Most Pleasant Exhaustion

Episode 366--Paper Presentation: The Appeal of Running Long Distances

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 365--Remember Jeff Galloway and Discussing the Atlanta Half-Marathon

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week, George and Allison got together to talk about two big Atlanta-based running stories that have echoed around the endurance sporting world: t...

Episode 364--Tsali 50K Race Report

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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....

Episode 363--Reviewing Sir Bradley Wiggins's New Memoir with Justin Dugan!

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 W...

Episode 362--Reviewing Our Strava Year in Review and Spotify Wrapped!

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. To...

Episode 361--2025 Holiday Gift Guide!

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 base...

Episode 360--The Postponement of the World 50K Championship and the NCAA Cross-country Championship!

30 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Episode 359--The Atlanta Braves Have a New Job Opening!

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 358--A Record-Setting Day at Tunnel Hill!

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, a...

Episode 357--New York City Marathon Race Report!

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 peo...

Episode 356--Previewing NYCM and Reviewing the Javelina Jundred!

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 tal...

Episode 355--The IAU World 24-Hour Championship (Plus a Bit about the PNC 10-Miler and 5K)!

22 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 354--Hartford Marathon Race Report, Chicago Marathon Review, and a Few Other Tidbits!

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 353--Killian Completes All the 14ers, Connor Goes After the AR, and Allison Readies for Hartford!

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 352--Debriefing the Jeff Garmire Interview, Discussing the Loch Ness Marathon, and Catching Up!

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 discuss...

Episode 351--Interview with Appalachian Trail Record-Holder Jeff Garmire!

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Allison interviewed her friend and brand new *self-supported* FKT-holder for the Appalachian Trail, Jeff Garmire! Jeff's accomplishment was...

Episode 350--The World Championship Marathons, Chepngeno's Positive Test, Kilian's States of Elevation, and Jeff Garmire's FKT!

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ta...

Episode 349--Debriefing Bobby's Leadville Interview, UTMB, and the Purported Link Between Distance Running and Colon Cancer

11 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Norwoo...

Episode 348--Interview with Leadville 100 Finisher, Bobby Norwood

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Episode 347--Chasing 100, More Shoe Talk, Lutkenhaus Goes Pro, and Taylor and Travis!

27 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 purp...

Episode 346--The Leadville 100, a Bit of Research on Recovery, and the Broader Context of Kenyan Doping!

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Episode 345--Getting to Know Zwift, Retconning the USATF Championship, and New Trail Shoes!

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 in...

Episode 344--Reviewing the USA Track and Field Championship!

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 343--The Tours de France, USA Track Champs Preview, and a Bit of Soapboxing

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 discuss...

Episode 342--RIP Joe Vigil, Ruth Chepng'etich, and Hardrock!

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 341--The Peachtree Road Race, Breaking 4, John Kelly, and the Western States Endurance Run!

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 b...

Episode 340--2025 Men's Tour de France Preview with Justin Dugan!

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 339--WSER Preview, Predicting Faith Kipyegon's Performance, and Catching Up with John Kelly!

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Episode 338--New BAA Standards, John Kelly Update, Grand Slam, and NCAAs!

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 337--Michelle and Allison Discuss All the Big News!

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Episode 336--Hans Troyer, Living His Dream of Being a Pro Athlete

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 10...

Episode 335--John Kelly Takes on the AT, the Aravaipa Black Canyon Controversy, and the Latest on Grand Slam Track!

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 334--The Atlanta City Games and More!

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 333--Reflecting on the Week, including St. George, Cocodona, and Michelle's New Bike!

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, colleg...

Episode 332--Ironman Returns to Kona, Records Set at London, and the Cocodona 250!

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 mo...

Episode 331--Michelle and Allison with all the news!

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Michelle and Allison caught up on a wide variety of things--everything from Western States qualifying to Faith Kipyegon's upcoming attempt ...

Episode 330--The Boston Marathon and the Mad City 50K!

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 thought...

Episode 329--Social Media Use, Pollen, The Anxious Generation, and More!

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 recent...

Episode 328--April Fools, Track 10Ks, and the Best Week Ever!

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 K...

Episode 327--Going Caffeine-Free!

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Allison, George, and Michelle discussed George's resolution to go without caffeine. Have there been side effects or withdrawals? Is it a ne...

Episode 326--Matthew Richtman and the Barkley Marathon!

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Allison, Michelle, and George discussed the brilliant performance of Matthew Richtman and this year's Los Angeles Marathon, where he ran th...

Episode 325--Marin Ultra Challenge 50-Miler Race Report (and a Bit About FKTs!)

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 on...

Episode 324--Reviewing the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championship in Atlanta!

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This year, the USATF Half-Marathon Championship took place as part of the Atlanta Marathon and Half-Marathon. Allison, George, and Michelle all took p...

Episode 323--The 2025 US Half-Marathon Champs Are in Atlanta!

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Michelle and Allison got together to discuss a variety of recent news inside the world of track and field, including the recent disqualific...

Episode 322--Michelle Runs the Black Canyon 100K, Part Two!

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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! A...

Episode 321--Michelle Runs the Black Canyon 100K, Part One!

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 320--Interview with AT Record Holder Tara Dower!

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 319--Heart Rate Variability

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 i...

Episode 318--Gen Z Marathoners, Puma Project 3, and the Marathon Project!

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 317--Quitter's Friday, Cold Weather, and the Polar Opposite Peachtree!

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Episode 316--Wrapping Up 2024!

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the Most Pleasant Exhaustion crew got together to talk about how 2024 went--including the information from their Spotify Wrapped and Strava...

Episode 315--Moab 240 Race Report with Thomas Odom!

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like to race 240 miles? (No, not a typo.) That's what Thomas Odom did in October, and he came on the podcast to tell us all about it. The ge...

Episode 314--World 100K Championship Race Report with Allison!

14 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Allison was back to tell us all about her experience at the 100K World Championship race in Bengaluru, India! We heard about the course, th...

Episode 313--Valencia Marathon 2024 Race Report!

07 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, George shared his experience with the Valencia Marathon! We talked about his shoes, his nutrition, and his trip overall, and we learned abo...

Episode 312--The 2024 Holiday Gift Guide!

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Looking for the perfect gift for the endurance athlete in your life? We have suggestions! This week, Erik, George, and Michelle offered their suggesti...

Episode 311--Allison and George Talk 100K Worlds and Valencia!

23 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Allison Mercer--a part of the extended MPE family!--came on the podcast to talk about her upcoming race at the 100K World Championship on D...

Episode 310--NYCM Preview and Food Sensitivities

02 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our aim was to preview the New York City Marathon this weekend, but we ended up talking about a variety of things including the food sensitivity test ...

Episode 309--The New Women's Marathon WR (and the Flagstaff Marathon)

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ruth Chepngetich broke the women's marathon world record by nearly two minutes at the Chicago Marathon. In this installment of the podcast, we talked ...

Episode 308--Taking Stock of Hurricane Helene

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, after hearing a bit about Erik's experience at the Doggettville 12-Hour, we discussed the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene on the Bl...

Episode 307--Tara Dower's New FKT, Camille Herron, and Boston Marathon Entry!

28 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We turned our attention to three big stories this week: Tara Dower's new FKT on the Appalachian Trail, the controversy over Camille Herron's Wikipedia...

Episode 306--Catching Up with Michelle, George, and Tara Dower!

21 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend, friend of the podcast Tara Dower (from Episode 293) is going to be finishing the Appalachian Trail in what is likely to be a Fastest Kno...

Episode 305--2024 Blue Ridge Relay Race Report!

14 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The weekend after Labor Day means it's time for our favorite race: the Blue Ridge Relay! Last weekend, Erik, George, and four other guys took on the B...

Episode 304--Leadville Boom Days Pack Burro Race Report with Megan and Amy!

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wanted to run fifteen miles on trails at altitude with a donkey? Well, we haven't either, but this week, we talked to two people who did...

Episode 303--Reviewing the Olympic Marathons and the Leadville 100!

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we looked back at Sifan Hassan's historic TRIPLE at the Olympics, climaxing with the Olympic Record in the marathon. We also talked about t...

Episode 302--Blue Ridge Relay Race Director Ken Sevensky!

18 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two years ago, in Episode 227, we interviewed Ken Sevensky, the race director for the Blue Ridge Relay. This week, we brought Ken back to hear about h...

Episode 301--Catching Up on the Olympics!

10 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The three of us have been consumed by the Olympics over the last two weeks, so we took a few minutes together to talk about them today. Even though th...

Episode 300--Race Across America Report with Katie and Carlos Aguilar!

28 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the second week in a row, we talked to a 2024 Race Across America finisher! This week, it was Katie Aguilar, who raced as part of Four the Record,...

Episode 299--Race Across America Report from Brian Hetherington and Alyssa Godesky!

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked to a couple of folks who just successfully finished Race Across America: Brian Hetherington and Alyssa Godesky! Brian raced as pa...

Episode 298--Peachtree, the Tour's First Week, WSER, and the Olympic Track Trials!

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is so much going on in the world of endurance sports right now! We spent a lot of time this week talking about our experiences in the 2024 Peach...

Episode 297--Tour de France Men's Preview with Justin and Justin!

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we previewed the 2024 Men's Tour de France with our crack analysts Justin Dugan and Justin Schmidt! As they have done the last few years, J...

Episode 296--Comrades Marathon Race Report!

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On June 9th, George got to run the one race he's always wanted to run: the Comrades Marathon in South Africa! He trained with this race specifically i...

Episode 295--Awesome Sauce, the Bowerman Mile, and the Comrades Send-off!

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked about the controversy that is brewing around Spring Energy's gel, Awesome Sauce. We also recapped the Bowerman Mile, and we talke...

Episode 294--Comrades Training Update and the Upcoming Olympic Marathon Showdown!

18 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 294--Comrades Training Update and the Upcoming Olympic Marathon Showdown! by Most Pleasant Exhaustion

Episode 293--Interview with Ultrarunner Tara Dower!

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In April, Tara Dower won the overall title at the Umstead 100, and this week, she came on the podcast to tell us about it! Even though Tara is fairly ...

Episode 292--Tobacco Road Relay Race Report!

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked all about our experience at the Tobacco Road Relay over the weekend. TRR is an event that Erik and George helped win in 2022 in i...

Episode 291--Sweat Testing at Elemental Altitude!

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we visited our friend and sponsor Elemental Altitude to do some sweat testing! Both Michelle and George spent an hour on the treadmill to s...

Episode 290--Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker Race Report with Doug Olsen!

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked to Doug Olsen. Doug recently finished the brutal Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50-mile race, which traverses three massive climbs a...

Episode 289--The Cove 50K and The Ten!

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we discussed George's recent run at a new trail race, the Cove 50K. We also talked about the amazing performances at The Ten, a time-trial-...

Episode 288--Shamrocks and Shout-Outs!

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's short episode, we talked about all of the people we know that are racing over the weekend, and we heard a bit about Michelle's experien...

Episode 287--The KICKR Treadmill and Lululemon's Further!

16 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we caught up on everyone's training, and we discussed George's test of the new KICKR Treadmill! We also talked about our takeaways from Lul...

Episode 286--Reviewing Molly Seidel's "The Build Up"

10 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we discussed a variety of things, but we spent most of our time considering what Molly Seidel talked about in the final episode of her limi...

Episode 285--Reviewing the Atlanta Marathon Relay!

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year, the Atlanta Track Club made some big changes to the Atlanta Marathon, including a new start and finish area and new race formats. Michelle ...

Episode 284--RIP Kelvin Kiptum

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We couldn't let the news of Kelvin Kiptum's death go by without discussing it, but we also talked about where our training is right now, the apocalypt...

Episode 283--Olympic Marathon Trials Recap!

04 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, the best marathoners in the United States raced to see who would get to represent their country at this summer's Olympic Games. Both the me...

Episode 282--Jim van den Berg's Training Advice and the Olympic Trials Marathon!

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked about a variety of stuff, but we mostly focused on two things: a recent article published by Strava about what coach Jim van den ...

Episode 281--Reviewing The Race to Be Myself and the Disneyland Half!

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked a bit about George's takes on Caster Semenya's book, The Race to Be Myself. We also reviewed how George ran at the Disneyland Hal...

Episode 280--A Few Words on the Houston Marathon and Influencers!

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're sending Michelle off to the Houston Marathon, so we got to hear a bit about her training and final race preparation. We also talked a...

Episode 279--2023 Year in Review!

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 279--2023 Year in Review! by Most Pleasant Exhaustion

Episode 278--2023 Holiday Gift Guide!

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's our long-awaited gift guide! Not sure what to get the endurance athlete in your life? Well, we've got a few ideas. Clothes, technology, stocking ...

Episode 277--Review of UTMB, The Race That Changed Running by Doug Mayer

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After spending a bit of time talking about our Spotify Wrapped for 2023, we finally reviewed a book we started reading back in September, "The Race Th...

Episode 276--Interview with National Record Holder Allison Mercer!

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On November 11, friend of the podcast Allison Mercer ran a new American record for masters women at the Tunnel Hill 50-mile! This week, we got to talk...

Episode 275--Ironman Arizona Race Report with Brian Hetherington!

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we got to talk to longtime endurance athlete Brian Hetherington about his experience at the 2023 Ironman Arizona. Brian has been a runner a...

Episode 274--The Long Run!

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talked a bit about the results at the New York City Marathon, then we spent a while discussing Michelle's approach to her long runs. Alo...

Episode 273--Are UTMB and USATF Wrecking Our Sport?!?

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 273--Are UTMB and USATF Wrecking Our Sport?!? by Most Pleasant Exhaustion

Episode 272.1--Ironman World Championship Race Report with Jaclyn Nasser!

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 272.1--Ironman World Championship Race Report with Jaclyn Nasser! by Most Pleasant Exhaustion

Episode 271--Ironman World Championship Race Report with Joseph McLeod!

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On September 10, the men's Ironman World Championship was contested in Nice, France, and Joseph McLeod is here to tell us all about it! After years of...

Episode 270--Doggettville 12-Hour Race Report!

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Only one week after the Blue Ridge Relay, Erik ran more than fifty miles at the Doggettville 12-Hour race, once again taking the "Double Dog Dare" tro...

Episode 269--Berlin Marathon Race Report!

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

George ran the 2023 Berlin Marathon, and he gave us a full race report this week--everything from his training and pre-race meals to his shoe choice a...

Episode 268--A Short One about Vuelta Champion Sepp Kuss!

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

GC Kuss! For this extra episode, our friend Justin Dugan joined George to talk about the US's latest Grand Tour Champion, Sepp Kuss! Last week, Sepp, ...

Episode 267--Blue Ridge Relay 2023 Race Report!

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we discussed George and Erik's experience at the 2023 Blue Ridge Relay! This was the sixth times they've run that race, and they recounted ...