189. UTMB Boycott News, Zone 1 v. Zone 2, Epigenetics of Endurance, Blood Values, and UROY Rankings!

We had fire (and iron) flowing through our veins for this awesome episode! There is a big development in the UTMB controversy: reports that legends Kilian Jornet and Zach Miller sent a letter to some of the best athletes in the world considering a boycott of this year's races. We talk about what we think it means through the lens of negotiation theory. This shift in leverage could be a turning point in the UTMB drama!

We also discussed emerging evidence that endurance training fundamentally alters long-term gene and protein expression. Combined with studies on trained v. untrained twins, new science may give the ultimate justification for consistent endurance: we can fundamentally alter how our physiology acts, 10 minutes at a time.

And this episode was jam-packed with our favorite subjects! Other topics: why it's Tough B season, Megan's big life decision and next steps, blood values for health and performance, testosterone and SHBG, choosing running surfaces in training, Zone 1 v. Zone 2 for easy training, our spicy feelings on Ultra Runner of the Year voting, and hot takes.

In Hot Takes, David has an opinion on temperature and wind chill that is so wrong that it's almost impressive. Can a Hot Take be awful enough that it's actually cold? Tune in to find out.

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