Going Off Course

Running through everything from fake eyelashes to pausing the Garmin.

Michelle thinks Carolyn prefers short course swimming because it’s like jazz and continues to call a flip turn a kick turn, and we laugh about the older woman walking the wrong way on the track WITH PURPOSE. Carolyn’s debating paragliding (which goes against her “I don’t do anything risky” mention earlier in the pod.) + another running etiquette debate about bike lanes.

If we call someone a “lady” you know we mean business.

 We also dive into:
– Heat maps and Strava stalking– The psychology of chasing a 7:59 min/mile ave pace instead of an 8:00– Fast cool downs, auto-pause, and elapsed time police– Hybrid athletes, Hyrox (or is it hydrox?), and Carolyn’s continued gym domination
– And yes, the tib is tibbing

If you know the difference between paragliding and hang gliding, please let Carolyn know because we’re still not sure.

Stay tuned until the end for details on our giveawayyyyyy. This week, we run through everything from floss picks on the ground to getting faster at running.

Michelle possibly tweaks her hamstring and Carolyn follows pool etiquette to a T (after tackling a few 60-year-old men). We need to stop debating heart rate & sleep scores and start debating swim lane etiquette.

Also, shoutout to the highlight of our lives… the scholastic book fair (locked diaries, anyone?). Plus: Carolyn is type A part 12, warming up for runs, how it’s so easy for your fastest mile to be during a race, personality types, stress snowballs, and seeing improvement with working out.

Carolyn’s back from Spain (again) after tearing it up on the dance floor. We dive into Michelle’s latest theories, trail running, and when to pull out the party Garmin. Carolyn doesn’t like bottom feeders but loves a phat bowl of Chipotle - but it brings up the question… will the bowl kill you or bring you life?

We cover everything from Sex in the Suburbs, to how hunger is suspicious on airplanes, to travel struggles as athletes, and navigating long runs when you keep going back and forth because you don’t get the route and Strava is telling you to turn. 

Plus: getting Botox, workout envy, sweaty runners, and losing Napa at the airport.

And rest days - are you Friday, Sunday, or Monday? Or… another day of the week? 

Also discussed: the art of animal naming and buying expensive purses.

Dav listened to Michelle edit parts of this and proceeded to ask her “wait, isn’t this suppose to be a running and/or triathlon podcast?”

This week, we cover everything from running guilt to ghost theories—with a few tangents in between (this is our favorite episode, we think.) Carolyn is anticipating the flight to Spain in a few days. Dav also told Michelle he’s upset with her after listening to the language segment of this podcast. 

Michelle opens up about the pressure of having a coach and feeling guilty for not going back to reattempt the stupid course record she told everyone about (the last two episodes). Carolyn somehow knows more about animals than ever (and rocks). We talk about running solo on trails and the low-key investigative work required to find good running routes while traveling (including who we think won’t kill us).

We also get into:

• Carolyn’s proposal story 
• Ayahuasca and microdosing
• Whether ghosts are real
• Type A vs Type B (again)
• Buffalo sauce vs. Carolyn’s spice tolerance + Michelle preferring to cry from heat pain (are you Michelle or Carolyn here)
• The things we’re weirdly good at 
• A whole lotta graphite (iykyk)

Good luck, listeners.

Carolyn gets pulled over mid-ride for a stop sign situation (solitary confinement?), Michelle is learning more Fred moves (RE: hydration pack on the bike, which mildly upset her), and Joey is out there with flowing locks. We also reflect on the small, unsettling moments that make you wonder: am I kind of nasty?

Also in this episode:

• A reminder (a PSA) to update your car’s registration 
• Our ongoing beef with AllTrails and why trail running might be your answer if hiking feels too slow
• Life with a car in LA: parking ticket chaos and the ongoing war against street sweeping
• Michelle’s crackerjack lifestyle 
• Kidney stone consequences
• Sterilizing anything with hot water cleans it (science)
• Carolyn’s early days as a weather influencer on Twitter and the B she got in her college social media class
• Top three things to consider if you actually want to grow on social media
• A behind-the-scenes look at which of our Reels performed best and why
• Instagram giveaway strategies
• Running back-to-back races
• Waking up early vs sleeping in w/ a workout schedule
• Rage-cleaning the stove at 10 p.m.

Carolyn’s back from racing St. George and has alll of the deets - starting with suspiciously good pre-race sleep. We unpack what actually happens at a pro meeting, passing when swimming, ironman drafting rules, and why ice in the bra just hits different. The race may have not gone as planned, but her fueling was on point.

Meanwhile, Michelle doubles down on her belief that if she ever bikes again, elbow and knee pads are non-negotiable. We spiral into a debate over 2-lane vs 4-lane highways, whether men wear cups on the bike, and the emotional toll of strategically stealing Strava segments.

Also: exotic chafes, bath people, Ironman tattoos, essential poops, and the consideration of tumbling into a thicket. Bryson continues his reign of gym dominance. 

We’ve decided we’re getting our edge back in 2025, so stay tuned for whatever that is.

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This week, we’re emotionally unhinged and physically unwell, but in a good way! We kick things off with a small menty B and a constructive conversation about good handwriting, which we COULD have if using a soft felt-tip pen with smooth jazz playing in the background. Michelle’s thumbs are getting jacked from editing on her phone, while Carolyn’s dealing with mysterious car noises - could her car have too many belts??

Michelle mentions the HIIT workout that left her more sore than the Boston Marathon, the eternal mystery of weak calves, and why post-race runs make you feel like you’ve lost all your fitness. This is now a borderline gym podcast, but Carolyn’s still trying to escape her LA Fitness contract (convo may involve protein farts).

Also in this episode:

•Rose Bowl Half recap + Carolyn’s PR!!!!

•Running belts and why they suck 

•St. George race prep + hot weather running tips (race is next week!)

•Michelle’s sugar struggles and Carolyn’s lost rock collection (may they RIP)

•Animals with superior taste buds (stay until the end)

We cuss a lot in this episode, so fair warning (classic).

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This week on Going Off Course, we’re dealing with Italian restaurants refusing to carb-load on our terms, confidently making up words, and debating the important stuff—like whether you should wear underwear when you run. Also, don’t forget to arch your bishop when you wear a running cap.

Carolyn ponders if chain Mexican food can be authentic. Michelle reminisces on her El Torito days. Are the days of free samples at race expos officially dead? Would you hit up an influencer event before a marathon shakeout? Plus, a side-by-side Maurten comparison is coming... once Carolyn pays her taxes.

We’re officially rebranding to Going Off Course Ultra after both running 26.5 miles in our last marathons, and of course, we kick off our Boston recap after losing the first 30 minutes of recording because that’s just how we operate. 

Carolyn shares updates as she gears up for the Rose Bowl Half (shoutout to the donut run club 🍩), and we both share our struggles with strength training—spoiler alert: calf raises are trying to kill us.

There’s also a little social media talk (hello, Instagram engagement & influencers) and a devastating discovery: you can’t listen to music in a race if you’re a pro. Michelle also learns about crosswinds for the first time, and we brainstorm an invention nobody asked for: full-face glitter tattoos—and why stop there? Let's make a pill that makes your whole body sparkle.

We wrap it all up with 20 peaceful minutes without Napa barking, who’s mastered the art of chilling at exactly the right time. They also realize they need to stop slandering Maurten.

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This is Michelle’s favorite episode, she thinks. -Michelle (after editing)

This one’s for the girls (and the guys curious about menstrual cups, mewing, and why we might be qualified to talk about men’s trousers). Have you ever heard about mewing? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to say yes after this episode. Find up mewing. This relates (somehow to) clenching teeth, which is parallel to the discovery that Carolyn’s toes might be part primate, which is perfect if she ever needed to climb a palm tree. 

There’s talk of tampon brand deals, internet cafes, and losing a menstrual cup like it’s a set of keys. Michelle temporarily forgets how birth control works, Carolyn breathes like SpongeBob, and we spiral into Black Mirror territory over content rights.

We also talk about goals outside of racing, the identity crisis that is pre-race blues, and Michelle’s Boston Marathon weekend plans (plus how many times we say she’s going to find a good bagel). Will Carolyn convince Jordan and the cats to sleep in an oxygen deprivation tent? You’ll have to find out.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.