Over the years, Bert Kreischer has built an empire around chaos. His coattail stories, late-night partying, and “Car” persona made him one of comedy’s most popular personalities. But this year 2 bears 5K along with fellow comedians Tom Segura Kreischer says something is completely different.
The strange thing is that the event itself started almost by accident.
“Honestly, the funniest thing is that we had nothing to talk about that day.” Squalor he says laughing. “Tom decided to run a 5K in his hometown and I had already done marathons, Tough Mudders, you name it.”
What started as podcast banter eventually turned into a community fitness event built around comedy, running and fan interaction. But beneath the humor was a real purpose.
“Tom and I were getting healthier, and we wanted our fans to get healthier, too,” Kreischer said. “Your fans are kind of like you, and our fans were all big guys with beards who married chicks who didn’t deserve them. We thought, ‘We need these guys to be sane enough to still have fans in their 60s.'”
Community over competition
There’s no overly structured breakdown to guide his workouts along the way, and there’s no obsession with tracking every rep or chasing numbers for the sake of progress. Instead, his approach to learning is based entirely on what is currently available and what actually meets the needs of the day. Flexibility becomes structure.
“Most days it’s a quick thing,” he said. “I’ll run, hit the StairMaster for 30 minutes, or lift if there’s a gym.”
It is simple in design. Nothing about it means flashy or overly complicated. While traveling, the goal is to move away from physical change and become highly functional. “It’s not pretty,” he adds reflectively, “but it works.”
When he is at home, the whole rhythm changes.
“That’s where I really come in,” he says. “I do an hour on the court, then I lift for an hour. Five days a week.”
At home, the structure returns in a way that is impossible on the road. His training becomes more strategic. The basketball sessions bring back the competitive foundation on which he built his personality, while the lifting sessions add an element of strength and conditioning that supports everything else.
“You just have to learn how to adjust,” he adds. “That’s the biggest thing.”
This difference between the two is intentional. It prevents stagnation and at the same time protects him from exercising in a demanding lifestyle.
Inside Bert Kreischer’s 50-pound Transformation
For the first time since starting the 2 Bear 5K, Kreischer says she’s going into the event completely sober. Doing so, he admits, completely changed both his preparation and his mindset for race day. In previous years, the comedian often approached the race with the same carefree energy that defined much of his public persona, openly joking about his pre-event drinking and relying more on adrenaline and humor than structured preparation.
“Every other two bears the 5K I’ve done up until that point,” he said. “That’s the first thing I don’t want.”
This year’s decision to give up alcohol came after Kreischer battled serious blood clots in both his lungs and legs, an experience he describes as a wake-up call that forced him to reevaluate nearly every aspect of his health and lifestyle. Instead of temporarily brushing things off, Kreischer says the health scare led him to completely overhaul his routine, from training and recovery to sleep, hydration and general health habits.
“I changed everything,” he says. “I sleep 10 hours a night. I work more than ever. My head space is amazing.”
As part of his transformation, Kreischer also openly discussed using Munjaro and testosterone, explaining that the combination, along with consistent training and lifestyle changes, helped him lose nearly 50 pounds since the start of the process. Most importantly, he says the physical changes have reignited his passion for fitness in a way he never experienced before.
“When you see the differences in your body, it’s fun to work out,” she said. “You want to keep going.”
This new motivation translated directly into his work performance. Kreischer says she’s currently running faster than ever and is chasing physical milestones that were once completely out of reach as she prepares for the event.
“If I don’t break 30 minutes, I’ll be surprised,” Kreischer says. “The other day I felt my stomach get flexible and I went, ‘Oh, that’s what it’s supposed to feel like.’
How Mindfulness Changed Bert Kreischer’s Study
Kreischer says one of the most noticeable differences throughout the process is improved recovery, sleep quality and overall energy levels. All three were areas he admits he neglected through years of constant touring, drinking and late nights. Now that alcohol is out of the equation, he says his body is completely different, both physically and mentally.
“I sleep incredibly well,” he says. “I exercise every day and drink 160 ounces of water a day. I’m exhausted.”
For someone whose public image has long been associated with partying and excess, Kreischer admits that a lifestyle overhaul has completely changed how she approaches training and daily fitness. He says that a combination of about 10 hours of sleep a night, staying hydrated, and regular exercise has left him feeling faster, lighter, and more motivated than ever.
Yet even with her healthy lifestyle changes, Kreischer jokes that one particular weakness continues to test her discipline: cookies.
“The only thing bothering me now is cookies,” she says with a laugh. “I’m deep into cookies right now.”
The conversation soon turned to the ambitious and unexpectedly detailed, distribution of soft cookies and their impact on his childhood. Kreischer fondly recalled how the release of soft cookies in the early 1980s completely changed the snacking game compared to the harder cookies he had been eating since he was a child.
“Soft batch cookies changed the game in 1983,” he says. “My mouth is watering now.”
The belief that running is completely mental
Although the race is centered around fun, Kreischer believes endurance events ultimately come down to mentality.
When asked who is most likely to get off to a fast start and fall midway through the tournament, he immediately pointed to Segura.
“Tom is more likely to start strong and fall off dramatically,” Kreischer says. “Running is totally mental. Mentally, I have the upper hand.”
However, Kreischer says the funniest moments happen before the race even starts.
“The introduction is the most interesting part,” he says. “Whatever everybody says before the gun goes off is the one that makes you laugh the most.”
But once the race starts, the tone changes.
“Finally, there’s this real moment of success,” Kreischer explains. “Everyone is surprised.”
Get 5K from 2 bears for fans
In essence, Kreischer says, the event has always been about getting people moving, regardless of speed or fitness level.
“Our goal is to get people off the couch,” he says. “Get people outside. Get people in the sun.”
And while celebrity guests, live podcasts and unexpected chaos have become part of the tradition, Kreischer says the meaningful part still comes at the finish line.
“The first thing I do is look for my wife,” he says. “I want to hug him and thank him for all the years of support.”
After that?
“Maybe a cigarette,” he says, smiling.
