Another weekend down and a new race in the books. We were at the Summer Sizzle 15k. Yes, a 15k. We're going to break the race down. Then we are going to tackle a listener requested topic. We'll talk about races and how we pick them. How do you pick the races you run. Sometimes it's a no brainer, but sometimes it can actually be due to a number of factors. Let's discuss!

We were falling a little behind on race reviews, so we are getting caught up today! We've had three great races all in a row. Let's talk about them. We ran the Run to Bless 5k, Rexy Run 5k, and Hearts for RMHC 10k recently. We got to see most of you there! Let's break them down and then look at what's coming up for all of us race addicts!

Our great friend and longest tenured guest Dave Borchardt is back on the podcast! Dave is the race director for THE Garmin Kansas City Marathon coming up on October 19th, 2024. Join us as we talk everything KC Marathon. We also need your feedback for the future of the race. Yup, we want to know what you think! Make sure you listen in. Dave is a seasoned pro in the Kansas City sports, running, radio, and podcasting world. Check him out and get ready for THE KC Marathon!

A picture is worth a thousand words. In host Kyle's case, two pictures were worth a thousand curse words! Like so many of us, we are struggling to make it through this summer training season enroute to our Fall races. We are struggling with that one dirty little word, Discipline! We have to call it what it is and then adjust to the issue. Let's talk about it. Openly and honestly with still some chances to fix our problems before it's too late!

Just your friendly neighborhood host this week. Flying solo after all of our wonderful guests! Let's catch up a bit on a wild July. We've had races, trips, vacations, special causes, and of course....that Midwest heat. This will be our last time talking about the heat this year, but at least this time we are taking a different approach. Join us while we knock off the rust and get back into some running podcast excellence! Or whatever it is we do here!

They're back! After long last Erica and Kristina are back from Baby Jay's Legacy of Hope and the Rexy Run! These two are on the front line in the battle against childhood cancer. They are out there working with the families of kids who are going through cancer treatments. They are raising funds and doing the HARD work! One of the big events they put on of course is Rexy Run! We are less than a month away from the 2024 edition of Rexy Run. A race in Lawrence, KS. A race that we ALL need to be at! Some come here from them and hear about all the ways you can help out this most noble of cause!

Kyle is out of town, so stepping this week is the host of the "Just Grow Something Podcast" our friend Karin Velez! Karin is here to breakdown the science behind Tempo Running. Aerobic Thresholds and all the other smart runner stuff Kyle can't cover! Tune in for a special episode that you won't want to miss!

References for Back of the Pack Podcast episode:

Individual Anaerobic Threshold: Methodological Aspects of its Assessment in Running

World-Class Long-Distance Running Performances Are Best Predicted by Volume of Easy Runs and Deliberate Practice of Short-Interval and Tempo Runs

The Relationship Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance in Recreational Runners

Tempo Run: What Is a Tempo Run (and Why You Need It) | TRE (therunexperience.com)

Tempo Runs Made Easy: A Guide for Beginner Runners — (runnersblueprint.com)

We have not one but two special guests in this week! We welcome Kody and William both back for this weeks episode. The three of us went to El Dorado, Kansas for the Hell on Gravel half marathon. Definitely a new experience for this road racer. Our first trip to an "Ultra" though was a ton of fun! We're going to talk all about it and hear from our guests on their experiences as well.

This week we cover our most favorite topic. A listener requested topic! We opened the floor up to our Facebook page to see what folks had on their minds, and came up with this weeks episode. We're not all elite level. We don't all have that runners physique. Does that make us any less of a runner? Nope! Let's talk about impostor syndrome and how that relates to the running world.

It is the first official episode of Summer! Mother Nature is greeting us with excessive heat warnings. The heat is no joke and every year we go over the do's and do not's of running in the extreme temps. We will give you some old information on the subject and some new. We will also review this weeks 5k and tie up a few loose ends. Apply the sunscreen and head in for this week's episode!