Some Work, All Play

This episode is full of the biggest predictions and most fun hot takes! We gathered 40 deep thoughts from listeners, and we had a blast responding to them all.

Topics: just about everything related to running and endurance! We’re talking shoes, races, technology, media, training, strength work, culture, thermometers in sensitive places, and so much more.

Thank you for being here for an incredible and unpredictable year. We love you a...

We realized the perils of a hurricane-force tailwind before this amazing holiday episode! To celebrate the season, we opened up the mailbag to answer listener questions on all sorts of topics.

Topics this week: what we’d save from a fire, a hot-tub experiment follow-up, Megan’s exciting news, whether we’d ever try triathlon, a vest that ejects gels, heat training submersion levels, hemoglobin A1C and REDs, iron supplementation, uphi...

We are still recovering from the laughs at the end of this episode! Before getting to that story, this one had a great training discussion on improving threshold performance. We dug down into why it’s more complex than just doing threshold workouts, and how you can put it into practice.

There was also a new study on VO2 and its relation to aerobic and lactate thresholds. We broaden it out to address recent conversations on VO2 and l...

We had one of the most fun sports-watching weekends of our lives before this great episode! The main science topic was a new study on Kilian Jornet at Western States, breaking down his fueling, the metabolic demand, and lots more. Kilian is also the 2nd author on the paper! We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: In a world of external monitors, be the rectal thermometer.

We also talked about the amazing saga of USA Skimo’s Oly...

On Saturday, Megan broke a 15-year-old course record at Quad Dipsea! This episode shares everything about the journey in a “no secrets” style.

The record was set by Caren Spore in 2010, back when Megan was playing field hockey and her biggest runs were wind-sprints. Years later, when Megan was in medical school in the Bay Area, the Quad became a bucket list event. But it never happened—a 28 mile race with 9000 feet of vertical gain ...

We got way too invested in dog food models before this amazing episode! The main topic was a new study on passive heat training (like the hot tub or sauna) that acts as a missing link between theory and real-world proof.

The study found that 5 weeks of hot tub training increases hemoglobin mass and VO2 max, which coincides with improved running economy. WOW! We break it all down.

And this one was full of incredible topics! Topics: a...

We thought deeply about the societal implications of Paw Patrol before this amazing episode! The main science discussion involved a pair of strange, counter-intuitive wrinkles of physiology. The first was the sometimes paradoxical finding of higher hemoglobin A1c in many elite athletes. The second involved a new paper addressing a connection between suppressed thyroid hormones and low energy availability. 

Both phenomena demonstrate...

We chocolatized our life before this amazing episode! The main topic was a new study on elite marathoners measuring responses to different carb intakes, finding a 2.6% lower oxygen cost at 120 grams per hour compared to 60 grams per hour. It showed massive carb oxidation rates at high outputs. In 10 years, we might look back on this study as a game-changing moment in the science of endurance performance. 

And this one had so many co...

We stretched the ketones-as-robot-butt metaphor to its limits for this awesome episode! The main topic was a new study measuring fatigue resistance in marathons. Athletes completed lab tests prior to a marathon, with final results correlating with different attributes. Unfortunately, the athletes weren’t fueling during the protocol. What is this, 2005?! 

We broaden it out for conclusions that apply to everyone. Fatigue resistance wi...

This weekend, we stepped into the fire at the Javelina 100 Mile to chase a golden ticket back to the Western States 100. This episode is the full story of the race, which ended with a golden ticket in 2nd place (behind Will Murray’s astounding course record), 27 minutes faster than last year’s win.

The main discussion is about why the golden ticket presentation ended with a twist. David handed the golden ticket to Canyon Woodward, w...

We loved recording this episode! The main topic was the article that rocked the athletic world last week, which asserted that many protein powders had unsafe amounts of lead contamination. We broke down the numbers to reach a much more nuanced conclusion that should help you feel better about it all. And that led to a broader discussion on the perils of advocacy being presented as science. 

We also talked about a shocking study on 4...

We had so much fun with this episode (probably because it was a break from potty training)! The main topic was a study that found a correlation between energy availability and performance across a season in collegiate runners. It was a powerful, objective look about what happens when the body is underfueled. You know it’s a good study when it makes us add 2 more eggs to the post-podcast frying pan (10 eggs total).

And this was truly...

We studied up on some beefs (Strava v. Garmin, Taylor v. Charli, pastrami v. sirloin) before this awesome episode! The main science topic was a new study evaluating low carb and high carb approaches, with and without caffeine. It’s another brick in the wall supporting higher carb for adaptation.

We also talked about the Strava lawsuit! Last week, we defended Strava like the big fans we are, only for them to file suit against Garmin ...

Our watches gave us some harsh (but necessary) feedback before this amazing episode! The main science topics were quick hitter studies on massive one-time Vitamin D intake, short-term heat acclimation protocols, and sodium bicarb. If you combine all of the protocols at once, that’s what we call a PARTY.

We also talked about the World Trail Champs, which saw the highest-scored performances of all time. Our discussion included a hot t...

The documentary “Nothing To Lose” is out today, telling the behind-the-scenes story of the 2025 Leadville 100! And we thought it was a great time to try something new. In this episode, we do a rewatch, providing commentary and hot takes throughout.

You can listen to this episode as a standalone good-vibes celebration. OR, you can watch the documentary for a second time with this episode playing through your headphones like an old-sc...

We had such a blast recording this great episode! The main science topic was a new study on improving fatigue resistance, which performance-matched athletes with different training approaches to see what led to better outcomes.

The conclusion is a direct prescription for athletes looking to have better endurance. Being who we are, we throw some scientific turds in the study’s punch bowl.

We also talked about the new Leadville docume...

Megan ran 8:21:51 to win the Run Rabbit Run 50 Mile, in one of the fastest times ever! This episode is a celebration of a wild and unexpected journey.

She had only done one 50-mile race before, back in 2017. Then there was a heart issue, a hamstring surgery, pregnancy with Leo and Ollie, and so much more that the world will never see. She kept showing up though, even when her workout was walking 1 mph uphill.

On Saturday, she showed ...

We had a shocking change of feelings about shockingly ugly shoes before this amazing episode! The main topic was a pair of studies on energy expenditure and replenishment.

The first was a case study that found massive energy needs beyond base metabolic rate for a full week after an ultra. We zoom out to discuss what that could mean for energy needs during hard training.

The second study examined muscle v. liver glycogen replenishmen...

We loaded up on sympathy baguettes for UTMB racers before recording this great episode! The main topic was digesting everything from UTMB week, including Jim Walmsley reinforcing his GOAT status, Courtney Dauwalter reinforcing hers, the coolest coaching story ever from Scott Johnston (who coached Ruth Croft and Tom Evans to UTMB wins), training takeaways, and so much more! 

The science breakdown looked at a new study that is being u...