The Drop

Buckle up, because this is a wild ride into the world of minimalist shoes with Xero Shoes founder Steven Sashen. Steve declined an offer on Shark Tank and ended up turning his small company into a $12 million dollar brand focused on the natural form of running. Even in the golden era of max cushion shoes, his company continues to find a dedicated consumer base. He's not afraid to spell out and def...

Ever wonder about the REAL benefit of race shoes, not just the one that's marketed to you? This week's guest is super shoe running nerd Dustin Joubert. Dustin has a Ph. D. in Exercise Physiology and works in a lab to test whether the technology of running shoes creates a larger benefit to human running performance.  The intro this week offers a special treat. The BITR team discusses their tra...

From ice hockey goalie to elite marathoner (it's Minnesota, what do you expect), Dakotah Lindwurm embodies the grit and endurance of an elite marathoner. Recently signed to Puma, Dakotah already has a win at Grandma's Marathon and finished third American at the 2021 Boston Marathon. We discuss her underdog mentality, her 5x-a-week gym routine, and what it was like to DNF her first marathon. Follow...

Ever wonder how waterproof shoes work? Or if you should invest in a pair? This week's guest is Kirk Christensen is Innovation Leader in Footwear for GORE-TEX, the most trusted name in waterproofing. We talk about developing high-tech materials, why waterproof shoes are still great in the summertime, GORE's lifetime guarantee, and more. We also talk about our training and Robbe's exceptional experi...

In three years, Christina Welsh lowered her marathon time by nearly an hour to 2:33, good enough to become one of the fastest women marathoners in America. We talk about what she’s learned along the way, her next racing goals, and her ultra-high mileage (peaking at 135 miles a week).  Thomas, Meaghan, and Robbe chat about their experience down at the Donna Marathon. Robbe dropped a significan...

On this week's podcast, Thomas and Meg talk to one of their very own Faster Bastards, Jeremy Ardanuy. Jeremy has won the Baltimore Marathon not only once, but twice, making him one of the strongest runners in the region. We talk about his running history (including a major blow-up in his first marathon), how he trains while working towards his Ph. D. at Johns Hopkins University, and his execution...

All right folks, hold on tight for this one but I think we might have just found the 13th Disney princess. On this week's episode, Meaghan and Thomas chat with The North Face distance runner Brittany Charboneau (aka the Funny Runner). Brittany won all four races (5K, 10k, half marathon and marathon) in four days at Disney's Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World. Charboneau's bubbly personality is a...

What's cooler than traveling around on your own schedule, covering some of the best running events on the planet? Nothing, that's a rhetorical question. On this week's episode, we talk to award-winning journalist Ashley Mateo whose writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal , TIME , Runner's World , Women's Running , Men's Journal , Women's Health , and more. Ashley is also an RRCA- and UESCA...

Friends don't let friends stink and drive. You'll get it after this interview. On this episode of The Drop, we talk to Justin Forsett , former NFL player and co-founder of Hustle Clean , an antibacterial and antimicrobial body wipe company that seeks to help better improve communities through its products. Their Free Play sports scholarship program provides opportunities for underserved youth to p...

We say this a lot at BITR, but this is hands down one of the best interviews we've had on the pod. GaTa is an actor on FX's Dave, he's a rapper, and now a runner. He partnered with New Balance to run his first 5K and the brand documented his progress. We talk about GaTa's milestone as well as making running a staple in his life, his journey as a mental health advocate, appreciating the human body,...

For our final podcast of 2021, we talk to someone who knows a thing or two appreciating moments. Justin Britton is a commercial photographer and runner who primarily shoots the sport that he loves. We talk about how he got into photography and his passion for it, shooting for running brands, how pictures can show the beauty of running, track meets, injuries, and much more (39:09). The gang also re...

It's the most wonderful time of the year: snow, presents, hot chocolate, and sub-4 minute miles. That last one might be exclusive to our guest this week, Nick Willis. He's looking to extend his streak of sub-4 miles to 20 years on New Years at Tracksmith's Midnight Mile. We talk about the run that's decades in the making, the importance of cross-training, racing style, skateboarding, and how paren...

ASICS has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to raise awareness and end the stigma on mental illness. This week, we're joined by ASICS athletes Emma Bates, Johnny Gregorek, and Deena Kastor as they tell us what "Sound Mind, Sound Body" and mental health mean to them as athletes and as people (44:13). The gang also recaps Thomas and Meaghan's Ironman 70.3 race from the past week...

Annie Frisbie is a Minnesota Distance Elite athlete who just took 7th place in the New York City Marathon, and she dropped two half-marathon PRs in that race. All of this has us begging the question: how is she not sponsored? What she IS, though, is down-to-earth and a cool hang. We talk with Annie about her big day in NYC, the strategy of marathon courses, training with MDE, high school cross cou...

This week, we're live from The Running Event in Austin, TX with a stacked lineup of Puma guests. Amy Cragg, John Dressel, Taylor Werner, and Todd Falker join us at Banger's to talk all things Puma, including shoes old (Deviate Elite) and new (Fast-R) alike (24:35). The gang also talks about a few new HOKA shoes coming down the line after giving just a taste of TRE.

Everyone loves a good puke story, and we got one here in this episode. Our guest Laura Thweatt (@lthweat) is a Saucony elite marathoner who finished 8th in the New York City Marathon last month. As good as that is, she's an even more awesome person who's super down to earth. It all makes for a great conversation (30:57). The BITR gang also gives sneak peeks at their holiday gift guide and shoes of...

For all you 5K-heads out there, this one's for you. Sydney Gidabuday of Roots Running finished in third place at the 5K National Championships in New York City a few weeks ago. Not only is he a pure stud, but he's also a great guy with a great story, and you're really gonna root for him after this interview. We talk about tearing up the competition at Adams State University, his path to Roots, sit...

Your favorite mullet miler has finally graced The Drop podcast. Craig Engels is just as cool a guy as he seems on TV and social media (@craigathor), so we're super excited to have him on the pod. We talk about his running career from Ole Miss to Nike, training for the Olympic Trials, RVs, why long-distance sucks, and, of course, fashionable men's hairstyles (32:48). All that and more with Craig, p...

We were at the Wineglass Marathon a few weeks ago, so it's only right that we brought the winner onto the pod to talk shop. Melissa Hardesty is fast fast, winning marathons out here as a part-time professor. We talk about her winning weekend, running journey, her first marathon, how running contributes to mental health and wellness, qualifying for the Olympic Trials, and much more (21:39). The gan...

You guys know there were other runners at this year's Boston Marathon, right? Well, we found one who finished in the top-10 of the famed race, Brooks athlete CJ Albertson. With a 2:11 marathon PR, CJ is a great interview and Arizona State alumni (go Devils). We talk with him about his big day in Boston, how running with the pack vs. not messes with your mindset, the Marathon Project, running at AS...

We're so excited to have one of our favorite guests ever back on the pod this week. Nike pro runner Keira D'Amato joins us to catch up on everything she's done the last year, including getting sponsored by the Swoosh, breaking the American 10-mile record at the Up Dawg Ten Miler, placing 4th at this year's Chicago Marathon, taste-testing cookies with her kids during the pandemic, and so much more....

He f***ing did it. Jordan Tropf ran 3 marathons in 3 days at a 2:30:30 pace. While not an official world record just yet, the suits over at Guinness are verifying Jordan's epic feat as we speak. This week on the pod, we recap the weekend with Jordan, including post/pre-race meals, how he felt on day 3 in Boston, and the travel obstacles that we faced along the way. You won't wanna miss this one.

Running and beer are the ultimate 1-2 combo. They go together like PB and J, cookies and milk, or, well, you get the idea. We've got a few beer connoisseurs here at BITR, so Thomas and Robbe are super excited to chat with the founder of Evil Twin Brewing, Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø. Jeppe just so happens to also be an avid runner with an emphasis on the track. We talk about running as a youth in Denmark...

He's fast, he's a badass, and he unveiled Saucony's latest racer at the Falmouth Road Race. Parker Stinson (@_parker_stinson_) is a Saucony pro runner who was a 9x All-American at the University of Oregon and holds the U.S. record for the 25K. That's a weird distance, we know. We talked about the 25K and other obscure race distances with Parker, as well as trash-talking pre-race, his pain cave, wo...

For most of us, running one marathon under 2:30 is a pipe dream. Then there's Jordan Tropf, who is trying to run under that time in back to back to back races in less than 72 hours as he takes on the Baltimore Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and Boston Marathon in October. Listen to Jordan as he talks about his training, goals, and taking on this insane challenge (33:24). The gang also talks about the...