Some Work, All Play

The hosts dive into the thrilling highlights from UTMB, revealing insights on fueling strategies and the rising competition. They tackle spicy questions after the Leadville 100 record, pondering whether it's a turning point for the sport. Listeners are treated to a delightful mix of personal anecdotes about running, parenthood, and the ups and downs of ultra-marathon racing. The conversation is sprinkled with humor, touching community stories, and amusing reflections on the challenges faced by athletes. It's truly a buffet of engaging topics!

Dive into the thrilling world of the Leadville 100 course record with a no-holds-barred discussion on training techniques and mental strategies. The hosts share hilarious recovery stories while unpacking the nuances of fueling and pacing for ultra marathons. Expect insights on altitude training struggles, overcoming race jitters, and the importance of communication with support crews on race day. Add a dash of humor about bread bowls and heartfelt reflections on athlete camaraderie, all while navigating the complexities of sponsorships in running.

David, the new course record holder at the Leadville 100 Mile race, joins former champ Matt Carpenter, whose legendary run stood for 19 years. They discuss the rollercoaster of emotions during David's record-breaking 15:26 run, the role of scientific training, and the humor in race day chaos. The conversation also touches on community support, innovative fueling strategies, and the evolution of running gear. Their heartfelt reflections on challenges and triumphs make for an inspiring and entertaining listen.

Kilian Jornet, the GOAT of trail running, shares his secrets behind winning Sierre Zinal. He dives into his extensive training regimen and explores the intriguing double threshold workout study. The conversation also touches on hilarious challenges from the Leadville 100 and cross-training benefits, especially for female athletes. Jornet’s candid anecdotes and insights on Olympics performances add a light-hearted touch, while he humorously discusses unique glute engagement techniques that listeners won't want to miss!

In this lively discussion, Professor Nelly, an expert in heat training, reveals how just a few weeks of heat exposure can boost athletic performance by improving hemoglobin mass. The talk dives into the implications of heat training, contrasting it with hydration strategies and nutritional protocols. They also review the HOKA Tecton 3 trail shoe, share Olympic stories, and express admiration for athletes like Simone Biles and Noah Lyles. With a mix of humor and insight, they explore how heat may redefine health and performance in sports.

We brought hearts full of love to this episode! We start by remembering the amazing Maddie Giegold, an ultrarunner and doctor who passed away suddenly several days before finishing her medical residency. Maddie was so full of life and love. The Universe will always be brighter because she was here. The main science topic was on data connecting microbiome composition to athletic performance, which companies are now racing to develop into supplements. The more research is done, the more we are seeing that gut health is tied to every aspect of health and performance. Will there be a future where we can take a personalized pill to optimize our brain and body via the microbiome? The jury is out on that question. In the meantime, there will be poop jokes. We also talked about studies that compare stress from easy training and higher-intensity training. How much more stressful is harder exercise? The answer has major implications for how we think about intensity distribution. And there were tons more great topics! Other topics: quad soreness from downhill running, Leadville 100 training, the importance of electrolytes in hydration approaches, core work "snacks," Kristian Blummenfelt reportedly moving to cycling in 2025, what we think about suspiciously high VO2 max numbers, why we loved the Opening Ceremony at the Olympics, stories from the Olympics so far, why running should embrace "weirdness" of terrain and outcomes, a study on genetic variation and red blood cell counts, implications for what we call "talent," a follow-up on cardiac output, and hot takes. Let's all yell "woohoo" extra loud today, for Maddie. We love you Maddie, and we will miss you forever. Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

We had a party with our insect friends before recording this great episode! A big topic was answering a listener question on how to use heart rate zones in practice when the data can seem so noisy. We think that calibrating effort is incredibly helpful for athletes... as long as they keep it simple. We break down what that looks like! Plus, we tried something new in this episode with a segment called "Hot News" near the start. This week, it included Tadej Pogacar's remarkable Tour de France (and the entire peloton's stunning improvements), Jamil Coury purchasing Ultrarunning Magazine, Nike's stock plummeting, McKendree Hickory's record at the High Lonesome 100, and Joe Biden's DNF in the Presidential race. We had to edit out one especially spicy political take. Let your imaginations run wild. And this one was full of so many fun topics! Other topics: meeting a podcast listener on a summit, why "don't change" might be the most powerful message of love, how carbs and caffeine interact for fatigue resistance, a theory for why fat oxidation doesn't need to be trained in a specific way, the value (or not) of sweat tests, a new study on "strides" in hockey players and how that impacts cardiac output, and hot takes. We'll tell you what we told the insects invading our house. You are welcome here. You are loved. Make yourself at home in the protein powder. We love you all! HUZZAH! Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

Our GPS watches told us we were "Peaking" for this great episode! The main topic was inspiration from the Hardrock 100. Ludovic Pommeret won just before his 49th birthday, setting a course record in the process, redefining what's possible with age. Courtney Dauwalter set her 3rd consecutive course record, once again proving that she's the GOAT. We talk about how athletes should think about training for steep uphills and downhills, along with lessons for everyone from the record-setting era we are in. The regular news right now is bonkers in a bad way. But the endurance sports news? Only the best type of bonkers! And this one was full of fun topics! Other topics: nonsense metrics from GPS watches, the Leadville 100 decision, red meat rumination, applying principles from The Cooling Revolution in summer runs, the best drink mix, whether to consider taking ketones on race week, a new study on downhill running, how hot and cold exposure impact recovery from muscle damage, why we love CICLISMO, amazing reporting on carbon monoxide rebreathing possibly being used illegally in cycling to increase red blood cell production, individual variability with supershoes, and hot takes. Megan makes a provocative statement about alien octopus love at the end of this episode. Stick around. Feel the slimy tentacles of happiness. We love you all like Megan loves octopus aliens! HUZZAH! Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Skratch Lemon Lime Drink Mix: https://thefeed.com/products/skratch-labs-exercise-hydration-mix Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

We took some Big Leadville Energy into this great episode! The main topic was the Silver Rush 50 Miler, which David raced on Saturday. The last few months have been a doozy, starting with the bike accident and severe concussion back in early April. It has been hard at times, in ways that go a lot deeper than athletics. This episode is about falling, and the power to GET. BACK. UP. The 50 Miler was David's best ultra yet, and it possibly sets up a date with destiny at the Leadville 100 in August (or not). It gave us an excuse to talk about so many fun topics: the decision to race after sickness, the non-linear mental health journey since the concussion, pre-race meals, Naked belts, road shoes in trail races, unconventional tapers, altitude racing, the logistics of high-carb fueling and how that relates to effort level, and whether to bicarb or not to bicarb. Plus lots more! And that was just the start of a celebration episode! Other topics: Tour de France stories including Mark Cavendish's legendary win record, embracing power and finding your strong, the most epic aero glasses, lessons from Klaire Rhodes' win at Mount Marathon, combining ketones and caffeine, the UK's ridiculous Olympic standards, Michelle Rohl's podium finish in racewalking at 58, and hot takes. David wore Hoka Mach Xs (a road shoe without any traction) for a 50 miler with tons of rocks. So maybe keep that in mind during his spicy shoe take at the end of this episode. Or better yet, treat it like advice from George Costanza, and do the opposite. We love you all! HUZZAH! Click "Claim Reward" for $80 at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap Support the podcast: patreon.com/swap Buy Janji's amazing gear: https://janji.com/ (code "SWAP")

Discussion on the insane 2024 Western States 100 race, speed breakthroughs in endurance sports, the impact of pushing the pace early, diverse storylines, fun Olympic Track Trials anecdotes, and the excitement of where endurance sports might be heading in the future.