Work, Play, Love with Lauren Fleshman and Jesse Thomas

Lauren's got an exciting announcement about a new partnership and Jesse's got updates about his knee (is it an injury? Is it something else??), the Picky Bars Co-exist campaign, and the all-new Picky Bars AmBADASSador program. Jesse and Lauren also answer questions about what to do when your partner is super focused on competing, how to get motivated and stay active when you don't have a coach, and how to handle "retirement" as an avid runner. Plus, they offer a ton of practical advice about strength training exercises, running cadence, working on your strengths vs. weaknesses, and more.

Lauren are Jesse are BACK with allllll the 2020 vibes to answer your questions about the balance of work, play, and love. But first?! Rewind. Back in November, the New York Times published an op-ed by pro runner Mary Cain about the culture of body shaming and abuse in Nike's (now defunct) elite running group, Project Oregon. Lauren and Jesse dedicated an entire episode (WPL 63) to discussing the article, as well as issues of eating disorders, RED-S, and body shaming that are all-too commonly experienced by athletes. In this episode, Lauren and Jesse answer follow up questions about Cain's story, and talk about how you can cultivate a culture of balance, health, and positivity for yourself and your communities.

Advocating for yourself and your well-being can be challenging and intimidating—especially in the workplace, with family, or in a competitive team environment. And for many of us, setting boundaries isn't the most well-honed skill. Lauren and Jesse answer questions about asking a coach for more support, how to not feel like a pushover in the workplace, and what boundaries you can model for your kids around time spent with devices and technology. Plus, Lauren shares her experience growing up with alcoholism in her family, and she and Jesse talk about a recent relationship "discussion."

The holiday season is in full swing and your favorite Work, Play, Love hosts are going bananas with packed schedules for Picky Bars, sport, and family. And, no. The use of "bananas" is not a food pun. Lauren and Jesse catch up after not seeing each other for a bit and then dive into your WPL questions. They talk meditation and visualization, training while sick, and sponsorships. Plus, Lauren and Jesse go deep on developing a healthy relationship with food and body image, how to deal with a sibling taking over the title of "runner of the family," fitting music into your busy life, and much more.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, Jesse and Lauren settle in for a late-night edition of Work, Play, Love. Around the holidays, everyone's thinking about family, food, exercise, and work, and Lauren and Jesse answer your hard-hitting questions. Things like, what's their favorite Thanksgiving food? And why are age-groupers peeing on the bike during triathlons? Plus, the Work, Play, Love duo talk about gift ideas for young athletes, how to fit in exercise in an already packed schedule, when to have kids, and how to work with a partner who has wildly different reactions to some situations than you do.

Sometimes it can take a long time (like Long-with-a-capital-"L" Long time) to achieve a goal. You might train to run a marathon for years, but persistent injuries and the balance of work, play, and love may keep you from your goal performances. It's those experiences, though, that can prepare you for best races, relationships and achievements. Lauren shares the story behind her recent New York Times Op-Ed, I Changed My Body For Sport, No Girl Should, and explains how her decades of experience as a student, and then professional female athlete informed the article. Jesse and Lauren also get their gobble on for some meat and potatoes questions about improving marathon performance, finding love, avoiding burnout while pursuing your career, and what Picky Bars success looks like to them.

Last week, the athletic community was shaken by Mary Cain's op-ed in the New York Times, I Was The Fastest Girl In America, Until I Joined Nike. The article outlined a culture of body shaming and abuse by one of the most elite running teams in the world. Lauren and Jesse discuss the article and how this story illustrates a far too common experience for athletes. They field questions about how you can create a safe and positive environment for athletes as a coach, parent, and teammate; and they offer athletes advice about nutrition and performance, and what to look for in a coach, program, club or team when it comes to your health.

Important links from the show:

Mary Cain's New York Times Op-Ed, I Was The Fastest Girl In America, Until I Joined Nike

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Stacy Sims's Roar

Stacy Sims's TEDx Talk

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

Amelia Boone on RED-S and struggling with anorexia

Jesse Thomas on disordered eating for Triathlete.com

Lauren Fleshman: Dear Younger Me.

Mario Fraioli on his struggles with an eating disorder: The Morning Shakeout, and Podium Runner.

Fatigue, burnout, and feeling overwhelmed. That's what can happen when you overdo it. It's not too far off of how you feel when you…underdo it? Jesse and Lauren reply to a marathoner who may be over-training. They talk about the controversial (and maybe over-engineered) Nike Vaporfly shoes that helped achieve a 2-hour marathon time. They respond to a listener who's worried about her husband's complete lack of exercise. And they talk about how to not overdo it at work. Plus, the Work Play Love duo shares the origins of the Flat Bruce, offer advice about tempo workouts, and more.

After a wild week away, it's only fitting that Jesse and Lauren sit down for a rapid-fire episode filled with your tasty bite questions. The Work Play Love duo covers some "fun" workouts to try when you're injured and relegated to the pool, they talk about how to introduce yourself when you've got a crush, they offer advice about using caffeinated gels on long runs, and they give a peek behind the scenes into the Picky Bars test kitchens. Plus, listeners write in to follow up about traveling with kids to triathlons, swimming in groups, and more.

To plan or not to plan? That is the question. Whether you're training to close the gap between you and your competition, or you're hashing out parenting disagreements with your partner, or you're rebuilding your relationship to sport after grieving a loss, making a plan can help you overcome tough obstacles. And sometimes? The plan is to just be present and not have a plan at all! Lauren and Jesse are back from a short hiatus to answer your questions about the intersection of work, sports, and relationships, and they talk about how they're implementing their own plans—or having their plans disrupted (and what they're doing about it).