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  • Miles with Meaning: Running Through the Struggle

    Miles with Meaning: Running Through the Struggle
    2025/06/27
    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we wrap up our Mental Health Awareness Month series with an episode rooted in resilience, reflection, and finding your “why.” After exploring men’s mental health, women’s mental load, and the emotional weight of recovery, we’re ending with a motivational reminder that running is often born from struggle—and becomes a powerful tool for purpose. Host Kyle Walker shares personal stories of comeback and reinvention, revealing how movement became more than therapy—it became identity. Whether you're running from something, toward something, or simply trying to keep it together one mile at a time, this episode will remind you that you're not alone. From heartbreak to heart health, Kyle explores how the slowest steps often lead to the deepest growth. No medals required—just meaning. This is the one to play when you need to remember why you started in the first place.
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    42 分
  • Behind the Mic with Behind the Bib

    Behind the Mic with Behind the Bib
    2025/06/23
    While Kyle is out of town, The Back of the Pack Podcast welcomes a first-time guest host to the mic—Lisa Watkins from the Behind the Bib podcast! Broadcasting from Huntsville, Alabama, Lisa brings a fresh voice and Southern perspective to this week’s episode. She shares her personal running journey, what inspired her to launch Behind the Bib, and how her show highlights races throughout the Southeast. Lisa also gives us a deep dive into the Rainsville Freedom Run 10K & 5K, known as “The Best Small Race in America.” Now in its 17th year, this event may be set in a small town, but Lisa promises it delivers big race energy. She also gives northern runners a glimpse into what it’s like running in Alabama weather this time of year. Whether you're tuning in from Kansas or the Deep South, this episode celebrates running communities of all sizes.
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    47 分
  • Benched, Broken, and Building Back

    Benched, Broken, and Building Back
    2025/06/20
    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we tackle the quieter, tougher side of the comeback: recovery. Whether you're healing from injury, surgery, burnout, or a personal storm, the mental game can be the real mountain to climb. Kyle opens up about his own recovery journey after two open-heart surgeries and explores how running—and not running—affects our identity, confidence, and hope. From lost pace to rediscovered purpose, this episode is for anyone who's had to start over, slow down, or sit on the sidelines wondering if they'd ever feel like themselves again. Recovery isn’t just about getting back on your feet—it’s about finding your footing in a whole new way.
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    41 分
  • Running Through Soup: Humidity, Heat & Race Day Reviews

    Running Through Soup: Humidity, Heat & Race Day Reviews
    2025/06/16
    Week one of ultramarathon training is in the books—and it was a sweaty one! In this episode, we kick things off by checking in on how training is feeling so far, especially as the summer heat settles in. Then we dive into two weekend race recaps, starting with Saturday’s Fighting Fentanyl 5K in Shawnee, KS—a meaningful event with a powerful cause. Sunday brought the Village Shalom Father’s Day 10K, where the course was fast, but the humidity was faster. Let’s just say… it wasn’t my finest race performance. We close out the episode by talking about how humidity messes with your running—from elevated heart rate to that feeling of running through soup. If you struggled in this weekend’s weather, you’re not alone. Lace up and tune in for some honest race reflections, training talk, and weather wisdom from the back of the pack.
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    40 分
  • The Invisible Finish Line: Motherhood, Mental Health, and Miles

    The Invisible Finish Line: Motherhood, Mental Health, and Miles
    2025/06/13
    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we’re flipping the script and handing the mic to the women. Kyle is joined by special guest Hillary Burgess—a San Antonio-based runner, influencer, wife, and mom of two—who opens up about the wild mental marathon of motherhood, burnout, body image, and invisible labor. From emotional load to lacing up, we dive into how running offers not just endorphins, but escape routes. Hillary gets real about mom guilt, the pressures of social media, and why sometimes the strongest thing you can do is admit you're struggling. It’s heartfelt, it’s honest, and yes—there may be some laughter!. Whether you’re a runner, a parent, or just trying to keep it together, this one’s for every woman carrying more than miles on her back.
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    51 分
  • Running Through the Storm: St. Louis Strong with The Happy Pace

    Running Through the Storm: St. Louis Strong with The Happy Pace
    2025/06/09
    While host Kyle is out of town, we're thrilled to welcome Gretchen and Elaine from "The Happy Pace Podcast" out of St. Louis as our guest hosts! These incredible women have mastered something that frankly boggles our minds – they record their entire podcast while actually running. That's a level of multitasking that would have Kyle gasping for air and forgetting his own name by mile two. In this episode, Gretchen and Elaine are joined by Eric Strand, a fellow runner who just conquered Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Eric brings his post-marathon wisdom and stories from the North Shore, and you can check out more of his running adventures on his YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/fV5WXgMovDA?si=EZvmWq_Vy4qAE8_6.

    Unfortunately, our St. Louis friends have been dealing with more than just training miles lately. Recent tornado activity has devastated parts of their beloved running routes, including the park where The Happy Pace Podcast typically records their on-the-run episodes. Despite these challenges, Gretchen and Elaine continue to embody the resilience and positive spirit that makes the running community so special. How You Can Help St. Louis Recovery Efforts: The tornado damage has impacted not just running trails, but entire communities. If you'd like to help with recovery efforts, here are two ways to make a difference:
    • General St. Louis Disaster Relief: https://www.stlvolunteer.org/disaster
    • Forest Park Recovery (including running trails): https://www.forestparkforever.org/tornado-recovery?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKrmPtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABp2ZJ4Aof6y8KNM1I8_0Rz3chykinlevaVaEOxyPmDLQ42VLDpZEJWJN_pyp8_aem_ZynP-fP7esfHJrra7jkMPA
    The running community has always been about supporting each other through both miles and challenges – this is a perfect opportunity to show that Back of the Pack spirit extends far beyond race finish lines.
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    43 分
  • Man Up or Speak Up: Running Through Men's Mental Health

    Man Up or Speak Up: Running Through Men's Mental Health
    2025/06/06
    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we launch our June Mental Health Awareness Month series with the most personal episode Kyle has ever recorded. In an unfiltered, no-interview format, Kyle opens up about his 15-year journey through mental health struggles stemming from divorce, single parenting, two open-heart surgeries, and the complex layers of modern masculinity that often leave men suffering in silence. Drawing from CDC statistics showing men die by suicide four times more often than women, Kyle explores the cultural conditioning that teaches men to "man up" instead of speak up, and how phrases like "don't cry" and "handle it" create dangerous emotional isolation. Through deeply personal stories about divorce, co-parenting challenges, his heart condition, and the overwhelming pressure of carrying it all quietly, Kyle demonstrates how life's compounding stressors can break even the strongest men. But this isn't just about the struggle – it's about survival through movement. Kyle reveals how running became his lifeline when words failed, offering structure in chaos, serving as meditation in motion, and providing the one safe space where a grown man could process pain without explanation or judgment. From his work with Team Fidelis supporting veteran suicide prevention to finding community in the back-of-the-pack philosophy, this episode proves that while running doesn't fix everything, it can give you strength when you have nothing left and remind you that moving forward – no matter how slowly – is always better than standing still.
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    38 分
  • Conquering Hospital Hill: Race Review, Milestone Celebration, and Air Quality Awareness

    Conquering Hospital Hill: Race Review, Milestone Celebration, and Air Quality Awareness
    2025/06/02
    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we dive deep into the 52nd running of the legendary Hospital Hill Half Marathon in Kansas City, Missouri – Kyle's ninth time tackling this challenging course that's been testing runners for over five decades. From the notorious hills that give this race its name to the unique atmosphere that makes it a Kansas City tradition, we break down every aspect of this iconic event and what keeps runners coming back year after year. We then shift gears to celebrate an incredible milestone as we honor our running buddy Dan's achievement of completing his 200th half marathon – a testament to consistency, dedication, and the pure love of the 13.1-mile distance. The episode wraps up with an important discussion about the unexpected challenge Mother Nature threw at runners across the Midwest this weekend: wildfire smoke from Canada that created hazardous air quality conditions affecting everything from the Hospital Hill Half Marathon to the Fargo Marathon. We explore how these increasingly common environmental factors impact race day decisions, runner safety, and performance, providing essential information every endurance athlete needs to understand about training and racing when air quality becomes a concern. Whether you're a Hospital Hill veteran, inspired by incredible milestone achievements, or concerned about environmental impacts on running, this episode covers the full spectrum of our weekend racing reality.
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    25 分