Most Pleasant Exhaustion

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 the Fastest Known Time on the AT, and we finished by talking about how the Western States Endurance Run unfolded. We paid particular attention to the performance...

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 course, the predictions . . . we have it all!

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 for the mile, and we offered our predictions for the Western States Endurance Run this weekend. Of course, with the Peachtree Road Race coming up in Atlanta, we...

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 NCAA Track and Field Championship, and the new of the cancellation of the final Grand Slam Track event of the year.

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 progress on the Appalachian Trail, with a bit of professional track and marathon-ing in between. And Allison shared newly released information on the location of the Wo...

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 native of Georgia--like us!--and we got to talk to him about the highs and lows that he has experienced in his short but eventful ultrarunning career to this point...

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 ran!--and the controversy that has resulted. In between, we discussed the changes to the Grand Slam Track format ahead of their third meet this weekend, and we ta...

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 that, we got an update on whether there's going to be a 2025 World 50K Championship, and we talked a bit about the first real running shoe purchase George has e...

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 watching and thoughts on 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 talking about the various records that were set at the London Marathon, this week's Cocodona 250, and the recent news from Ironman about their move back to Kona...

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 first impressions of the new Puma supershoe and Allison's recent 5K PR!

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 performance at the Mad City 50K, where she finished fourth and likely secured her spot on the US World 50K Championship team.

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?" Some folks gave us their takes. We also talked about a few topics--like sodium bicarbonate and ketone supplements--that friends and training partners have recentl...

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 picks for the Final Four.

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 began by catching up with one another, especially since Allison is in here peak week and we're moving into outdoor track season! We found ourselves discussing the...

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 discussed the most recent edition of Barkley Marathon, including how the race unfolded and why George is not a fan.

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 the race, and in the second part, we got all the details on how it actually went. At the end of the podcast, Allison and Michelle discussed a little bit about F...

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 races, the conditions, the course, and the event as a whole.

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 Indoor Track and Field Championship, and the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track. More than anything, though, they discussed their excitement over the US Half-Marat...

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 member, Eric, and the pacer that they gained in the hotel lobby, Hilary! It took a boatload of determination to get Michelle across the finish line--plus some sil...

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 mindset is heading into the race. Tune in for Part Two next week!

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 became a professional runner, and she moved to Colorado. This week, we got to talk to her about her whirlwind last six months, what it's like to be recognized in th...

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 it is, how to interpret it, and how to use it, and what to do if you want it to change.

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 new Puma Project 3, and we offered our ideas on whether the revived Marathon Project will be successful.

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 new race from the Atlanta Track Club, the Polar Opposite Peachtree!