Some Work, All Play

326. HISTORY at UTMB with The Best Performance Ever (?!), Our Favorite Gel, The Future of Backyard Ultras, Heat Training in Cool Temps, and Nomio at Night!

We got an extra dose of confidence before this great episode! The main topic was the history made at UTMB, with Ben Dhiman arguably running the best ultra race of all tim

325. The Spicy Episode! Our Fears About AI Science, The $500 Trail Shoe, Age Group Doping, Zone Compression Theory, and Hog Watch

We weren’t intending to have so many controversial stories this week, but here we are with some spicy topics on our hands. The main discussion was new research on Ethio

324. Why Longer Intervals May Be Worse (Sometimes), Carb Totals in Cycling, US Champ Doping, and Squats for Endurance Athletes

We worked on our crawling economy before this great episode! The main training topic was a study on the “VO2 slow” component that may show why longer, harder intervals ca

323. The Theory of Zone Compression, Surgery (Oh No), What Comes Next, and The New Big Supplement!

We brought some big foot energy to this great episode! The main training topic was a discussion of “zone compression,” where harder efforts get sustainable for longer dur

322. Why Exercise Physiology Wisdom Can Be Wrong, Doping in Ultrarunning, Bicarb in Long Races, and AI Controversy!

We excavated sand from sensitive places before this great episode! A main topic was a new study on cold water immersion, with surprising results that contrasted with the

321. Why Hydration Unlocks Endurance, A Creatine Experiment, Tour de France Takeaways, and Athletic Identity Crisis!

We got intellectually swole on creatine and astrology before this great episode! The main science topic was a study connecting carb oxidation to hydration status. We expl

320. Why POWER Makes Champions, The Key Downhill Cue, Overnight Drug Testing at Tour de France, What We’re Trying Now, and Adult Potty Training!

We learned way too much about toe weightlifting before this great episode! The main topic was a discussion of a difficult, nuanced topic: how to think about power develop

319. New Fueling Lessons from The Tour de France, Uphill Treadmill Threshold Theory, Prototype Shoe Ranting, The Hardrock 100, and Coaching Questions!

We spread our toes wider than nature intended before this great episode! A main topic was on the fueling evolution in the Tour de France, and how that has predicted every

318. Our Surprising Take on Carb Loading, Why Even 10 Minutes Counts, Exogenous Lactate Supplementation, and Cross Training Science!

We campaigned for the Nobel Prize in bodily functions before this great episode! A main topic was a new review study on cross training that found no difference between cr

317. HISTORY at Western States 100! A Full Breakdown. Plus High Carb Study and Questions!

The 2026 Western States 100 was astonishingly fast and uplifting! It was also astonishingly dramatic. This episode breaks it all down when it’s fresh in our minds. We ta

316. Why Western States 100 Records Are Getting Smashed, Z1 v. Z2 Training, AI Coaching News, and Competitiveness v. Ego!

It’s the best time of the year, and we brought that energy into this great episode! We started by bringing out our big predictions and hot takes for the Western States 10

315. How Lower Carb Arguments Miss The Mark, Answering Bicarb Questions, Overload Weeks, and Heat Training!

We developed the ultimate AM wake-up hack (which we tell you about in the intro) before this great episode! A main science topic was a new paper on how the temperature in

314. Carbs and Bone Health, A Reproducibility Crisis in Training Science, Wild Data on Post-Exercise Ketones, and Trail Supershoe Data!

We removed all the cutlery from our house before this great episode! The main science discussion was on a new study looking at reproducibility of adaptations in individua

313. Marathons v. Ultras, Fatigue Resistance Debates, Gene Editing Breakthrough, and Posture Impact on Blood Volume!

We put some cinder blocks under the head of our bed (for science!) before this great episode. A weird study just came out finding that head-up sleeping may increase red b

312. How Blood Volume Impacts Performance and Adapts Fast, The Scary Potential of Lactate Supplementation, The True GOAT, and The Circle Pit!

We basked in some amazing news before this great episode! The main topic was a breakdown of one of the most important elements of performance and health: blood volume. 

311. The Science Episode! How To Stop Cramps, Fat Oxidation Changes, Missing Link Heat Training, The Difficulty of Physiology Data, and More

We talked about some of the strangest and coolest research topics in endurance sports for this episode! Basically, the science discussions went long, so we just ran with

310. The Fatigue Resistance Episode! Rachel Entrekin Makes History at Cocodona, Women v. Men Durability, Fueling and the Central Nervous System, Brain Changes, and More

We had some HYPOTHESES for this amazing episode! The main topics all revolved around fatigue resistance (often called “durability” in the literature), which we think is t

309. The Marathon that Changed Running, Ultra GOAT to Western States, Misconceptions about Training Volume, A Supershoe Lawsuit, and A Hydration Study!

We violated the warranty on ankle tape before this great episode! A main topic involved taking a step back to understand the historic context of Vinny Mauri’s 2:05 debut

308. Sub-2 Hour Marathon Fueling, The High Carb Plus Bicarb Era, Strides v. Plyometrics Study, Supershoe Evolution, and Iron Theories!

We made an unfortunate impulse purchase (you'll see) before this great episode! The main topic revolved around the world records at the London Marathon, including Sebasti

307. A Mind-Blowing Boston Marathon, Jess McClain Runs 2:20 (!!!), and Studies on What Improves Endurance Performance!

We had just the right amount of Dunkin’ coffee (a barrel) before this great episode! The main topic was everything we learned at the Boston Marathon, highlighted by Jess