Work, Play, Love with Lauren Fleshman and Jesse Thomas

88: Book Update! Pole Pedal Paddle, Triathlon Cramps, Morton's Neuroma, Kid Fears

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse jump on the mic after Lauren passed a major milestone with her book and Jesse's recent win at the Bend Pole Pedal Paddle. It's been a...

87: Picky Bars and Laird Superfood Update, Racing Stress-Dreams, Sha'Carri Richardson, Diet Culture Lingo, Injured-Partner Activities

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a while, and just *a few* things have happened since our last episode. Jesse and Lauren jump on the mic to talk about Laird Superfood acquir...

86: Counting Calories, The Return Of Race Season, Spontaneous vs. Responsive Desire, Achieving The "Perfect Weight"

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Spring has sprung, there's some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and race season is starting up again. Everyone's excited to get back outside ...

85: Depression and Communication, Pregnancy and Body Image, Moving In Together, Primary Parenting Strategy, New Business Advice

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know it, we know it, vegetable lasagna knows it—communication is a huge help in finding balance in work, play, and especially love. Lauren and J...

84: Not Caring About Speed, Hard Conversations, Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Impact, Finding Time for Big Projects

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Finding that sweet spot between work play and love means checking your relationships with each one! And that's just what folks are curious about in th...

83: Valentine's Day Interrupted, Lauren and Jesse Catch Up, Partner's Body Noises, Awkward Dates, V-Day Stories

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a while, folks! But Lauren and Jesse reach through the cobwebs in the mic closet and sit down for a (very belated, very special) Valentine's...

82: Good Riddance, 2020.

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

81: Team vs. Individual Training, Intuitive Eating, Kids and Sports

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In another "late night" edition of the pod, Lauren and Jesse dive into the important things in life: what is the dumbest thing they've fought about in...

80: Training Time Vs. Family Time, Primary Parent Responsibilities, Coaching During COVID, Couples And Exercise

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You all asked for it, and Lauren and Jesse answer: just what does a "primary parent" do? The Work, Play, Love duo discuss what primary parenting means...

80: Training Time Vs. Family Time, Primary Parent Responsibilities, Coaching During COVID, Couples And Exercise

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You all asked for it, and Lauren and Jesse answer: just what does a "primary parent" do? The Work, Play, Love duo discuss what primary parenting means...

79: Eating While Injured, Partner Pace Differences, Marriage Advice, Social Media And Antiracism

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse and Lauren dust off their microphones and share what they've been up to this summer. Lauren's found a rhythm writing her book and Jesse's enjoyi...

78: Retirement, Dream Days, Managing Stress, Privilege, Fueling For Hard Workouts

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse are finally getting used to balancing Work, Play, and Love in…is it year 9 of stay-at-home? They catch up about their past month, i...

77. Recovering From Injuries, Moving In Together, Eating Post-Exercise, Side Hustles

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Quarantine is dragging on and Lauren and Jesse are busy schooling their kids, having blow-ups about injuries, setting up a campground in the back yard...

76: Funny Race Stories, Being An Ally, Staying Motivated In A Pandemic, Zoom Meltdowns

17 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a challenging month for everyone—including all you Work Play Lovahhhs and the Flomas duo. Some folks are losing their sh*t on Zoom. Some f...

75. COVID-19, Racing With Strava, Asking For A Raise, Training In Quarantine, Deciding On Parenthood

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One day you're busy at work or training for your next race, the next you're buying economy-size boxes of Lucky Charms and trying to convince yourself ...

74: DNF Marathon Trials, The First Picky Bar, Optimization Vs. Happiness, Past Decisions

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Appearances can be deceiving and the things you don't know can be super surprising—like the fact that Lauren used Excel spreadsheets to cook up the ...

73: Flirting At Work, Parenting And Diversity, Sleep Vs. Working Out, Break Ups

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse called and y'all answered! This week, Lauren and Jesse field questions that are a bit out of the work-play-love ordinary. They offer advice to a...

72: Training And Soreness, Trans Competitors, Relationships With Exes, Marathon Performance Consistency

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you know when you're overdoing it? When do your emotional, physical, and intellectual efforts start yielding diminishing returns? It's not easy...

71: Valentine's Day, Ironman Training, Running And Social Life, Sport And Libido

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's pretty easy to fall in love with your sport, moving your body, and chasing athletic goals. But what happens when your love of sport affects your ...

70: Ultra-Endurance Events, Racing vs. Vacationing, Constructive Fatigue vs. Overtraining, Speed Work, Wedding Planning

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a busy few weeks for the Flomas duo. Lauren's been laser focused on completing her book proposal (with publisher meetings on the calendar!) ...

69: Competitive Partners, Staying Motivated Without A Coach, Training Strengths vs. Weaknesses, "Retiring" As An Amateur

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren's got an exciting announcement about a new partnership and Jesse's got updates about his knee (is it an injury? Is it something else??), the Pi...

68: What Now? 2020, Mary Cain, Nike, And Your Team

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren are Jesse are BACK with allllll the 2020 vibes to answer your questions about the balance of work, play, and love. But first?! Rewind. Back in ...

67: Asking Your Coach For Help, Standing Up To Aggression, Screen Time And Kids, Alcoholism

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Advocating for yourself and your well-being can be challenging and intimidating—especially in the workplace, with family, or in a competitive team e...

66: Building A Healthy Relationship With Food, Family Dynamics and Sport, Playing Music, Training While Sick, Training "The Right Way"

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The holiday season is in full swing and your favorite Work, Play, Love hosts are going bananas with packed schedules for Picky Bars, sport, and family...

65: Night-Time Edition - Gift Ideas For Athletes, When To Have Kids, Scheduling Workouts, Angry Partners

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On the eve of Thanksgiving, Jesse and Lauren settle in for a late-night edition of Work, Play, Love. Around the holidays, everyone's thinking about fa...

64: Marathon Training, Lack of Love, Burnout vs. Commitment, Metrics for Success

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it can take a long time (like Long-with-a-capital-"L" Long time) to achieve a goal. You might train to run a marathon for years, but persist...

63: Mary Cain, Creating A Healthy Team Culture, Eating Disorders, Performance And Nutrition, Picking A Program

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the athletic community was shaken by Mary Cain's op-ed in the New York Times, I Was The Fastest Girl In America, Until I Joined Nike. The a...

62: Over-Training, Couples and Aging, 2-Hour Marathon Controversy, Tempo Workouts, Work-Life Boundaries

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fatigue, burnout, and feeling overwhelmed. That's what can happen when you overdo it. It's not too far off of how you feel when you…underdo it? Jess...

61: Swimming Workouts, Coconut Picky Bars, Writing Practice, Caffeinated Gels, Crushes

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After a wild week away, it's only fitting that Jesse and Lauren sit down for a rapid-fire episode filled with your tasty bite questions. The Work Play...

60: Being Fast vs. Being Friends, Parenting Disagreements, Grief and Loss, Life Planning

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

To plan or not to plan? That is the question. Whether you're training to close the gap between you and your competition, or you're hashing out parenti...

59: Mental Health, Striving vs. Contentment, Solo-Parenting Tips, Breaking Up With A Coach

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you're trying to strike the balance of Work, Play, and Love, there's a lot of experimenting, seeking, learning, testing, and re-trying things. An...

58: Staying Calm On Race Day, Why Kids Are Good, Making Races Fun For Your Partner, Setting Up Your Business For Balance

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The leaves are starting to change, and the Work Play Love duo's wild summer schedule is starting to settle down. So what better time than now for an e...

57: Live From FootZone in Bend with Another Mother Runner

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse sit down with Sarah Bowen Shea of Another Mother Runner for a live podcast recording at FootZone in Bend, OR. Sarah turns the mic ar...

56: Tips For Racing Kona, Amenorrhea, Dealing With Disappointment, Tempo Runs

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After a short hiatus, Lauren and Jesse are BACK in action. Hey, it's summertime y'know? A family getaway filled with play was in order and sets the to...

55: The Middle Of The Race, Resentment And Family, Analysis Paralysis, Cyclocross Workouts

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you're trying to achieve balance and stability in your career, on the field, or in relationships, it can be tough to take risks. Maybe you don't ...

54: Athletes And Politics, High Mileage for Young Runners, Battling Injuries, Pros and Cons of Sales

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you gotta unplug to recharge so you can come back to work, play, and love on your A-game. That's just what the Flomas duo did over the past ...

53: Faith and Belief, Marathon Training for Triathletes, Dad Jokes, Career Transitions, Partner Coaching

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Belief systems have an enormous impact on work, play, and love. Cultivating a belief in yourself can impact your performance on the field, at work, an...

52: Building Confidence, Cultivating a Healthy Team, the Final Weeks of Recovery, Proposing

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse are just back from a hilariously disastrous family camping trip. Still, despite the nightmare of being in a poison-oak-infested campg...

51: Wealth and Relationships, Climate Change, Business Lessons and Sport, Love Follow-Ups

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you gotta go all-in on business while sacrificing some play time. Sometimes you and your partner are feeling the exact opposite of one anoth...

50: All About Love – PRIDE, Polyamory, Keeping the Spark Alive, Sharing Athletic Goals

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of PRIDE and love, Lauren and Jesse answer your burning relationship questions about love, intimacy, on-again-off-again relationships, ...

49: Preparing For Future Athletic Goals, Aging, Supporting Your Partner, Race-Day Clothes, Hilly Runs

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In your athletic career and in life, keeping your eye on the horizon can take on a few meanings. When you're balancing your busy life today, how can y...

48: The "Dad" Episode - Cycling Safety, Babies and Dads, Reconciling with a Dad, Parent Favoritism

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's the "Dad" episode! In honor of Fathers' Day, Lauren and Jesse field questions all about parenthood through the lens of being a dad, relationships...

Post-workout fuel, Mom Guilt, Dating Teammates, Racing In The Heat, Kona

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You want tips about work play and love? We got tips. Whether you're wondering about the best way to fuel after a workout, how to handle all-consuming ...

46: 5K Workouts, Hard Conversations, Sleep Before Race Day, Investing Your Time, Multi-Level Marketing

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Confronting yourself or someone close to you is a major challenge, but it's often worth it. Whether you're approaching a tough conversation with a lov...

45: Alysia Montaño, Beginner Marathon Training, Balancing Individual Goals In A Partnership

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to step up at work, in sports, and in relationships? What does it take? Lauren and Jesse share their feelings about the rapidly deve...

44: Triathletes and Pee, Racing vs. Training Better, Home Workouts, Failure, Exercising During Work

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Worrying about how you might be perceived by others can make it challenging to make decisions, pursue your goals, or figure out your next moves. If yo...

44: Triathletes and Pee, Racing vs. Training Better, Home Workouts, Failure, Exercising During Work

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Worrying about how you might be perceived by others can make it challenging to make decisions, pursue your goals, or figure out your next moves. If yo...

43: Caster Semenya, Race Prep Psychology, Racing After Injury, Late-Night Baby Duties

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Spring training is ramping up, and Lauren is riding high from recent workouts with her athletes. Meanwhile, Jesse wonders whether he set a world recor...

42: Performance and Alcohol, Iron Levels and Fatigue, Career Motivation, Running While Pregnant

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse's training up for the Wings For Life World Run, where he plans to smash out a 5K. The catch? He's doing it on crutches. He talks a bit about the...

41: Racing While Grieving, First-Date Advice, Triathlon Training Commitment, Online Trolls

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough get to Work-Play-Love-ing…! Whether you're going hard at a dance party after a long weekend of parent...

40: Heat Training, Cycling Intro, Eating When Training vs. Not, Founders' Equity In Startups

23 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse are back on the road, traveling back to Bend from San Francisco where Jesse has just had foot surgery. Their road trip entails listen...

39: Supporting Competitors, Skipping Workouts, Rest Days, Moving In With Your Partner

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a rough week for the Flomas family. Jesse's down for the count with a navicular fracture that's nearly identical to the one he suffered in t...

38: Identifying Injury, Relationship to Food, Athena-Clydesdale Division, Sandbagging

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes when you have an extended car ride with your spouse, you run out of things to talk (or fight) about, and you decide to fire up a podcast epi...

37: Mental Toughness, Sugar, Recovery Strategies, Pushing for Business Growth

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse and Lauren are just starting to thaw out from the winter, and the signs of spring are accompanied by a mixed bag of emotions for the Flomas fam....

36: Injuries, Motivation, Setting Expectations, and Jesse's Marathon Approach

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When you're training hard and going after a big dream, not much is more disappointing than an injury. This is especially tough when the window of oppo...

35: Maxing Out, Post-Race Letdown, Work Play Love Transitions

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse's just back from a Natural Products show in Anaheim and Lauren's been solo-parenting for a week at home, and the Work Play Love hosts get to han...

34: Building Your Own Training Plan, Pooping While Racing, Baby Sleep, Jealousy

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse's been at home with two sick kids for almost week straight. Lauren's just back from an epic trip to New York for the indoor championships. And t...

33: Injury, Managing Stress, Deciding to Have Kids, Marketing A Business

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to balancing work, play, and love, how do you draw the lines to balance it all? Today's show is all about drawing those lines. When you'...

32: DNF, Training Through Hard Life Changes, Emotional Labor, Athlete Sponsorship

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's show is all about the tough stuff. Where's the line between pushing through a challenging race and taking a DNF? What do you do when your trai...

31: Weight Loss, Training for Distance, Family Play, Going Pro in Triathlon

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse and Lauren are fresh off of a weekend full of play. Both recount their experiences of racing the Great Nordeen Nordic race. Jesse talks about hi...

30: Exercise vs. sleep, strength training, un-learning athletic lessons, parent-sharing duties

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From proper snot-rocket etiquette to how to divvy up parenting duties, this episode has something for everyone. Athletes? Lauren and Jesse go deep on ...

29: Balancing work, play and love, setting athletic goals that won't burn you out, adjusting to a new child, changing an owner's role in business

17 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

You can experience pretty awesome wins in life. You know, like professionally competing in triathlons, breaking national running records, and growing ...

28: What Training Metrics to Use (and when), Growing a Niche Sport, Asking Your Partner to Slow Down

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's a new year and Lauren and Jesse are back in action. They catch you up on what's been going on since the end of 2018, and talk about what they're ...

27: Running Technique, Hunger Management, Favorite Running Shoes, and more!

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The holiday break is starting and 2018 is winding down. And that means a break in childcare for Zadie and Jude! So Lauren and Jesse have been busier t...

26: Conditions for Satisfaction, Supporting Your Partner Through Injury, Increasing Your Running Speed, Maintaining Self-Worth in a Group, a Day in the Life of Lauren and Jesse

14 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Some days you have a great race day. That was the case for both Lauren and Jesse over the past week. Lauren had a fun and successful race both as a ru...

25: Solo-parenting fun, What to do in the off-season, Pooping, Recovering from a bike crash, and the comparison game

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse's been alone for a week solo parenting, and Zadie's transition from infant to toddler is in full swing, but he's kept the Flomas house in check ...

24: Adventure runs in Hawaii, Coaching & Celebrating Success, Finding Balance in the Information Age, Leaving a Coaching Relationship, Interviewing to be a Coach

29 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes going on a family vacation means finding…adventurous ways to strike the work-play-love balance. Whether you're karate-chopping your way th...

23: Seattle-y stuff, Going from Marathon to Triathlon, Climbing out of a Post-Race Runk, Managing Asthma on the Track, Maintaining Your Period While Training

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse are fresh back from a work-meeting slash family-vacay slash race-day trip to Seattle where Lauren smashed out a 6k XC run. Truly work...

22: Family Planning, Triathlon Diversity, Who You are Now vs Then, Evaluating Biz Ideas

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

They're back and better than ever (at least Jesse thinks so). After a two-week hiatus for Kona and photoshoots, Lauren and Jesse dive into a solid mix...

21: Sometimes kids suck… the energy out of you.

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's a big week in the Flomas household with Zadie's first birthday and Ironman Championships in Kona, and the anniversary of both of those slightly l...

20: Eating Disorders, Fat-phobia, and Family Planning

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With birthdays, anniversaries, and Jude finally realizing the joy of riding a bike (after many false starts) there's a lot to celebrate in the Flomas ...

20: Eating Disorders, Fat-phobia, and Family Planning

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With birthdays, anniversaries, and Jude finally realizing the joy of riding a bike (after many false starts) there's a lot to celebrate in the Flomas ...

20: Eating Disorders, Fat-phobia, and Family Planning

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With birthdays, anniversaries, and Jude finally realizing the joy of riding a bike (after many false starts) there's a lot to celebrate in the Flomas ...

19: Going to School & Getting Schooled (on Strava)

20 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse mic up for another discussion on sports, business, and relationships, with a mix of their own going-ons and listener submitted questi...

18: "Take your 'treasure it!' and shove it."

13 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It all goes so fast and before you know it, the kids are grown, the training's done, and you're staring down the moment you thought you'd been waiting...

17: Resiliency, Running Safety, and Celebrity Shots

06 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ah, the classic end-of-summer tale where a search crew gets sent out to fetch a boy playing outside past dark with his friends… No, Jude's not groun...

16: Super Advanced: Science! [w Special Guest: Jude, 5yo]

31 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Enough about spreadsheets and triathlon and marriage and stuff - today's podcast guest wants to get real on SCIENCE. This special edition episode cove...

15: Man on Fire and the Social Implications of Sport

23 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is worth listening to if only to hear what Jesse thought the term "wet blanket" meant. After that enlightening moment he and Lauren dive ...

14: 'Stupid Human Tricks' and the Bars Are Back in Town!

16 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bars are back! Picky Bars has bars again, and all is right (or at least getting back to right) on the business side of the work, play, love triad. Lik...

13: "The Bigger the Ship, The Harder to Turn"

02 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse roadtrip over the Cascades to visit Picky Bars new co-packer, their first manufacturing change since 2012 and the official turnaround...

12: Burnout, Gender Stereotypes, and Goals You Can't Afford to Catch

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jesse's feeling the burn of re-entry after Challenge Roth, having stacked his off-season plate a bit too full with all the non-triathlon things he sai...

11: Out Of Stock: On Pushing Through Pain in Business + Sport

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode dives immediately into the almost-TMI honest, rough water deep end about Picky Bars' current inventory struggles. Lauren and Jesse...

10: Challenge Roth [Special Episode]

10 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

And they're back! (Stateside AND in the studio…) Lauren and Jesse battle jet lag from their trip to Germany with a special episode about the "Hallma...

09: Nerves, Body Image, "Happiness Differentials", and Radiohead

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week the work, sport, family balance in the Flomas house was less of a flashy juggling act and more of a clumsy dropping things and throwing them...

08: The Energy Well, Aging in Sport, #SuperAdvanced, and the NBA Playoffs

31 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Listen, even if you aren't interested in the topics in this episode, do yourself a favor and listen to the final few minutes where Jesse explains the ...

07: To Our Younger, On-again, Off-again, Pre-and-postpartum, Creative Selves

22 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If this week's What's Going On?! segment were a Friends episode, it'd be titled, "The One Where Jesse's More Nervous for PPP than Kona." He and Lauren...

06: "The Sky is Made of PB&J" (a.k.a. Get your head right for race day, parenting issues, nutrition, and bucket lists)

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's a big week in the Flomas household, as both Lauren and Jesse prepare for the "Bend Olympics" - Pole, Pedal, Paddle! This multi, multi-sport event...

05: Wild Wildflower, the Intersection of Work-Play-Love at its Finest (& Ugliest)

10 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

  Fresh off their wild Wildflower weekend, Jesse and Lauren give a glimpse at what a weekend racing as a pro athlete looks like when the whole damn f...

04: Training Together, Taking it to the Next Level, and Having Employees

01 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With race season around the corner - Can Jesse bring home a seventh consecutive W at Wildflower this weekend?? - this episode has them ramping up and ...

03: Buzzing From Desi

24 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's Boston Marathon morning! Lauren and Jesse are buzzing after Des Linden's big win, which brings up her new coffee company (Linden & True), which c...

02: Quality Time, Getting Sponsors, Hiring People, Workplace Healthcare

03 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse don't realize the podcast is already named, oh well. Then they answer these questions -    - What's the most effective way to spend...

01: Making Time, Encouraging Kids, Modifying Training, Your Biz's "Done" Line

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After an obviously unrehearsed but awesomesauce intro, Lauren and Jesse answer these questions: How do you make time for each other that isn't focuse...

Intro: Who we are and why you should listen to us, maybe

02 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Lauren and Jesse get off to a rip rocking start by introducing each other, and explain why the world needs yet another podcast! They describe how they...