting things done” and being present with your family, this episode is a reminder to slow down, build in buffer, and do life together.