Some Work, All Play

We had a party on this episode with so many fun topics! Training discussions were mixed in throughout, like chocolate chips in a BIG cookie. That included how to mix intensity-controlled intervals with harder VO2 work, uphill running form (lean forward!), the importance of threshold and critical speed in all events, and what happens when your private parts go lactic. Things got a bit wild! But our favorite segments involved the Western States 100 and Broken Arrow Skyraces! The Western States breakdown started with a podcast-exclusive statistics analysis of the best performances ever. The data took us through an adventure into advanced statistics in other sports, how they change those games, and how stats could change running. We finished with stories and predictions! We think the course record is going down, and we'll tell you why. Plus, we had fun recapping lessons from Broken Arrow that could apply to all athletes. And there was so much more joy! Other topics: Megan's PhD graduation, humor as a defense mechanism, the head versus the heart in running and life, improving climbing, and an important new study on low energy availability. Just wait until you hear about these study findings. Keep that fire burning sooooo hot! For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: drinkAG1.com/swap

We brought a heaping helping of excitement to this episode to celebrate the most wonderful time of the running year! The main discussion was on the 2023 World Championships for trail and ultra-running. We break down the storylines, including an analysis of race tactics and training for WORLD CHAMPION Grayson Murphy. The courses were absolutely wild, and there are lessons for all athletes. Some of those lessons are about training and racing, and some are about not trying to cool yourself off with bottled sparkling water. Though it does sound quite refreshing! The main training topic was on training for shorter events, and how those principles apply to optimizing potential at every distance from the mile to 100 miles. The fastest runners in the world use intensity-controlled principles even when they are racing very short distances. We zoom out from examples on the track to talk about how the same principles are at play in longer distances. Physiology is SO COOL! Except GI tract physiology. It knows what it did. And that was just the start of the fun! Other topics: getting hyped for the Western States 100, an incredible story about coaching and love, how to improve uphill running, whether intervals should be steep, the tradeoff between aerobic and mechanical adaptations, 9 hot takes from listeners, 3 world records from the track, track super-spikes, and a listener corner about shooting your shot. You'll never guess what a listener said about squirrels in the Hot Takes segment. We love our listeners and their weird takes! For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Precision Nutrition 15% discount: https://visit.pfandh.com/SWAP Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

This episode was the most fun ever, perfect timing for the 3-YEAR PODCAST ANNIVERSARY! The main training topic was on what it means to dream big, and why it matters for physiology as much as it does for the brain. Our exploration of the dream-big topic navigated through our own journeys (including our plans with the podcast), the science of coaching, and how small nudges can fundamentally change our long-term trajectories. We also geeked out on some fascinating scientific takeaways from the ACSM Conference, including calorie counting (and why we are against it), psychological factors of performance and coaching, and fueling and Boston Marathon results. Our car was stolen at the conference, but it was worth it for the sexy science. One Subaru in exchange for 30 minutes of podcast material and a few jokes? DEAL. And our fun really boiled over on the rest of the episode! Other topics: lessons from 3 years of the podcast, a Molly Shannon book excerpt that will blow your mind, why we are so inspired by the people who took our car, a listener question about calibrating energy intake, how people pleasing may affect injury rates, a study on the placebo effect in mentorship, timing your iron intake (and how iron may interact with mental health), a review of recent menstrual cycle studies, and HOT TAKES. These takes are too hot for TV. We hope you enjoy this celebration as much as we did, and half as much as one of our listeners enjoys their cat (it'll make sense after Hot Takes). For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Precision Nutrition 15% discount: https://visit.pfandh.com/SWAP Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

We filled our wine glasses with protein powder for our favorite day of the week: PODCAST TUESDAY! The main training topic was on how athletes can think about strength work. It's an area where our coaching approach has evolved over time based on how we have seen the research interact with real-world performance! Should you use lighter weight or heavier weight? One set or multiple sets? Should you be grunting like you're passing a kidney stone the size of a pineapple? We break down the magic exercises, highlighting studies that show rapid adaptations for health and performance. Strength work can even be fun! Yeah, we said it. FUN. Like if the DMV hosted a dance party! Maybe the strength work is giving us better endurance, because we talked about so many fun things on this episode! Other topics: realizations about work, why having a bike can be helpful for all athletes, a massive ultrarunning project from Lululemon, cool science on brain function in habit formation, our favorite fuel and hydration company (BAGs for life), our thoughts on the new Golden Ticket races that were just announced, and HOT TAKES. Our listeners have some spicy thoughts! It's going to take 12 wine-glass protein shakes to wash out this spice. For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Precision Nutrition 15% discount: https://visit.pfandh.com/SWAP Ultra Legs strength: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LV905EEKAM Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

We woke up before sunrise like it was Christmas morning for our favorite day of the week: PODCAST TUESDAY! The main training topic was on simple tips to improve technical running, and how the principles of thinking about form on difficult terrain can also improve health and performance on roads. After this episode, you'll believe in the ultimate power of THE CHOP. We also talked about a wonderful new study (led by Dr. Megan) with a whopping 10-year time horizon, looking at improving health outcomes in collegiate athletes. The conclusions have profound implications for how we think about athletics, performance, and culture! And that was just the start of the fun! Other topics: hormones and athletics through the lens of a listener question about how training impacts their sex drive, the science of collagen, the perils of professional running (that may apply to whatever your profession is too), the debut of the long-awaited Ultra Legs strength routine, and MORE HOT TAKES. You'll hear about someone out there with a truly bonkers approach to preventing blisters. We can't wait for you to find out and share our horrified admiration. For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

It's getting hot in here, so we took off most of our clothes for PODCAST TUESDAY! The main training topic was on a new review study looking at all of the research on long-term training approaches. What works? What doesn't? On a scale of 0 to infinity, how much ice cream should you be eating? We have 3 takeaways for all levels of athletes about training volume, deemphasizing VO2 max, and cross training. Ice cream is implied! We use that study as a jumping-off point to discuss how our training methodology has changed over time, focusing on how we have evolved on workout structure, speed, hill strides v. flat strides, and aerobic blocks. And that was just an appetizer for our favorite new segment: HOT TAKES. Listeners sent in 12 of their hottest takes about running and life, which we reacted to. You'll laugh. You'll learn something. You'll be mortified at how wrong some people are (including us). Be ready for wisdom and whimsy! Other topics: shoes we recommend, a discussion about protein intake, protein powder reviews, race photos, and body image as an athlete. This one was so much fun! For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

We are so excited for this episode where we got to party with one of our favorite people: Grayson Murphy. She was fresh off a double national championship, winning the U.S. Uphill Champs on one day, followed by the U.S. Mountain Champs the next day, both in dominant fashion. In a few short years, she has established herself as one of the best trail runners in world history. How did she do it? Grayson describes a journey that was as much emotional as physical, learning to find happiness in the long-term process. Her incredible story features going to college to play soccer before finding out she was quite good at this running thing, becoming a professional and learning that she needed to follow a different path, and then courageously blazing her own trail in the sport. Her race wins are cool, but what's so inspiring about Grayson is her independent spirit, and how she has discovered that she gets to decide what it means to be successful in athletics. And that was just the start! Grayson talks about everything from overcoming competition anxiety to dealing with injuries to her fueling secret (dino nuggets sponsorship please). We hope this episode leaves you with inspiration to take the trail that's most meaningful to you. Especially if that trail is a bit overgrown and scary! Buy the Training Log and Planner here, with 50% off for a limited time: https://www.racin-grayson.com/pages/2023-training-log-planner For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

We did a happy dance for the most wonderful day of the week: Podcast Tuesday! The main discussion was on fun takeaways from racing the Canyons 100k. David stepped up into the unknown and was 5th place! But what made the day really special was hitting a low point when it seemed impossible, and finding out that there was more to give. Our suggestion is to try something really big and really scary, whether it's in athletics or something else. Shoot those shots! The race discussion led to tons of fascinating topics: the science of "deception" in hot conditions, drug testing, the role of ego, the power of subconscious expectations, inspiration from people pushing their limits, and so much more! We also discuss the wildly uncertain area of electrolyte consumption, and how population-wide recommendations may not apply to individual athletes. This race was the most fun experience OF ALL TIME, and we can't wait to do more of these. Hopefully this discussion will inspire you to try something that seems unthinkable! And that was just the start! Other topics: the US Mountain Championships and the legend of Grayson Murphy, 5 rules for fueling runs based on duration and intensity, a shocking revelation about our favorite grocery store, last week's news of a positive drug test from an elite triathlete, and a question from a listener on how to optimize fitness at lower training volumes. Our only concern is that the happy dances on this episode may lead to cheek cramping (faces and butts). Keep the salt pills close by. For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

We put our party hats on for the ultimate celebration: Podcast Tuesday! The main training topic was on lactate shuttles in the body, and the connection between lactate and fatigue at all intensity levels. It's so fascinating how this molecule connects what we all feel during training, from a professional athlete to someone who is going on their first hike! But the main discussion was on Megan's PhD defense and her research in female athlete health and performance. The study findings = IMPORTANT. The double doctor swag = ACTIVATED. We discuss takeaways from tackling big scary goals! The main one to remember is that wearing black prevents the pit stains from being too obvious. And you better believe we were just ramping up! Other topics: rapid protocols for heat adaptation and how that may impact performance in all conditions, a new study that connects blood volume to short-term fitness changes, emotional state and performance, our thoughts on a big scandal in ultra running, adaptation to downhill running, dopamine and perceived exertion, the interaction of running and cross training, and a follow-up on training the stomach for people with really bad stomachs. Your farts are not your destiny! We had such a great time with this one. May your races be cool and your fitness be hot! For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap

We turned our happiness meters to 100 for our favorite day: Podcast Tuesday! The main training topic was on the science of gut training. The stomach needs to be trained in a methodical way just like the aerobic system, but people rarely talk about how much this part of training theory plays a role in endurance. We discuss the mechanisms, studies, and considerations, ending with 4 tips to improve your performance and health. Your gut is beautifully unique and important! No matter what the pre-race porta potty says! We also did instant reactions to the Boston Marathon, including hot takes on Kipchoge's surprising fade, the wins from Chebet and Obiri, and our theories for why the race played out like it did. Plus some training takeaways from the incredible performance from Emma Bates! She uploads all of her data to Strava, which is automatic HERO STATUS. And that was just the start! Other topics: tapering for the Canyons 100k, reflections on the past and future, a story about friends and dudes, a discussion about the awesomeness of hiking, a breakdown of the science of running and longevity, and questions from listeners on dealing with fatigue and downtime. This one was so much fun! May your takes be hot and your guts be harmonious. For a weekly bonus episode (and bi-weekly newsletter), make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon. We love you all! WOOHOO! Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Try Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/swap