Most Pleasant Exhaustion
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Discussing issues of interest to the local, national, and international endurance community.
Episodes
- Episode 366--Paper Presentation: The Appeal of Running Long Distances
This week, we present a recording of a paper entitled "The Appeal of Running Long Distances" that George presented at an event at his college. In the paper, he discussed some of the things that may have inspired him to keep running after a…
- Episode 365--Remember Jeff Galloway and Discussing the Atlanta Half-Marathon
This week, George and Allison got together to talk about two big Atlanta-based running stories that have echoed around the endurance sporting world: the death of Olympian and coach Jeff Galloway and the unfortunate debacle at the USATF Hal…
- Episode 364--Tsali 50K Race Report
On January 18, Erik and Michelle ran the Tsali 50K in Almond, NC. Even though George had hoped to run it with them, he ended up just cheering instead. The three of us all got together and talked about the race, including the weather, the f…
- Episode 363--Reviewing Sir Bradley Wiggins's New Memoir with Justin Dugan!
This week, longtime friend of the podcast Justin Dugan joined George to talk about "The Chain," a harrowing new memoir from Sir Bradley Wiggins. Sir Wiggins--who received his knighthood in 2013--is arguably the most successful British cycl…
- Episode 362--Reviewing Our Strava Year in Review and Spotify Wrapped!
Each year, we look spend some time talking about what Spotify told us about our listening habits and what Strava told us about our training habits. Today was that day! Of course, each of this tools gives us the opportunity to reflect on ho…
- Episode 361--2025 Holiday Gift Guide!
It's the 2025 gift guide! Every year, we talk about the suggestions that we have for the runners in your lives, and this year, we covered all the bases. Want something small? We have you covered. Big? We have that, too. Kinda random? Yep--…
- Episode 360--The Postponement of the World 50K Championship and the NCAA Cross-country Championship!
This week, we spent a lot of time talking about the fabulous men's and women's races at the NCAA cross-country championships, including a repeat win for Doris Lemongole and a long-awaited championship for Habtom Samuel. Before we got into…
- Episode 359--The Atlanta Braves Have a New Job Opening!
This week, we talked about a new job posting from the Atlanta Braves--an opening for their on-field sprinter/entertainer, the Freeze! Although lots of folks have fowarded this application to us, we talked about how incredibly unfit for the…
- Episode 358--A Record-Setting Day at Tunnel Hill!
This past weekend, several records fell at the Tunnel Hill 100-miler, including the women's 50-mile world record, the women's 100-mile world record, and the women's 100K national record. Allison ran the marathon--setting a course record in…
- Episode 357--New York City Marathon Race Report!
This past weekend, George and Michelle ran the New York City Marathon! As they made their way across the five boroughs with more than 59,000 other people, they experience the intensity and enthusiasm that makes the New York City Marathon a…
- Episode 356--Previewing NYCM and Reviewing the Javelina Jundred!
We've talked a lot about the New York City Marathon this season since both George and Michelle are running it, and the race is finally upon us! We talked about final prep, the pros that will be there, and our plans for the weekend! (Make s…
- Episode 355--The IAU World 24-Hour Championship (Plus a Bit about the PNC 10-Miler and 5K)!
Who talks about a 5K and a 24-hour race in the same podcast? We do! This week, we discussed the IAU 24-hour World Championship that saw Sarah Webster set a new world record for the distance. We also gave our thoughts on the online frenzy a…
- Episode 354--Hartford Marathon Race Report, Chicago Marathon Review, and a Few Other Tidbits!
This past weekend was HUGE for endurance events, and we started with the most important one: the Hartford Marathon! Allison reported to us how it went, gave us the details on the course, and described the challenges she faced. We then talk…
- Episode 353--Killian Completes All the 14ers, Connor Goes After the AR, and Allison Readies for Hartford!
This week, we caught up on several pieces of news in the world of distance running, including Courtney Dauwalter's first pro marathon, Killan Jornet's completion of States of Elevation, Connor Mantz's attempt on the AR this weekend at the…
- Episode 352--Debriefing the Jeff Garmire Interview, Discussing the Loch Ness Marathon, and Catching Up!
It has been more than two weeks since George, Allison, and Michelle got together, so we spent this week catching up on a few things. First, we discussed Allison's interview with Jeff Garmire that we published last week. Despite being incre…
- Episode 351--Interview with Appalachian Trail Record-Holder Jeff Garmire!
This week, Allison interviewed her friend and brand new *self-supported* FKT-holder for the Appalachian Trail, Jeff Garmire! Jeff's accomplishment was amazing; not only did he do the entire trail in 45 days, 8 hours, and 37 minutes, but he…
- Episode 350--The World Championship Marathons, Chepngeno's Positive Test, Kilian's States of Elevation, and Jeff Garmire's FKT!
This week, we discussed a few different things happening in the endurance sporting world, and as usual, we offered our takes on them. We started by talking about the men's and women's marathons at the World Championship, both of which ende…
- Episode 349--Debriefing Bobby's Leadville Interview, UTMB, and the Purported Link Between Distance Running and Colon Cancer
This week, we celebrated Allison's being officially named to Team USA for the World 50K Championship by going back over a few things that Bobby Norwood said during our interview last week. We also analyzed some of the results from Ultra Tr…
- Episode 348--Interview with Leadville 100 Finisher, Bobby Norwood
This week, we got to talk to Bobby Norwood, who recently completed the 2025 Leadville Trail 100. Bobby told us all about his preparation, his fueling, and the race itself. Miles on the trail? A lot. Carbs consumed? So, so many. Twisted ank…
- Episode 347--Chasing 100, More Shoe Talk, Lutkenhaus Goes Pro, and Taylor and Travis!
This week, we spent some time talking about the amazing run that Sibusiso Kubheka had at the Adidas Chasing 100 project, but we wondered what the purpose of the event may have been. In addition, we spent a little more time talking about sh…
- Episode 346--The Leadville 100, a Bit of Research on Recovery, and the Broader Context of Kenyan Doping!
With Michelle out of town, Allison and George talked this week about Sunday's Leadville 100, which saw both the men's and the women's course records fall. In addition, we reviewed a piece of research that looked at the calorie burns of run…
- Episode 345--Getting to Know Zwift, Retconning the USATF Championship, and New Trail Shoes!
This week, we spent some time catching up with one another. We started by hearing about Michelle's early experiences as a new Zwift user, which has included getting to know herself as a cyclist and becoming a part of the Zwift community. W…
- Episode 344--Reviewing the USA Track and Field Championship!
This week, we dove deep into the results of the 2025 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. We covered all of the distance events in depth--from a 16-year-old qualifying for the US team in the men's 800 to a 35-year-old finally winning…
- Episode 343--The Tours de France, USA Track Champs Preview, and a Bit of Soapboxing
Do you wish that there was more transparency in track and field? So does Allison, and she talked about it on this week's podcast! As usual, we discussed the latest goings on in the endurance sports world--this time, it was the end of the m…
- Episode 342--RIP Joe Vigil, Ruth Chepng'etich, and Hardrock!
We are back from summer vacation, and we talked this week about Michelle's trip to volunteer at the Hardrock 100, the recent news that marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng'etich has been provisionally suspended for taking a masking age…
- Episode 341--The Peachtree Road Race, Breaking 4, John Kelly, and the Western States Endurance Run!
This week, we heard about everyone's different experiences at the Peachtree Road Race, then we talked a bit about Faith Kipyegon's recent attempt to break 4:00 in the mile. We discussed John Kelly's unfortunate end to his attempt to reset…
- Episode 340--2025 Men's Tour de France Preview with Justin Dugan!
It's the only men's Tour de France Preview you need! This year, Justin Dugan was back for the sixth year in a row to talk about what we expect to see at the men's Tour de France in 2025! The stages, the contenders, the stories, and of cour…
- Episode 339--WSER Preview, Predicting Faith Kipyegon's Performance, and Catching Up with John Kelly!
We can't seem to get enough of John Kelly's FKT attempt on the Appalachian Trail, and we shared a few final thoughts about it before he finishes in the next couple of weeks. We also discussed Faith Kipyegon's upcoming attempt to break 4:00…
- Episode 338--New BAA Standards, John Kelly Update, Grand Slam, and NCAAs!
This week, we talked about the new standards released by the Boston Athletic Association that will add time to a runner's BQ if they ran on a downhill course. We also caught up with John Kelly's Appalachian Trail run, the latest from the N…
- Episode 337--Michelle and Allison Discuss All the Big News!
Summer is an exciting time to be a fan of distance running, and there are so many things happening right now! Michelle and Allison got together this week and talked about everything from the Peachtree Road Race Expo to John Kelly's progres…
- Episode 336--Hans Troyer, Living His Dream of Being a Pro Athlete
This week, we were joined by up-and-coming ultrarunner Hans Troyer. Hans recently earned a vaunted Golden Ticket by finishing second at the Canyons 100K, thereby giving him entry into this month's Western States Endurance Run. Hans is a na…
- Episode 335--John Kelly Takes on the AT, the Aravaipa Black Canyon Controversy, and the Latest on Grand Slam Track!
This week, we spent some time talking about John Kelly, the ultra runner and triathlete who is aiming to take down Tara Dower's new AT record. We also discussed the recent non-DQ of a runner at the Black Canyon 100K--a race that Michelle r…
- Episode 334--The Atlanta City Games and More!
The Adidas Atlanta City Games is a unique track meet, and Allison got to have a front row seat! This week, she told us all about the performances that stood out to her and the athletes that she got to interview as part of the event. Before…
- Episode 333--Reflecting on the Week, including St. George, Cocodona, and Michelle's New Bike!
This week, we caught up on the latest happenings, both in our lives and in the endurance world! We discussed the last St. George Ironman event, college graduations, Michelle's recent trip to Denver and her new bike, and our experience watc…
- Episode 332--Ironman Returns to Kona, Records Set at London, and the Cocodona 250!
This week, we discussed a wide variety of topics, including George's recent trip to Tahiti, our initial impressions of the Puma Fast-R 3, and a few more words on Faith Kipyegon's attempt to break 4:00 in the mile. We spent most of our time…
- Episode 331--Michelle and Allison with all the news!
This week, Michelle and Allison caught up on a wide variety of things--everything from Western States qualifying to Faith Kipyegon's upcoming attempt to be the first woman to break four minutes for the mile. They also discussed Michelle's…
- Episode 330--The Boston Marathon and the Mad City 50K!
This week, we discussed two recent races: the Boston Marathon on 4-21-25 and the Mad City 50K on 4-12-25. We started with Boston, offering our thoughts and analysis on a record-breaking day. We then heard from Allison about her stellar per…
- Episode 329--Social Media Use, Pollen, The Anxious Generation, and More!
This week, we dived back into a few topics that inspired our listeners to send comments in the last few weeks. Why is there so much pollen?" we recently asked. We now have the answer. "How much should we talk about our training at work?" S…
- Episode 328--April Fools, Track 10Ks, and the Best Week Ever!
This week, we spent a lot of time discussing the 10,000 meters--whether it was The Ten from last weekend or the upcoming Save the 10,000 effort from Kara and Des--but we also found time to discuss our favorite April Fools jokes and our pic…
- Episode 327--Going Caffeine-Free!
This week, Allison, George, and Michelle discussed George's resolution to go without caffeine. Have there been side effects or withdrawals? Is it a net benefit to his life and his training? We discussed all of those things. Of course, we b…
- Episode 326--Matthew Richtman and the Barkley Marathon!
This week, Allison, Michelle, and George discussed the brilliant performance of Matthew Richtman and this year's Los Angeles Marathon, where he ran the seventh-fastest time that any American man has ever run in the marathon. After that, we…
- Episode 325--Marin Ultra Challenge 50-Miler Race Report (and a Bit About FKTs!)
This week, we talked about George's race at the Marin Ultra Challenge 50-Miler. The conversation was split into two pieces: one before the race and one after the race. In the first part, we discussed his training and his mindset going into…
- Episode 324--Reviewing the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championship in Atlanta!
This year, the USATF Half-Marathon Championship took place as part of the Atlanta Marathon and Half-Marathon. Allison, George, and Michelle all took part in varying capacities, and they got together after the weekend to talk about the pro…
- Episode 323--The 2025 US Half-Marathon Champs Are in Atlanta!
This week, Michelle and Allison got together to discuss a variety of recent news inside the world of track and field, including the recent disqualification of Raj Pannu for wearing illegal shoes at the US 100-Mile Championship, the US Indo…
- Episode 322--Michelle Runs the Black Canyon 100K, Part Two!
Last week, we heard about the last few few things Michelle had to do to get ready for the Black Canyon 100K. This week, we heard all about the race! And to help tell the story of Michelle's accomplishment, she brought along her sole crew m…
- Episode 321--Michelle Runs the Black Canyon 100K, Part One!
This week, we got to hear about Michelle's final preparations before she ran the Black Canyon 100K in Arizona on February 8. We'll hear about what she has packed, how she plans to pace herself, the shoes she's going to wear, and what her m…
- Episode 320--Interview with AT Record Holder Tara Dower!
When Tara Dower last joined us on the Most Pleasant Exhaustion Podcast (Episode 293), she was on her way to scout some parts of the Appalachian Trail in Maine. Since then, she set the record for the fastest known time on the Trail, she bec…
- Episode 319--Heart Rate Variability
Have you heard of Heart Rate Variability, or HRV, and wondered what it is? Have you seen it on your watch or in your training log and not known what it means or how it can be used? We have the podcast for you! This week, we discussed what…
- Episode 318--Gen Z Marathoners, Puma Project 3, and the Marathon Project!
This week, we considered a recent Wall Street Journal article that described the increasing number of Gen Z runners who are taking on the marathon. We had a slightly different take on the phenomenon than the WSJ! We also talked about the n…
- Episode 317--Quitter's Friday, Cold Weather, and the Polar Opposite Peachtree!
On the day that most Americans abandon their New Years resolutions, the whole crew got together to talk about how we are doing on our resolutions so far. We also talked about how we're getting along in the cold weather, and we reviewed the…