Once competitors and Olympic teammates, now friends and podcast partners, Des Linden and Kara Goucher share their hot takes about all things running with a litt...
Nobody asked Des and Kara to put on a 10,000 meter track race, but as is the theme for this podcast, here we are! It's officially official. The Save the 10,000 with Des and Kara is happening on Saturday, May 3rd at Mt. San Antonio College (aka Mt. SAC) in Walnut, CA. Listen to this episode for all of the details, and then head to http://savethe10000.com to sign up for the virtual race, get tickets, and check out other ways to support. Des and Kara are putting up their own money to make this thing happen with sponsors gradually coming on board, but obviously we welcome as much help as possible from this amazing community of listeners. All proceeds from the virtual race and from ticket sales will go to fund this event. In addition, we owe a special shout-out to Trevor Rhodes for his work behind the scenes to make this happen. While much of this episode is about the details of this event (which you don't want to miss), Des and Kara also catch up on Des's Boston training, the US Indoor Champs, and the US Half Champs with some impressive performances across the board. As usual, they finish with a fun top 5, and now it's your turn to go tell all of your friends about the Save the 10,000! Â
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1:03:41
3.5. The Introspection Episode
It was Adam Goucher's birthday last week. He turned 50. Happy birthday Adam(!) and thank you for prompting the introspection that is a theme throughout the episode. It starts with the introspection of hitting age milestones as Kara and Des discuss how it felt hitting 30 and 40 and how they might feel hitting 50. Then, they talk about the introspection of retirement, including how it felt for Kara to retire from running and how she might think about retiring from this latest phase of her career. Des joins in with some hilarious conjecture about disappearing altogether once she is done with the sport. Along the way, they also reflect on journey of their friendship evolving from competitors to podcast cohosts who share a similar perspective on the sport. Next, the episode turns to introspection on the state of the sport after the latest slate of world records in the men's indoor mile and the men's half marathon. What does it all mean and what are the sources of these jumps in time across the board? Does sodium bicarbonate have anything to do with it and how should we think about the push for professionalism at younger and younger ages? Des and Kara struggle to understand it all but don't just bring the doom and gloom to this one. Finally, the episode wraps with an UPLIFTING top 5, sponsored by Lever Movement. To get 20% off on your Lever Movement system, use the code NOBODYASKEDUS at levermovement.com. Support them and support the pod! Â
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1:09:35
3.4. The Indoor World Record Episode
If you can't get excited about track from listening to these two talk, then you should have your head examined and your pulse checked! Their enthusiasm for the sport is contagious. In this episode, they start with life updates including recent travels for them both. Des updates us on her trip to Kona and on her Boston prep, and Kara shares about her recent trips for broadcasting. Colt had an amazing opportunity to chase a mile PR at the Armory Track in NYC with the NBC cameras rolling, and Kara gives us the full rundown. Operation #DestroyColt has been officially retired out of necessity! They then turn to all of the recent indoor track action from NB Indoors and Millrose, where the times have been so very FAST, including two world records set by Americans. The discussion includes all of the big names... Hiltz, Morgan, McClain, Houlihan, Kessler, Nuguse, Hocker, Fisher, and so many more. If you missed the races, get your updates here. If you watched, listen in to hear Des and Kara's takes on it all. The track year (and the podcast year) is off to an amazing start. Â Â Â
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1:17:03
3.3. The Sweaty Armpit Episode
"I could be wrong, but I know I'm not." - Kara Goucher. You know it's a good episode when Kara drops that quote. In this episode, Des and Kara cover a topic that you DID ask for. They give you their hot takes on the return of Shelby Houlihan from her 4-year ban. As you might expect, it is complicated, so find some paper towels and put them under those armpits... it gets warm-ish in here over the second half of the episode. First, they recap an amazing weekend in Houston with their perspectives on all of the races, including those that aren't getting enough attention - Erika Kemp's 2:22 and Weini Kelati's second American record. And yes, they give Conner Mantz his flowers too while covering "the shove" and talking about what his race might mean for his confidence in future marathons. Can he be the one to break through for the American men in a World Major? Then, they shift the discussion to Shelby Houlihan's return covering everything from their initial reactions to her ban and now to the media coverage of her "comeback." As you might expect, this is a difficult topic to cover, but Des and Kara do not shy away from discussing all sides of it. Agree or not, the hope is that we can all turn now to just seeing her race. As usual, this episode ends with a top 5 that includes a special shout-out to the new Glycerin 22 coming soon from Brooks. You can pre-order yours here to support them and the pod: https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/womens/shoes/road-running-shoes/glycerin-22/120434.html?dwvar_120434_color=020  Â
Once competitors and Olympic teammates, now friends and podcast partners, Des Linden and Kara Goucher share their hot takes about all things running with a little bit of life-stuff sprinkled in too. Come for the insights on running and stay for the inspiration from two legends in the sport. No filter needed.
This podcast is presented by Brooks Running.
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