"Before my transformation journey began, I was very depressed. I had major self-worth and self-esteem issues. I was a smoker, I drank very heavily almost every day, I had no energy, I was burnt out, I was angry, and I could barely bend over to tie my shoes. I felt like I was a shell of a person. I truly didn’t recognize the person I had become, and it was really heartbreaking. I was looking for love and comfort in all the wrong ways, I didn’t know how to communicate my needs or what was bothering me and used food to cope. In 2017, I weighed 256 pounds at 26."

Those are the words of Chloe Campos as told to Women's Health Magazine. Today, Chloe is a runner, kickboxer, and inspiration to many who follow her journey via social media. We're so happy our friend Chloe joins us this week to share more about her 5-year journey and her goals for what's next. Plus, Chloe's story provides a great avenue for exploring and answering many questions facing new and newly rededicated runners.

Follow Chloe: @fitgirl_felicity

Phil and Travis both raced in the past few weeks, so we're taking you through those experiences and telling you everything to know if you want to run the New River Marathon or Lilac Bloomsday 12K. Plus, a gear review of Nike's newest half tights, and the highlights and greatest indiscretions of culinary consumption at Greek Fest 2022.

In this episode we’re bringing you the second half of our conversation about the recent publication, “The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An integration of Scientific Literature and Results-Proven Practice.” Last time we discussed the key conclusions. Now, we’ll pick up with specific training methods and training intensities addressed in the paper, more on how you can apply these findings to your running, questions raised for the future of training, and new insights on tapering.

paper referenced: https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00438-7

A new study provides a fascinating synthesis of what lab research tells us produces great runners and what the best runners in the world are doing in practice. We'll discuss the data, how you can apply it, and what questions are raised. But first we recap all the exciting Boston Marathon action!

paper referenced: https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00438-7

Friend of the Show Brad Orr joins us this week and details his training, mindset, racing, and remarkable victory at the uber tough Georgia Death Race in his first trail ultramarathon. Plus, it's Boston week! Enjoy Patriot's Day!

Zach Barker joins us for a discussion about how Maurten's revolutionary sports fuel has transformed marathon nutrition, his quest for the Olympic Trials Marathon, and the upcoming Boston Marathon. Maurten will be the official on-course nutrition at Boston this year, so Zach gives us a sneak peak at what you can expect on Patriot's Day!

For 9 miles -- from the Newton Hills to the finish line in Boston’s Back Bay -- at the 1982 Boston Marathon, Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar raced in near perfect concert under the searing mid-day sun. As competitors melted away behind them and the crowd roared deafeningly beside them, Beardsley and Salazar remained so tightly knit that each could feel his opponent’s gasping breath and could measure progress by the proximity of the two wiry shadows marauding the most famous streets in road racing. It was an edge-of-your-seat, back-and-forth drama rarely seen in marathoning. Ultimately, both men ran under 2 hours and 9 minutes -- a first in marathon history and a mark that only 1 American broke in 2021. The taxing heat, relentless surging, and unwillingness of either man to crack earned the 1982 Boston Marathon the well-deserved moniker: “The Duel in the Sun.” As that race’s historic 40th anniversary nears, Dick Beardsley joined us earlier this week on his 66th birthday to recreate the 26.2 mile chase for the laurel wreath. He also shared his riveting personal journey of obstacles, tragedy, redemption, and hope.

Dr. Christina Schultz stops by to share her insights on how plyometrics training can make you a faster runner. Also, we give initial impressions of the Nike Streakfly and Hoka Torrent 2, talk about Grant Fisher continuing to break records, cover results from other big recent races, and discuss Phil's recent half marathon PR.

Michigan State star Morgan Beadlescomb has been on a tear this winter. Building on his top 10 finishes at the outdoor track championships last spring, Olympic Trials in July, and at NCAA cross nationals in the fall, Morgan has torched the boards indoors over the past month. He ran 7 minutes and 43 seconds for 3000 meters at the Millrose Games followed by an NCAA-leading 3:52 mile at the Windy City Invite. That mile was the fastest first sub-4 mile in American history. Now Morgan sets his eyes on championship season. Earlier this week we spent time with Morgan talking about his electrifying recent performances, the quest for a national title, and life as a grad student with an extra year of eligibility post pandemic.

Each of us has a unique response to training. Using Phil's upcoming marathon training block as a case study, we're providing insights into how you can shape numerous variables within your running to best fit your needs. But first we give Phil an early birthday gift, discuss the lightning fast indoor track results from the past week, and share our fast food guilty pleasures.