If you've ever looked a Canadian goose in the eye, well, you know you've seen pure evil. Today on the podcast, we talk about encounters with geese, jury duty in Baltimore, shark cages, and Karl's latest emo hit titled "Heartbreak Hill." We also talk about a few other shoes, including more experiences in the Tracksmith Eliot Racer and the Veja Condor 3 Advanced.

Support our sponsors!

SAYSKY X PUMA

Experience the premium quality and unique design of the PUMA x SAYSKY collection. Check it out now at saysky.com and use code DROP15 to save.

WAHOO FITNESS

Discover the KICKR RUN, a groundbreaking reimagination of the treadmill from Wahoo. Its innovative RunFree mode lets you run naturally—automatically adjusting to your pace without having to press a button. Plus, effortlessly sync with training devices to optimize your indoor workouts and achieve your goals. Learn more: https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/?rfsn=8167444.8594e18

SWIFTWICK

The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick just launched their new spring collection this week, and Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15. Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe

LMNT

It’s warming up, which means you’re sweating more, which means you need more salt. Like, a lot more. Luckily, LMNT has 1000 mg of the stuff, as well as potassium and magnesium. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

MICHAEL BONSBY HVAC

We talk a lot about performance and recovery—but let’s be real, if your home’s not comfortable, neither is your training. That’s why we teamed up with Michael Bonsby HVAC, a local Maryland legend and part of the Zephyr Home Services crew. They helped us out big time, and now they’re offering Believe in the Run listeners $50 off any service or new install. Spring is almost here, so get ready to elevate your cool down after this summer’s hottest runs. They’ve got you covered, so book your service now at www.michaelbonsbyhvac.com.

INDEX

3:05 - Favorite Seasons / Second Summer

5:28 - TV talk

13:00 - Boston Marathon course / Getting your heart actually broken at Heartbreak Hill

20:51 - Dolphins and sharks

27:00 - Evil Geese

31:20 - Robbe's Jury Duty experience

38:37 - Nepo Babies

42:15 - The Speed Project / Barkley Marathon / HAT 50K

1:07:06 - Weightlifting talk

1:09:00 - Shoe talk

1:16:00 - Tracksmith Signs Steph Bruce / Puma "Got High" ad

1:22:34 - Veja Condor 3 Advanced

One of the most fascinating athletes in the marathon scene right now, CJ Albertson is doing it his way and succeeding at every step of the way. From racking up ultra high mileage weeks to dropping it down to almost nothing in between cycles, to juggling running and a full-time job as a professor, coach and dad, all while managing to come out with top-10 finishes at the Olympic Trials, NYC Marathon, Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and CIM. And that was just in 2024. This was such a great look inside the training and accomplishments of one of the best American marathoners right now.

Follow CJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjalbertson/

Check out our Brooks running reviews: https://believeintherun.com/shoe-reviews/type/road/?shoe_brand=971

Spring means one thing– the reemergence of snot slugs on the faces of marathoners. Just like this podcast, running ain't pretty, but we're good about putting lipstick on a pig, so we try to do it here by throwing in some talk about the LA Marathon and NYC Half Marathon. Also, let's say it for the record: don't take NSAIDs before or during a race. But DO take Zbiotics* afterwards.

*Does not consitute as medical advice, consult your doctor before and after listening to The Drop or celebrating St. Paddy's with Karl

Support our sponsors!

SAYSKY X PUMA

Experience the premium quality and unique design of the PUMA x SAYSKY collection. Check it out now at saysky.com and use code DROP15 to save.

WAHOO FITNESS

We’ve got a new series on YouTube that follows Thomas’ training to London using the Wahoo Kickr Run Treadmill. Follow along every Frida, and watch episode 2 ⁠here⁠. You can learn more about the runner-focused treadmill (including seamless elevation and pace changes) and purchase one ⁠here⁠.

LMNT

It’s warming up, which means you’re sweating more, which means you need more salt. Like, a lot more. Luckily, LMNT has 1000 mg of the stuff, as well as potassium and magnesium. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

INDEX

00:00 - Intro

5:08 - Streaking, Movie Talk, Looney Tunes

15:23 - NYC Half Marathon

20:48 - LA Marathon 2025

28:03 - ZBiotics

31:42 - Advil + Influencer Campaign

45:10 - Training Talk

1:08:47 - Gym Talk

1:12:28 - Shoe Talk (Diadora Atomo Star)

In-studio guests are always the best, and since Speedland is always doing their best to be the best, it only made sense that they'd come to Baltimore to hang out. Robbe talks with founders Dave Dombrow and Kevin Fallon about upcoming 2025 models, including the RX:FPY, the brand's first-ever road shoe (now available for pre-order). This is a great episode for all you industry folks and shoe nerds, to see what goes into getting a small footwear brand off the ground.
Check out Speedland: https://www.runspeedland.com/
Follow Speedland on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runspeedland/

Southwest is basically Spirit Plus now, which makes this podcast Spirit Minus, but don’t worry– we’ll never charge you for all that baggage you’re carrying around. Zero guarantees this plane stays on course, because right after liftoff we veer right into King Richard III, Baltimore ice cream trucks, and our favorite variations of the Mandela Effect. Also, a couple of us signed up for the JFK 50 Miler, for better or for worse. Finally, we talk about the Tracksmith Eliot Racer, a surprisingly capable race day shoe with a super bouncy, dual layer ATPU and PEBAX midsole.

Support our sponsors!

SAYSKY X PUMA
Experience the premium quality and unique design of the PUMA x SAYSKY collection. Check it out now at saysky.com and use code DROP15 to save.

SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick just launched their new spring collection this week, and Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15. Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe

WAHOO FITNESS

We’ve got a new series on YouTube that follows Thomas’ training to London using the Wahoo Kickr Run Treadmill. Follow along every Frida, and watch episode 2 here. You can learn more about the runner-focused treadmill (including seamless elevation and pace changes) and purchase one here.

LMNT
It’s warming up, which means you’re sweating more, which means you need more salt. Like, a lot more. Luckily, LMNT has 1000 mg of the stuff, as well as potassium and magnesium. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

INDEX
00:00 - Intro
4:11 - Richard III found under parking lot
18:43 - Baltimore Ice Cream Trucks
21:28 - Southwest Airlines newest baggage policy
27:41 - Nerds Gummy Clusters
30:58 - JFK 50 Miler
42:58 - Training Talks / Wahoo Kickr RUN
56:21 - The Mandela Effect
1:00:46 - Horror Movies
1:02:47 - Puma x Saysky
1:06:47 - Canadian Bacon vs. Bacon
1:12:00 - Shoe talk (Tracksmith Eliot Racer)

A good collab is a great thing, and the all-new Puma x Saysky footwear and apparel collection hits all the right spots. We head up to Puma HQ in Boston to check out the collection and sit down for a podcast discussion with Saysky founder Lars C. Pedersen, as well as Puma designers and product line managers. Get the background on how it all came together, what went into the designs, and how much teamwork it takes to get a collaboration off the ground and into your hands.
The Puma x Saysky collection features three key footwear silhouettes (ForeveRun Nitro 2, Deviate Nitro 3 and Deviate Nitro Elite 3), as well as a full range of men's and women's apparel. It launches globally on March 13 at 11:00 AM CET, and will be available to purchase on PUMA.com, SAYSKY.com, in PUMA Flagship stores and in select retailers across the globe.

It's a sign of the times that we ended up talking about the Tokyo Marathon, but first– we cover all the food topics we can with cockroach milk, Wendy's Thin Mint Frostys, Hop Water, and maybe some watermelon sugar (sounds like a great flavor of LMNT). Then we tie it all together with the Puma ForeverRun Nitro 2, a very comfortable and bouncy stability shoe, with just the right amount of support.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

LMNT
The LMNT Sample Pack includes 8 of our drink mix flavors. This is the perfect offer for anyone who wants either to find their favorite LMNT flavor, or to share LMNT with a friend.Get your LMNT sample pack here ➡ https://www.drinklmnt.com/thedrop

We've made a huge mistake and gave Karl a dedicated microphone. Robbe's taken aback by his golden voice, but the show goes on with a recap of our visit to Puma headquarters, overview on the Hoka Clifton 10, first thoughts on the Norda 005, and Thomas's recap of a raucous weekend with Taylor, head of the BITR Dirt Division.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

LAGOON PILLOWS

Stop being tired, get better sleep with Lagoon Pillows. We use them every night, you should too. Use discount code BELIEVE for 15% off your first order: https://www.lagoonsleep.com/believe

SOAR

We've partnered with SOAR to offer one lucky listener a SOAR Race Vest and Marathon Shorts to update their racing wardrobe. Simply sign up to receive SOAR email offers and news and one runner will be chosen at random and notified after 28/02/2025. Enter to win:https://www.soarrunning.com/en-us/blogs/news/believe-in-the-run-x-soar

LMNT

The LMNT Sample Pack includes 8 of our drink mix flavors. This is the perfect offer for anyone who wants either to find their favorite LMNT flavor, or to share LMNT with a friend.Get your LMNT sample pack here ➡ https://www.drinklmnt.com/thedrop

INDEX

00:00 Intro

1:08 - Garfield & Friends

3:57 - Lagoon Pillows

6:00 - Boston Puma Trip

6:58 - Cheesecake Factory gift card

46:34 - Tattoos

49:49 - A Weekend in Baltimore with Taylor

1:07:30 - Shoe talk

So many things happening in running right now, and not enough time to talk about them all. So we'll make sure to cover the rest. From Barcelona to BU to Blue from Old School, we keep you on the front lines of all the things you need to know, including Severance recaps and Starbucks rebrands. We also talk about the Diadora Gara Carbon 2, which we're pretty sure is just the Diadora Gara Carbon 1, but hey– it's still a great shoe.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
SOAR
We've partnered with SOAR to offer one lucky listener a SOAR Race Vest and Marathon Shorts to update their racing wardrobe. Simply sign up to receive SOAR email offers and news and one runner will be chosen at random and notified after 28/02/2025.

Enter to win https://www.soarrunning.com/en-us/blogs/news/believe-in-the-run-x-soar
LMNT
The LMNT Sample Pack includes 8 of our drink mix flavors. This is the perfect offer for anyone who wants either to find their favorite LMNT flavor, or to share LMNT with a friend.

Get your LMNT sample pack here ➡ https://www.drinklmnt.com/thedrop

Some of our favorite episodes are the conversations with the people behind the shoes. Richard Kuchinsky is a running shoe designer and founder of the Directive Collective Design Studios. He's worked with a number of brands over the years, seeking to combine aesthetics with performance in the best way possible. Hope you enjoy this conversation with Thomas about shoe design, trends, and everything behind what you wear on your feet.
Follow Richard: https://www.instagram.com/rkuchinsky/
Follow Directive Collective: https://www.instagram.com/directivecollective/