Megan ran 8:21:51 to win the Run Rabbit Run 50 Mile, in one of the fastest times ever! This episode is a celebration of a wild and unexpected journey.

She had only done one 50-mile race before, back in 2017. Then there was a heart issue, a hamstring surgery, pregnancy with Leo and Ollie, and so much more that the world will never see. She kept showing up though, even when her workout was walking 1 mph uphill.

On Saturday, she showed up again, stepping into the unknown of a high-altitude mountain ultra with a “growth and grace” mindset! We break down the whole day and why she first considered this race back in January, 1 week after giving birth to Ollie. Topics include: questions on the build-up, lower-mileage training, tapering, high-carb nutrition, and mindset, plus deep thoughts on the athletic journey, parenting, and life.

Near the end of the episode, we have a tone shift and talk about the sad news from last week that Joyline Chepngeno tested positive before her history-making win at OCC. As always, we urge compassion for the individual while being skeptical of the system, and we try to end on a hopeful note for the future.

Out on the course, Megan got so many “woohoo” and “huzzah” cheers. We love you all so much. Podcast listeners get 5 stars.

Stick around to the end of the episode to hear what gets the rare 13/10 rating. HUZZAH!

-Megan and David

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We had a shocking change of feelings about shockingly ugly shoes before this amazing episode! The main topic was a pair of studies on energy expenditure and replenishment.

The first was a case study that found massive energy needs beyond base metabolic rate for a full week after an ultra. We zoom out to discuss what that could mean for energy needs during hard training.

The second study examined muscle v. liver glycogen replenishment, highlighting how difficult it can be to stay on top of energy needs. It also featured cod. Cod is a big theme in this episode.

And this one was full of great topics! Other topics: treadmill workouts, an update on the ugly shoe debate from last week, our favorite probiotic and multivitamin, road supershoes for ultras, Tom Evans’ fueling strategy at UTMB, how the use of pacing statistics may change the game, high-dose creatine to counter sleep deprivation, timing of big training weeks before races, heart rate zones v. feel, overcoming injury cycles, our theories for altitude performance, speed v. freshness in workouts, whether the pain cave exists in shorter events, using stairs in training, and lots more.

This one was full of love, laughs, and cod. So much cod.

May we all avoid being in the control group,

-David and Megan

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We loaded up on sympathy baguettes for UTMB racers before recording this great episode! The main topic was digesting everything from UTMB week, including Jim Walmsley reinforcing his GOAT status, Courtney Dauwalter reinforcing hers, the coolest coaching story ever from Scott Johnston (who coached Ruth Croft and Tom Evans to UTMB wins), training takeaways, and so much more!

The science breakdown looked at a new study that is being used to argue that low carb doesn’t hurt high-intensity performance. We dive into the study design and statistics to show why that’s the wrong conclusion.

And this one had so many great topics! Other topics: going dark on the trails, Megan’s new fast shoe, our trail supershoe rundown, the new Champion Plan for 100k to 100 miles, the minimum dose of passive heat training, using weight vests, what makes a good coach, a relationship question, relying on liquid carbs, engaging the glutes, drinking from streams, and climbing form.

What’s for dinner? We’ll take the European Aid Station--baguettes, sausage, cheese, sparkling water, techno music, and being unable to drop out due to the language barrier.

We love you all! HUZZAH!

-Megan and David

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This was one of the most fun episodes ever, answering all the questions on the science and vibes of the Leadville CR! As always, we didn’t hold back with any secrets... sometimes to a fault.

Before that, we reviewed a new study abstract on colon cancer risk in runners, which could have implications for routine screening recommendations. We will keep you updated as the science evolves!

Then it was onto the joy carousel with listener questions! Topics: pro runner status, sleep after ultras, our evolving view of active heat training interventions, taper theory and carb ox changes, Megan’s race plans, whether the DNF was necessary for the breakthrough, the absurd inaccuracy of some watch metrics, how to be a good pacer, the non-linear postpartum journey, what it means to obliterate yourself (with love), running packs, going stealth mode, sleep before races, training changes between races, childcare, the Pain Cave, what hurts when it’s hard, processing failure, chafing, bathroom breaks, mid-race bicarb, and so much more!

We love you all! HUZZAH!

Never not staying soft,

-David and Megan

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New course record at the Leadville 100 Miler in 15:12:30, 14 minutes ahead of last year. What just happened?! We are still processing it all, and this episode shares every detail while it’s all fresh in our sleep-deprived minds.

2 weeks ago, David said there was zero chance that he was going to race Leadville. He was still processing the very public failure at Western States. He felt like he just wasn’t ready.

Megan had other ideas. This episode tells the story of a surreal day that still seems a bit like an impossible dream that came to life, including sharing the final 23 miles together.

David would have estimated the chances of this day at 1 in 10,000. But maybe love changes the odds in ways that science can’t always account for.

Also, Megan predicted the exact time down to the minute. Because of course she did.

We love you all so much. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being there for the full journey.

And remember: failure is cool.

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We conquered the WOOHOO yips before this amazing episode! The main science topic was on a new study that examined the causes of injuries in a 5205-athlete sample. The headline finding was relatively intuitive, but the sub-finding was so shocking that we are still picking our jaws up off the floor. We break it down and discuss how it may clarify training theory!

And this one was full of our favorite topics! Other topics: the yips in athletes (and podcasters), Megan’s Aspen Mountain breakthrough, the interaction of high carb and bicarb to make endurance sports faster, the best protein supplement we have tried, one of our heroes Kate Courtney wins the Leadville 100 mountain bike, Kilian’s next project in the USA, Steph Curry doing weight-vest trail running, and the tricky conversation around bodyweight and health happening in women’s cycling.

Plus there was a Q+A on the mechanics of podcast recording, nutrition considerations for vegan athletes, the complications of rhabdo in ultra athletes, “purposeful flow” in training plans and how that relates to a new study on overload blocks, overcoming fear in racing, daily carb intake, and high carb in the birth process.

It finished with a quote that we’ll be living by. Let’s feel what there is to feel while we are here.

We love you all! HUZZAH!

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We luxuriated in vending machine cookies before this great episode! We started by talking about Megan's first race in 1.5 years. She HAD A DAY, and we share a celebration of the winding road to get here.

We also talked about the USA Track Championships, which might have been the most surprising (and drama-filled) track meet we have ever seen. There was a near-fight in the 200m, Shelby Houlihan winning the 5k, a 16-year old running a 1:42 800m, and so much more! David was there, coaching and asking questions. He reports back!

And this one was full of amazing topics! Other topics: sodium bicarbonate uses and risks, David's travel nightmare to make it back in time for Megan's race, the cooling revolution in endurance sports, stories from the Tour de France Femmes, how to think about pre-race sleep, the origins of the dinosaur logo, post-race supercompensation windows, supplement timing, treadmill grade, a hypothetical on which runner we'd most like to be for a day, bloodwork after heat training, dealing with shin pain, and lots more!

Thank you all so much for being here for the whole journey! HUZZAH!

-Megan and David

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We gathered up some spicy questions for this amazing episode! It's in the "no secrets" style, where we leave nothing behind the curtain. Prepare for some fun!

Topics this week: post-race fitness bumps, the central governor, creatine supplementation, adapting the 12-week pro marathon plan, what fueling options to buy with $100, the intensity distribution principle that unites real-world elite athlete training, overcoming relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs), an embarrassing "letter to my future self" that David wrote as a kid, whether to pick up and move, how to incorporate cross training, our special talents in a Hunger Games scenario, a controversial article on electrolytes, the perils of making excessively large conclusions from sports science studies, doping in endurance sports, creating in a world with AI, unintentional underfueling, and lots more!

We like our deodorant drawer to be the opposite of our podcasts: full of little travel-sized Secrets. We love you all! HUZZAH!

-David and Megan

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