Work life of Ryan Von Rueden, Kasey Kahne’s trainer

Office location

Kasey Kahne Racing in Mooresville

Job

Trainer to NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne. Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR), which runs sprint cars in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.

Commute

I drive and it’s about 15 minutes. Sometimes I drop my son off at preschool on the way. I used to hit Starbucks every day on the way to work but now I’ve started making coffee at home with two cups of coffee, six ounces of milk and four shots of peppermint mocha cream. It helps wake me up. I have a high-energy job and it wouldn’t be good for me to go into work tired.

Phone Type

Galaxy S5

Phone homescreen photo

I have the same photo on the home screen and background; it’s my son Vince and I running in a one-mile kids’ race. He ran that race in 11 minutes. He was 4 at the time and I think that’s pretty good for a 4-year old.

Desk photos

I’m in the gym at KKR most of the time, but I do have a desk there I don’t use very much. There’s a photo of my son Vince and daughter Payten in an apple orchard and another one of my son in a frame that he made at preschool that says “I Love Dad”. I have another one of just Payten, and one of my wife (Ashley), the kids and I, and also one of my dad, Vince and me.

Computer

Asus laptop. I use it some for work but I actually use my phone for work more than I use my computer.

Gadgets you can’t live without

Definitely the treadmill. I would prefer to run outside but because of my schedule training at Kasey Kahne Racing I can’t go out running for an hour at a time. I oversee the corporate wellness program for KKR and train employees onsite and the treadmill is convenient because I’m there in the gym in case someone comes in and wants to work out. Kasey [Kahne] is the wild card and sometimes I don’t know when he’ll need me on short notice. I do his personal training program which can include cardio and weights, endurance, peripheral vision, cognitive and reaction training. He has a demanding job as a NASCAR driver and travels a lot, and we do some pretty intense workouts.

Do you listen to music while you work?

All the time. The type of music depends on who’s working out in the gym at KKR and I always let them pick the music. I have some people that prefer country, others that like techno, and one guy who’s in his 40s who likes the BoomBox radio station and old school rap.

What software are you a power user of?

Besides my job at KKR, I have an online personal training business that is open to anyone. I used to use Microsoft Excel all the time, but now I use TeamBuildr.com. My clients can be located anywhere but access the workouts I program for them individually through the app, which is basically online personal training software. I customize workouts for each athlete according to their needs and goals we develop together and they can input and record their workouts as they do them. I can use TeamBuildr on my phone, tablet or computer.

What’s your favorite spot for a business lunch? Your order? 

I actually don’t do business lunches but sometimes I’ll go out with people who work at KKR. If I go out to lunch I’m getting Mexican; it doesn’t matter where, but any type of Mexican. Fajitas with no tortilla shells are standard. If I’ve just worked out right before lunch I might also have chocolate milk for recovery because it rehydrates and provides calories, carbohydrates and proteins in a way the body can metabolize.

Social media habits

I need to do better. I have Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts but I don’t use them that much. Usually I tweet about things that are exercise and fitness-related, and my goal is to eventually start using Twitter to share free, 5-minute at-home workouts that anyone can do with no equipment. Sometimes I tweet personal and family stuff, like if my kid does something funny.

To-do list manager

I use Microsoft Office Windows Live Calendar or the TeamBuildr calendar. Through TeamBuildr I can see all my clients’ programs and use it to determine where each athlete is and what phase is next in their training.

What everyday thing are you really good at?

I’m a good cook. My wife’s family will attest to that. I cook on the grill almost every day; the stove rarely gets used unless it’s for noodles or dessert or something. I think my grill cost about the same amount of money that my stove did.

Best time-saving shortcut or life hack

Going out to eat is like a black hole for time that I could be doing other things, so I pack my lunch the night before. I won’t ever pack it in the morning.

Sleep routine

I go to bed anywhere between 10-11 pm and get up at 5:55 am. I like to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night if I can.

Where do you go to get away from the office?

I either go for a mountain bike ride or a run outside.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Two egg whites scrambled with salsa and my peppermint mocha coffee concoction.

What’s the last book you read and why?

Every Day I Fight, Stuart Scott’s autobiography. I read it after he passed away because he seems like he was an interesting person and a great role model.

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing?

I would probably be a strength and conditioning coach at a university somewhere. And if I wasn’t doing that I would be coaching high school football and basketball.

Connect with Ryan

Website
Twitter
Instagram