A lot of random chat today! 

Carolyn has only ever eaten 1 oyster in her life. And it was in Ohio. Do we put her in jail? We talk about a new 5k “PR” (aka a Strava PR), random race era, time commitments for a full vs half marathon, a $22k race, and taking off random days in the middle of the week.

Also, you’ll never regret a run unless it’s with Napa and she’s being annoying. Do you also need validation about skipping a run? Also, does the end of Daylight Saving Time ruin your running life? Also, MILLENIALS ARE ALLOWED TO BE CRINGE.

Questions continue in today’s episode! We start with some irrational fears after Michelle mentions her Achilles tendon popped (but didn’t pop?) during her morning workout (she’s better than everyone else - but only this day because of said morning workout).  We chat about not warming up properly and then not being able to hit your workout goals, people who run 100-mile weeks, and Carolyn mentions a 4-miler coming up in Ohio (race strategy TBD because how does one mentally prepare?!) 

We talk diet, motivation, drinking alcohol, running ultra marathons, and crewing ultras. Remember the Nike Women’s race drama? We get into some tangents, of course.

Follow us on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/goingoffcoursepod/

Strava & Garmin are fighting?! We dive into the drama and then break into Michelle’s current gripe with cyclists - and she also gets a helmet makeover - you don’t want to miss this. (Check Spotify and/or YouTube for video.) We laugh at the fact that cyclists always have to do the most (always wearing the full fit), clipping in for the first time, and how eating Nerd Gummy Clusters while running takes the fun out of eating candy. 30k is not 30k it’s 10k x 3. We talk about all things cycling fit and touch on running and swimming. Everything you need to know is here. Also, Speedo sluts stand up!

Carolyn’s back from Europe and she’s got stories—think Prague cobblestones, Vienna coffee, Munich beer tents (yes, Oktoberfest happened), and Switzerland being… well, Switzerland. She dives into the highs, the not-so-glamorous travel moments, and what it feels like to come back to normal life after pretending you’re an international woman of mystery. Also on deck: running challenges, why she’s pressing pause on the NYC Marathon this year, and the reminder that sometimes enjoying life means saying no. Prost to that. 🍻

Last week Michelle is solo in the house while Carolyn frolics in Munich!

Today she’s touching on race spectating, running fashion, and what it’s like to be a racer in a half marathon. Napa says hello too and is casually possessed by a demon, but it’s fine. She talks about remembering races, getting emotional while spectating (more than when racing?), fashion tips that she thinks will come back (aka visors coming back with vengeance), and singing in the shower… is this talking to yourself? Crust is a key personality trait for her - listen to find out what that means and if you’re a crustacean yourself, you might relate.

Don’t forget to leave your questions at [email protected] or the @goingoffcoursepod IG! Questions will be answered next week. GOD SPEED.

A lil solo intro today brought to you by Michelle while Carolyn frolics in Prague (because I think that’s what you do when in Prague, probably). After a lil intro we pick back up where we left off with 10k time trials, pacing strategies, Garmin watch screens, mental game, and feeling lucky to feel the pain of pushing it. We end today with some TikTok drama!

Today we’re diving into some difficult topics surrounding grief all while Carolyn experiences her first DNF. Saying that, we keep today’s episode light hearted and send our love to Carolyn! We also recap the prep, swim and bike at Santa Cruz! <3

Michelle finds money on the ground, Carolyn’s high school boyfriend throws money away, and somehow that sets the tone for the rest of this episode. We’re talking race schedules (including the three races Michelle impulsively signed up for after a glass, or three, of wine), trail race revelations (Carolyn literally found the meaning of life in 4 miles), and why pacing math is not for the emotionally unstable.

Carolyn gets absolutely wrecked at PT, and we answer listener questions about fueling during a marathon. Also: the LA seasons, men vs. the sun (why won’t they wear sunscreen??), and a strong anti-contrarian stance from Carolyn. As always, it’s a little unhinged and a lot of fun.

The pool boy is between Carolyn’s legs as she has a great upper body workout with the masters swim. Michelle says Peter’s symbolism instead of Murphy’s Law and promises she’ll try the pool challenge before the next episode (aka seeing how long it takes her to swim 1 mile).

The 3-mile swim went great, and Carolyn is currently gearing up for Santa Cruz in a couple of weeks! But the hip is hipping… hopefully a PT appointment goes her way. Michelle has an idea for her next race and will share more on the next episode…

Long shower people - what are you doing in there?? The cops are back in action, and Carolyn has another ticket to pay… guess what it’s for!

We discuss speed workouts and how to structure speed work from a running coach perspective (aka Michelle) using Amby Burfoot’s methodology. Not all running coaches use this, though, and Michelle mentions the popular Track Club Babe as an example.

Transition glasses are crazzzzzzzzzy. Listen in for a lot of other random topics of the week! 

This episode has a trigger warning as we discuss weight loss and disordered eating. We dive into calorie & macro counting (some would say you have to have a PhD in history to do the latter effectively), running for weight loss, and other taboo topics around weight and running. We also understand why Gen X and Boomers love Michelle Obama’s arms (now that we’re in our 30s).

We start the chat with a discussion on sweating - why is it impossible to shower post-endurance sport??? We touch on Carolyn’s upcoming swim race (3 miles), which she’s doing after her long run on Sunday (Michelle thinks this is insane). 

We then circle back (for the 10th time) to why morning runners are superior, the stress (or lack thereof) of an evening workout, filming while running (race vs. easy pace), why men in their 30s with grey hair are cute, and what we feel the most “us” wearing.

We love this episode and hope you can either relate or feel a part of the discussion!! <3