Most Pleasant Exhaustion
Episodes
Episode 266--Reviewing the Track World Championship
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about our favorite moments at the men's and women's track World Championship from last week, including several thoughts about the...
Episode 265--Previewing the Blue Ridge Relay, 2023!
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked a bit about the Blue Ridge Relay, now coming up in less than three weeks! We also announced the new Book of the Quarter, and we d...
Episode 264--Tommy Nohilly and the Olympic Trials Marathon course!
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two big things were unveiled this week: the name of the new coach of the Atlanta Track Club elite team and the details of the Olympic Marathon Trials ...
Episode 263--Reviewing Choosing to Run by Des Linden
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about our Book of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2023: Choosing to Run by Des Linden. We found it to be straightforward an...
Episode 262--Silver Rush 50 Race Report with Michelle and Erik!
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We kept it under wraps a bit, but last weekend, Erik and Michelle both ran the Silver Rush 50 in Leadville, CO! This week, they joined us on the podca...
Episode 261--Interview with Kyle from Atlanta Snack Club!
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we had an interview with one of our new favorite people: Kyle Torok from Atlanta Snack Club! It's hard to pin down exactly what the ASC is,...
Episode 260--Men's Tour de France Preview 2024 with Justin and Justin!
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Justin and Justin are back to preview the men's 2024 Tour de France! This year, newly minted expert Michelle joined us to talk about the stages, who w...
Episode 259--Catching Up!
17 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a brief summer break, we spent some time this week talking about the Netflix documentary about the Tour de France and a few of the many recent i...
Episode 258--Reviewing Fit Nation by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we finally discussed our Book of the Quarter for Q1 of 2023: "Fit Nation" by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela. While the book wasn't our favorite, ...
Episode 257--Antarctica Marathon Race Report with Krystle Andrews!
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we were joined by Krystle Andrews--Ironman, Boston Qualifier, Six-Star Medal winner, and recent finisher of the Antarctica Marathon! Krystl...
Episode 256--Race Report on the Ragnar Ultra Relay!
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, friends of the podcast Justin Dugan and Allison Mercer came on the podcast to review the Ragnar Ultra Relay that the two of them, Michelle,...
Episode 255--Boston Marathon Race Report with James Aldridge!
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you another race report! This time, we talked to James Aldridge about his experience at the Boston Marathon. We spoke to James a f...
Episode 254--Boston Marathon Preview!
15 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Boston Marathon is right around the corner, and the fields for the men's and women's races are incredible. We took a little bit of time to discuss...
Episode 253--A Field Trip to Elemental Altitude!
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, George and Michelle went to Elemental Altitude to take a tour of the various physiological tests that they have there--and to take a Restin...
Episode 252--Brett Larner from Japan Running News
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Japan is one of the top countries in the world for marathoning. There are multiple examples of Japanese races with literally hundreds of people runnin...
Episode 251--Croatan Buck Fifty Race Report with Aaron and Lee!
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Lee and Aaron joined us to share their experience at the Croatan Buck Fifty gravel bike race in North Carolina. Aaron--who rode with his 75...
Episode 250--Austin Marathon Race Report!
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we heard about George's experience at the Austin Marathon, which came five weeks after the Houston Marathon and three weeks after the Mount...
Episode 249--Interview with World Record Holder David Eliuk
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we got to talk to David Eliuk about what it took to set the Guinness World Record for Most T-Shirts Worn During a Half-Marathon. David desc...
Episode 248--What Your Watch Is Telling You
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, after catching up a bit on recent news--including the story of a Canadian man who ran a half-marathon wearing 120 shirts!--we discussed the...
Episode 247--Recent News and Some Research on Metabolism
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed some impressive early-season indoor track performances, and we talked about the "constrained daily energy expenditure" model o...
Episode 246--A New Sponsor and Some Recent News/Research!
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we welcomed our new sponsor, Elemental Altitude Training Center! We also announced the new Book of the Quarter, talked about lots of endura...
Episode 245--Mountain Mist 50K Race Report
29 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We chose to run 2023 Mountain Mist 50K together, and we had a lot to say about it! With a pre-race conversation on Friday night, our first impressions...
Episode 244--Reviewing Strava's Woes and the Houston Marathon!
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed the new pricing structure at Strava, even though we--and everyone else--do not really know what it is. We also reviewed the Ho...
Episode 243--Reviewing "Running While Black" by Alison Desir
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we reviewed our most recent Book of the Quarter, "Running While Black" by Alison Desir. The book, Desir's memoir of growing up and becoming...
Episode 242--2022 Year in Review!
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the last day of 2022, we talked about how the year went for us--including our Strava "Year in Sports" data--what our favorite races were, and what ...
Episode 241--Lookout Mountain and a Few Other Updates!
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked a bit about the Lookout Mountain 18-miler and the . . . interesting . . . experience that George had there. We also updated our C...
Episode 240--Mike Reilly, IMWC, Gwen Jorgenson, and USATF!
17 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are we a triathlon podcast now?? This week, we discussed three big pieces of news in the world of triathlon: the retirement of Mike Reilly, the locati...
Episode 239--Camille Herron, Eliud Kipchoge, and CIM!
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed a variety of news items from the world of running, including the non-ratification of Camille Herron's 100-mile WR, Eliud Kipch...
Episode 238--Spotify Wrapped and Katelyn Tuohy's NIL Contract
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed what Spotify told us about our listening habits in 2022, and we talked about what Katelyn Tuohy's new Name/Image/Likeness cont...
Episode 237--2022 Gift Guide!
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After reviewing our Thanksgiving races and giving a few updates to the topics we discussed last week, we spent a lot of time this week discussing the ...
Episode 236--The Power of Playlists and the Timing of Workouts
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we got back to our roots a bit as we discussed research on music while exercising. In particular, we looked at the power of "beats per minu...
Episode 235--Shut-In Ridge Trail Run Race Report!
12 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we heard all about George and Michelle's experience at the Shut-In Ridge Trail Run in Asheville, NC. The race had over 5000 feet of climbin...
Episode 234--Delirium 24 Race Report with Erik!
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Erik told us all about his experience at the Delirium 24 ultra race. He had a good race, but he learned a lot of lessons from falling just ...
Episode 233--Reviewing Kilian Jornet's Training Manifesto!
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kilian Jornet recently released a detailed look at his training over the last several months leading up to his record-breaking win at UTMB. This week,...
Episode 232--Reviewing our BOTQ, How She Did It
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed our takes on this quarter's Book of the Quarter, How She Did It by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery. It was interesting and imp...
Episode 231--London Marathon Race Report!
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed George's run at the London Marathon, plus the pro performances there, the new WR at the Berlin Marathon, and Day One of the Ir...
Episode 230--Sending George Off to the London Marathon!
24 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it was all about George! His departure for the London Marathon is eminent, and this race has been a long time coming. We discussed how he q...
Episode 229--BRR Race Report
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Of course, we had to take a little bit of time this week to talk about our experience at the 2022 Blue Ridge Relay this past weekend. We also discusse...
Episode 228--Debriefing Ken Sevensky and preparing for the BRR!
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's less than 48 hours to the start of the 2022 BRR! This week, we talked a bit about our final preparations, and we debriefed our interview with the...
Episode 227--Interview with Blue Ridge Relay Director Ken Sevensky!
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we spoke with Ken Sevensky, the founder and owner of Blue Ridge Endurance and the director of the Blue Ridge Relay! Ken talked about how th...
Episode 226--Coros and Crocs!
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about Michelle's mission to re-take a local legend title on one of her favorite Strava segments, her rekindled love for Crocs (in...
Episode 225--Malcolm Gladwell's Proposal for High School XC and More!
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about the recent piece that Malcom Gladwell wrote on his blog calling for a change to the way that we do high school cross-countr...
Episode 224--The Tours de France, the World Championship, and Michael Wardian!
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
July is always the best month of the year, and this week we talked about our favorite things from that month: the World Track Championship, both Tours...
Episode 223--Reviewing "Out of Thin Air" by Michael Crawley
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed our Book of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2022, "Out of Thin Air" by Michael Crawley. Crawley spent fifteen months liv...
Episode 222--Catching Up on the Tour, USAs, and the Peachtree!
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we caught up on the first few stages of the Tour with its newest mega-fan, Michelle! We also shared some reflections on the USA Track Champ...
Episode 221--2022 Tour de France Preview with Justin and Justin!
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of year again! Justin Dugan and Justin Schmidt joined George on the podcast this week to talk about the 2022 Tour de France for men. (T...
Episode 220--Previewing USA Track Champs and Western States!
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about the two big events of the weekend: Western States and the USA Track Championship in Eugene! We talked favorites, conditions...
Episode 219--The Key to Staying Safe in Hot Weather!
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talk all about P.I.S.S.--our acronym for staying safe in hot weather. Spoiler alert: staying hydrated is only one part of it! Also, sinc...
Episode 218--Grace Hall's Keys 100 Race Report!
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Grace Hall was back on the podcast with us this week to tell us all about her second 100-mile race, the Keys 100. She has learned a lot since she told...
Episode 217--Debriefing Allison Mercer and the New River Marathon RR!
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we caught up with some of the news in the endurance sporting world, including a few notes from the Maasmarathon, the Flying Pig Marathon, a...
Episode 216--Interview with Ultrarunner Allison Mercer
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekend, Allison Mercer had a historic run at the Strolling Jim 40-mile run in Tennessee, becoming only the third woman to earn a coveted gold sh...
Episode 215--Catching up on Sprint News and the Tobacco Road Relay
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about two sprinters--Lester Wright and Erriyon Knight--and that will probably be the last time we talk about sprinters this year....
Episode 214--Reviewing the Boston Marathon!
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The 2022 Boston Marathon is behind us, and this week, we looked at several storylines from the race. We talked about the winners, of course, but we al...
Episode 213--Debriefing Danielle and Previewing Boston!
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, after a bit of a digression into F1, we debriefed last week's conversation with Danielle Friedman. We then announced our NEW Book of the Qu...
Episode 212--Interviewing Author Danielle Friedman
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about our Book of the Quarter, "Let's Get Physical," with the book's author, Danielle Friedman! We had a great conversation about...
Episode 211--Reflecting on Shane Streich and the 10x5K!
03 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we caught up on the latest goings-on in our lives and the endurance sports world, we reflected on our interview with Shane Streich, and we ...
Episode 210--Interview with American Record Holder Shane Streich
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We got to interview the new American record holder in the indoor 1000m, Shane Streich! Last month, Shane ran 2:16.16 in Louisville, and this week, he ...
Episode 209--Reflecting on Our Time with Coree and Sadi
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over our last two podcasts, we interviewed two really different runners: ultrarunner Coree Woltering and 800m runner Sadi Henderson. This week, we ref...
Episode 208--Interview with Pro Runner Sadi Henderson
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we spoke to professional runner Sadi Henderson. Fresh off a fifth-place finish at the USA Indoor Nationals in the 800m, Sadi told us a bit ...
Episode 207--Pro Ultrarunner Coree Woltering
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we had a super-fun discussion with professional ultrarunner Coree Woltering. We discussed his going from a middle-distance runner to an ult...
Episode 206--Reviewing Nils van der Poel's Training Manifesto!
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Swedish speed skating Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Nils van der Poel released a 62-page document that detailed his trainin...
Episode 205--Running in Cold Weather!
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, after catching up with each other and with the news in the running world, we discussed cold weather running. We discussed factors to keep i...
Episode 204--Houston Marathon and Mountain Mist 50K Race Reports!
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since our last podcast, Michelle ran the Houston Marathon--where two new American records were set!--and George ran the difficult Mountain Mist 50K. W...
Episode 203--BOTQ Review of "The Practice of Groundedness"
14 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we considered our Book of the Quarter for the last quarter of 2021: The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg. Stulberg argued that wes...
Episode 202--2021 in Review!
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we looked back at 2021, including our favorite races, what we learned, and our goals and resolutions for next year. Happy New Year!
Episode 201--Lots of Ultra Talk!
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we heard about Erik's race at the Beast of the East 50-miler (which was won by the incomparable Karl Meltzer) and Camille Herron's new Amer...
Episode 200--Interview with Running Guru Pat Binienda
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, for our 200th episode, we interviewed the man who talked Michelle into running her first marathon. Pat Binienda has been a runner for nearl...
Episode 199--Trail Shoes and Taylor Swift!
03 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Wondering what to look for in a pair of off-road shoes? This week, Erik took a deep dive into what makes trail shoes different and special. In additio...
Episode 198--The NCAA XC Championship!
27 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we spent a lot of time discussing the NCAA XC championship, but we also talked about some recent research on running uphill in super shoes,...
Episode 197--Reviewing the New York City Marathon!
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's always a lot of stories that come out the New York City Marathon, and 2021 was no different. We consider the performances of Molly Seidel, Ben...
Episode 196--Gidey's Incredible Run and More!
06 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we did a roundup of all the latest news, led by the amazing half-marathon run by Letesenbet Gidey. We also discussed the *newly announced* ...
Episode 195--Michelle's Boston Marathon Race Report!
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we heard a lot about Michelle's difficult experience at the Boston Marathon. She had a gutsy performance, but it wasn't what she hoped for....
Episode 194--IM 70.3 World Championship Race Report w/ Justin Dugan!
17 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our old friend Justin Dugan came on the podcast to tell us about his experience at the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah. Hills...
Episode 193--Reviewing Our BoQ--"Rise of the Ultrarunners"
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we shared our thought's on this season's Book of the Quarter: Rise of the Ultrarunners by Addie Finn. As usual, there were things we liked ...
Episode 192--Blue Ridge Relay Race Report!
17 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
George and Erik discussed the challenges and highlights of the 2021 Blue Ridge Relay, and we got a brief update on Michelle's Boston training and our ...
Episode 191--Sorokin, Dauwalter, and Herron! (And Houlihan.)
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we finally discussed one of the biggest stories of the summer for fans of American distance running: the positive doping test of American r...
Episode 190--Catching Up and Reviewing the Olympic Games!
14 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After a brief summer break, we took tonight's episode to catch up and talk about our favorite moments from the Olympic Games.
Episode 189--The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo!
23 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discussed the events that we're most excited to watch at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, now being held after a one-year postponement.
Episode 188--Lachlan Morton, the Zwift Duathlon League, and Our Next BOTQ!
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we debriefed our interview with Grace Hall a bit, checked in on George's Berlin Marathon training now that the Zwift Duathlon League is beh...
Episode 187--Black Hills 100 Race Report with Grace Hall!
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, 17-year-old Grace Hall become one of the youngest people ever to finish a 100-mile race. As it happens, she's the daughter of podcast regu...
Episode 186--Book Review of "Bravey" by Alexi Pappas
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we reviewed our book of the quarter: "Bravey" by Alexi Pappas. In the book, Pappas--a Greek Olympian and filmmaker--describes the physical ...
Episode 185--2021 Tour de France Preview with Justin and Justin!
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Justin Schmidt and Justin Dugan are back to talk about the 2021 Tour de France, which begins on June 26! The course, key stages, riders to watch, our ...
Episode 184--Interview with Kona Qualifier Tiencia James!
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we got to talk to triathlete Tiencia James. Tiencia recently qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Kona, and she told us about he...
Episode 183--Interview with Superstar Athlete Betty Lindbergh!
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we spoke with age group world record holder Betty Lindbergh. At age 96, Betty still competes at a variety of distances, and she offered us ...
Episode 182-2--A Special Edition on the Women's 10,000m WR!
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We took a few minutes this week to record a special edition about Sifan Hassan's new WR in the 10,000m . . . that was then broken by Letsenbet Gidey t...
Episode 182--Osaka, Quigley, Kessler, and more!
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We had a lot to say this week about Colleen Quigley's new contract, Naomi Osaka's exit from the French Open, Hobbs Kessler's new HS 1500 record, Franc...
Episode 181--Some good news and some bad news
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we debriefed our interview with Taggart VanEtten, we discussed the virtuosity of Simone Biles, and we celebrated the accomplishments of Hel...
Episode 180--Interview with World Record Holder Taggart VanEtten
22 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On May 1st, Taggart VanEtten ran 100 miles on the treadmill faster than anyone ever has. This week, we talked to Taggart about the race, his setup and...
Episode 179--Interview with Professional Runner Wilkerson Given
14 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked to professional runner Wilkerson Given. Wilkerson qualified for both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials, and he told us a ...
Episode 178--Michelle's Boston Acceptance and George's Race Report!
07 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We're all about the marathon this week, as we recount George's virtual Eugene Marathon, which he also used for the World Marathon Majors Global Challe...
Episode 177--Interview with Rich Kenah!
23 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we had the opportunity to interview the Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club, Rich Kenah. Rich is an accomplished runner--he won tw...
Episode 176--Des's 50K and Erik's 50-Miler!
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we focused on two races: Des Linden's world best in the 50K, and our own Erik Hall's win at the Southern Tour Ultra 50-miler!
Episode 175--A Preview of Erik's 50, a Discussion of Music, and Lots of News!
10 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about a wide variety of news items, including a recent OTQ from the Atlanta Track Club, the latest on Des Linden's 50K record att...
Episode 174--The Latest in High-Tech Running Shoes
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's tech night on the Most Pleasant Exhaustion Podcast! Super shoes are here to stay, and the number of brands offering them continues to grow. This ...
Episode 173--Reviewing "Running to the Edge" by Matthew Futterman
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we reviewed our book of the quarter, "Running to the Edge" by Matthew Futterman. "Running to the Edge" is the story of Bob Larsen, who coac...
Episode 172--Details about Peachtree, Boston, Des's 50K, and Dick Hoyt
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we briefly looked back on the life of pioneer Dick Hoyt, who along with his son Rick paved the way for thousands of athletes with disabilit...
Episode 171--Riding vs. Running Power, Plus More on Virtual Boston, Gwen, and Yuki
12 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we spent a lot of time deepening topics that we had previously discussed, like the Lake Biwa Marathon, Gwen Jorgensen's recent performances...
Episode 170--The Atlanta, Boston, and Lake Biwa Marathons!
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we talked about George's last-minute decision to jump into the Atlanta Marathon and the BAA's decision to offer a virtual option for this O...
Episode 169--Updates on Updates on Updates
26 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we heard about Erik's major undertakings on the bike last week, George's completing a big goal, and Michelle's return to running after her ...
Episode 168--New Cycling Rules and Research on Vitamin D!
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In a solo effort this week, George talked about a few new rules that the UCI passed to start the 2021 cycling season, and he considered the research o...