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  • Episode 76: Altitude Training, Berlin Marathon Prep & The Backyard Ultra

    Episode 76: Altitude Training, Berlin Marathon Prep & The Backyard Ultra
    2026/09/08
    Anthony and Zach are back for Episode 76 of Endurance State of Mind, and this week the guys sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about marathon training, altitude, ultramarathons, cycling, racing strategy, and the Mississippi endurance community.Anthony is currently in Breckenridge, Colorado, spending time at roughly 9,000 to 10,000 feet of elevation just weeks before the Berlin Marathon. The guys talk about what it actually feels like to train at altitude, including headaches, poor sleep, elevated heart rate, increased effort, and the challenges of trying to maintain normal training while your body is adjusting to less oxygen. They also discuss altitude acclimatization, the idea of “train high, recover low,” and whether hiking and running at elevation can provide useful aerobic benefits for marathon training.With the Berlin Marathon only about 20 days away, Anthony breaks down where he is in his marathon preparation, how he is feeling heading into one of the biggest races on his calendar, and what he is thinking about when it comes to pacing and fueling. The conversation gets into one of the biggest challenges of marathon racing: getting through the first 20 miles with enough energy left to actually race the final 10K. Anthony and Zach discuss the importance of patience early in a marathon, fueling properly, managing effort, and potentially using Berlin as a stepping stone toward the Rocket City Marathon later in the year.The guys also take a detour into professional cycling and the Vuelta a España, talking about Tadej Pogačar’s crash, injuries, racing at the highest level, and the role that luck can play in professional cycling. They discuss how a serious crash can affect a rider mentally even after the physical injuries have healed. Tom Pidcock’s incredible bike-handling skills and aggressive downhill racing also become part of the conversation as Anthony and Zach talk about just how much confidence and technical ability it takes to descend at the highest level of the sport.Back on the running side, Zach talks about his recent 5K race and how strategy and race execution helped him come away with a strong result. Instead of simply focusing on fitness, Zach explains how he approached the race mentally, battled with a younger runner, and used experience and positioning to his advantage. The conversation turns into a larger discussion about racing smart, learning how to compete, and the growing group of young runners coming through the Mississippi running community.One of the biggest topics of the episode is the upcoming inaugural Last Wolf Howling backyard ultra at Petal River Park on November 21, 2026. Anthony and Zach dive deep into what it takes to compete in a backyard ultra, including the traditional 4.167-mile loop, the 36-hour time limit, pacing, nutrition, caffeine, sleep deprivation, and the mental challenge of repeating the same loop hour after hour.The guys discuss the strategy behind running a backyard ultra, including why athletes may want to avoid running too fast early in the race and how the difference between a 45-minute lap and a 55-minute lap can dramatically impact how much recovery and sleep a runner gets. They talk about nighttime strategy, managing fatigue, eating and drinking enough to keep going, and the psychological battle that develops when the race becomes less about raw speed and more about consistency, patience, and the ability to keep showing up every hour.Anthony and Zach also compare backyard ultra performances and discuss athletes such as Mark Dowdle and Phil Gore, looking at the different strategies used by runners attempting incredibly long endurance efforts. The conversation explores why slowing down can sometimes be the key to going farther and how backyard ultras create a completely different type of endurance challenge than a traditional marathon or ultramarathon.The episode also highlights the Mississippi running and endurance community, the importance of local races, and the growth of the sport throughout the state. Anthony and Zach talk about the people who continue to push the local running scene forward and their plans to feature more runners, athletes, and members of the endurance community on future episodes of Endurance State of Mind.They also talk about future podcast guests, including larger names in the endurance world as well as local Mississippi runners and athletes. The guys discuss the challenge of balancing recognizable guests with the stories of everyday runners who are helping grow the sport in their own communities.Whether you are training for a marathon, preparing for an ultramarathon, interested in backyard ultras, getting ready for your next 5K, following professional cycling, or simply enjoy hearing honest conversations about endurance sports, Episode 76 has something for you.In this episode, Anthony and Zach cover:• Altitude training in Breckenridge, Colorado• Training and recovering at 9,000 to 10,000 feet• Altitude ...
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    1 時間 2 分
  • Episode 75: How Brock Kelly Built a Life Around Running and Creating

    Episode 75: How Brock Kelly Built a Life Around Running and Creating
    2026/09/01

    In this episode of Endurance State of Mind, we sit down with Mississippi native, former Mississippi College runner, content creator, and entrepreneur Brock Kelly to talk about his journey from competitive high school and collegiate running to becoming one of the most recognizable running creators in Mississippi.

    Brock takes us all the way back to his introduction to running in Tupelo, Mississippi, his rise through the high school ranks, becoming Mississippi’s Gatorade Runner of the Year, and his time competing at Mississippi College. He also opens up about the pressure of competing at the collegiate level, injuries, learning how to handle failure, and the mental side of endurance sports.

    We dive deep into how Brock first picked up a camera and began documenting his running journey on YouTube, long before running content became what it is today. He shares how early videos, limited equipment, and countless hours of editing eventually led to opportunities with Tinman Elite and a summer in Colorado working alongside some of the biggest names in running.

    Brock also breaks down the story behind The Daily Mile, the Instagram series that exploded after he suffered a stress fracture and began documenting his return to running through swimming, cross-training, and eventually racing again. He talks about why vulnerability and consistency connected with his audience, how creating content became a form of accountability, and what it is like turning your own running journey into something that thousands of people follow.

    We also get into Brock's transition from collegiate track to the marathon, including his first marathon at Grandma's Marathon, the brutal conditions, cramping late in the race, barely qualifying for Boston, and what he learned from the experience.

    Beyond running, Brock talks about creativity, videography, building an audience, brand partnerships, authenticity, and his work with Over Everything Athletics. We discuss what it means to create with intention and how running, storytelling, business, and community can all come together.

    Whether you're a runner, marathoner, content creator, or someone interested in building something from the ground up, this is a conversation packed with lessons about consistency, creativity, failure, injury, ambition, and finding your own path.

    Follow Brock Kelly:
    Instagram: @bkelly5192
    YouTube: The Brock Kelly
    Over Everything Athletics: https://oe.run/pages/thearchives

    In this episode:
    • Brock Kelly's introduction to running in Mississippi
    • High school running and becoming Gatorade Runner of the Year
    • Running at Mississippi College
    • The transition from runner to content creator
    • Learning photography and videography
    • Early YouTube videos and building an audience
    • Tin Man Elite and the Colorado experience
    • Running 100 miles per week
    • Injury, stress fractures, and the creation of The Daily Mile
    • The power of vulnerability and consistency
    • Building a running community through content
    • Transitioning from collegiate track to the marathon
    • Grandma's Marathon and qualifying for Boston
    • Creativity, entrepreneurship, and Over Everything Athletics
    • Staying authentic while working with brands
    • Creating with intention and purpose

    This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in running, endurance sports, marathon training, running content creation, YouTube, Instagram, storytelling, and the mindset behind building a life around the things you love.

    Listen, subscribe, and follow Endurance State of Mind for more conversations with athletes, runners, creators, and people pushing the limits of what is possible.

    https://www.instagram.com/endurance_stateofmind?igsh=cjBnanNobHhhYXNu
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    1 時間 12 分
  • Episode 74: Endurance News, Backyard Ultras, Bigfoot 200 & What’s Next | Endurance State of Mind

    Episode 74: Endurance News, Backyard Ultras, Bigfoot 200 & What’s Next | Endurance State of Mind
    2026/08/25

    Anthony and Zach are back for another episode of Endurance State of Mind, and this time it’s just the two hosts taking a deep dive into everything happening across the endurance sports world. From incredible ultramarathon performances and backyard ultras to cycling, marathon training, upcoming races, and updates from some of the athletes we’ve had on the podcast, there is a lot to talk about.

    The guys start by breaking down Aimee Warnke’s incredible performance at the Bigfoot 200, where she battled deep into the race and ultimately moved into the lead around the 170-mile mark. After previously sharing Aimee’s story on Endurance State of Mind, seeing her return to Bigfoot and put together such an impressive performance makes this one of those endurance stories that is impossible not to follow.

    They also talk about Last Soul Ultra, one of the backyard-style ultras that has Anthony and Zach seriously considering taking on a backyard ultra themselves. The conversation eventually turns to Mark Dowdle, his incredible backyard ultra performances, and the upcoming 2026 Big's Backyard World Team Championship. What makes backyard ultras so fascinating? How far can someone like Mark Dowdle actually go? And what happens when you put some of the best backyard ultra runners in the world together?

    The conversation also covers Phil Gore and Project 168, Leadville 100, and some of the other major endurance events that have captured the attention of runners and fans recently. The guys talk about the growing popularity of following endurance sports from a distance, how social media and live race tracking have changed the way fans experience ultramarathons, and why it feels like there is always another incredible race happening somewhere.

    Cycling gets some attention too, including updates on Grayson Taylor, his recent racing, and the crossover between running and cycling. Anthony and Zach also discuss the differences between the two sports and how racing experience, bike handling, training, and consistency can all play a role when a runner makes the jump into competitive cycling.

    And, of course, there are plenty of Endurance State of Mind life updates. Anthony talks about his upcoming Berlin Marathon, the guys discuss the possibility of finding a local backyard ultra, and they look ahead to what's coming next for both the podcast and their own endurance goals.

    Whether you're into ultramarathons, 200-mile races, backyard ultras, marathon training, trail running, cycling, endurance racing, or simply the stories behind the people who push themselves way past what seems possible, this episode has a little bit of everything.

    In this episode:

    • Aimee Warnke and the Bigfoot 200
    • The incredible world of 200-mile ultramarathons
    • Last Soul Ultra
    • Mark Dowdle and backyard ultras
    • Big's Backyard World Team Championship
    • Phil Gore and Project 168
    • Leadville 100
    • Grayson Taylor and competitive cycling
    • Running vs. cycling and the crossover between the two
    • Anthony's Berlin Marathon preparation
    • Backyard ultra plans and race hunting
    • Updates from previous Endurance State of Mind guests
    • What's happening next for Anthony, Zach, and the podcast

    Endurance State of Mind is a podcast about the people, races, struggles, victories, and completely unreasonable decisions that make endurance sports so addictive. Join Anthony Herrington and Zach Vogt as they talk running, ultramarathons, cycling, marathon training, and everything in between.

    https://www.instagram.com/endurance_stateofmind?igsh=cjBnanNobHhhYXNu
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    1 時間 5 分
  • Episode 73: How to Race the Rocket City Marathon | Pacing, PR, BQ & Course Strategy

    Episode 73: How to Race the Rocket City Marathon | Pacing, PR, BQ & Course Strategy
    2026/08/19
    What does it actually take to race the Rocket City Marathon? Not just finish 26.2 miles, but actually execute a smart marathon from the starting line to the finish?On this episode of Endurance State of Mind, we're heading to Huntsville, Alabama, for the 50th edition of the Rocket City Marathon with Josh Moore, a coach, marathoner, and two-time Rocket City Marathon finisher.This isn't just a Rocket City Marathon course preview. We're talking about how to actually race the course, how to pace yourself, when to be patient, when to start pushing, and what runners chasing a PR, Boston Qualifying time, or sub-three-hour marathon should be thinking about before race day.Josh takes us through the Rocket City Marathon course and shares his experience racing it, including his time pacing the three-hour group during the 2025 race. We break down the opening miles, the residential sections, the Space Center, the Botanical Gardens, the final 10K, and the fast finish toward the Von Braun Center.One of the biggest lessons of the episode is simple: don't try to win the marathon in the first half.The opening miles can feel easy. You're rested, the adrenaline is high, the crowds are around you, and your goal pace can suddenly feel much faster than it should. We talk about why staying disciplined early can make all the difference when you reach miles 20, 22, and beyond.Josh also shares lessons from the 2025 Rocket City Marathon three-hour pace group, including what happens when runners leave a pace group too early, how the race changes in the second half, and why the runners who are patient early can often be the ones still moving late in the race.We get into one of the most practical questions for marathon runners:Do you trust your GPS watch or the official mile markers?We discuss GPS accuracy, certified marathon courses, running tangents, and why runners chasing a specific finishing time should build a little cushion into their goal rather than expecting their watch to perfectly match every official mile marker.That leads to a bigger conversation about marathon pacing strategy.If you're chasing a three-hour marathon, should you run exactly 6:52 pace from start to finish? Or should you give yourself some room for turns, aid stations, crowds, GPS variation, and the reality of running 26.2 miles?We break down how to approach your goal pace without becoming obsessed with the number on your watch.We also talk about the biggest moments on the Rocket City course, including the Space Center, Botanical Gardens, elevation changes, and final miles back toward Huntsville.The final 10K becomes especially important.Instead of spending your energy early, the goal is to arrive at the final 10K with something left. Josh explains why runners shouldn't be afraid to change gears around the 10K-to-go mark and start racing when the course begins to work in their favor.We also discuss a key mental checkpoint late in the race:24.7 miles.Instead of thinking about how much farther you have to go until 26.2, getting to roughly 24.7 miles means you're almost home. The crowds are coming back, the finish is getting closer, and it's time to spend whatever you've been saving.Beyond pacing and course strategy, we get into the practical side of marathon racing.We talk about fueling, hydration, aid stations, warm-ups, clothing, cold-weather racing, and watch data. Josh explains how he uses lap pace and lap time to stay on target instead of constantly chasing the instantaneous pace on his watch.We also look back at the difficult conditions during the 2025 Rocket City Marathon, including cold temperatures and strong winds, and talk about how runners can prepare for unpredictable December weather in Huntsville.If you're running Rocket City, preparation isn't just about the miles.It's about knowing the course, understanding the conditions, having a fueling plan, knowing your goal pace, and being prepared to adjust when race day doesn't go exactly according to plan.We also talk about what makes the Rocket City Marathon such a special race.With nearly 50 years of history, a fast course, strong organization, and a race-day experience designed around the runner, Rocket City has developed a reputation as a race for runners, by runners.From transportation and parking to aid stations, course support, the expo, and the finish inside the Von Braun Center, the goal is to take as much of the logistical stress away from runners as possible.Once you're on the starting line, there's really only one thing left to do:Run.And that's where the conversation gets bigger than Rocket City.We talk about what it means to stand on a marathon starting line with a PR or Boston Qualifying goal after months of training.You've already done the work.You've already completed the long runs. You've already put in the early mornings, the late nights, the sacrifices, and all the miles that brought you to race day.Now it's time to be present and see what that work can produce.We talk about ...
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    1 時間 35 分
  • Episode 72: You Know the Voice, But Do You Know Chris Worden? Behind the Mic and Beyond the Finish Line

    Episode 72: You Know the Voice, But Do You Know Chris Worden? Behind the Mic and Beyond the Finish Line
    2026/08/11
    What makes ultrarunning so compelling? Is it the elite athletes breaking records, the runners fighting through the final miles, or the stories of ordinary people doing something they never knew they could accomplish? On this episode of Endurance State of Mind, we sit down with Chris Worden, one of the most recognizable voices behind the live coverage of some of the biggest races in ultrarunning.Chris has completed more than 170 races and has spent years on both sides of the microphone—as an ultrarunner and as a broadcaster covering some of the most iconic endurance events in the country. Through his work with Mountain Outpost and Aravaipa Running, Chris has had a front-row seat to the evolution of trail running, ultramarathons, and the rapidly growing world of live ultrarunning coverage.From Cocodona 250 and Western States to Hardrock 100, Black Canyon, Javelina, Desert Solstice, and other major trail races, Chris has watched some of the greatest performances in the sport unfold in real time. But what makes his perspective unique is that he isn't only interested in the front of the pack. Chris believes some of the most powerful stories in ultrarunning are happening much farther back.In this episode, we talk about how Chris went from being a runner and former radio broadcaster to becoming one of the voices of modern ultrarunning. He explains how an opportunity to help broadcast Desert Solstice in 2018 ultimately turned into years of covering major ultramarathons and trail races across the country.Chris shares what it is actually like to spend hour after hour behind the microphone covering an ultramarathon, including the preparation, research, storytelling, sleep deprivation, and constant attention required to follow races that can last 24, 48, 60, or even 100+ hours.We also get into what Chris calls "farming for engagement"—his approach to meeting runners before races, walking around race towns, attending expos, talking with competitors, learning their stories, and finding the details that can later bring a live broadcast to life.Because in ultrarunning, everyone has a story.Chris explains why getting to know the runners before the race allows him and his broadcast partners to tell better stories once the race is underway. A runner who may be completely unknown to the audience on Friday can suddenly become one of the people thousands of viewers are cheering for on Saturday.And that leads into one of the biggest themes of this conversation: the importance of covering the back of the pack.The front of an ultramarathon gets the headlines. The records, the podiums, the course records, and the elite athletes naturally attract attention. But Chris believes the runners fighting through the final miles can create just as much—if not more—emotional investment from the audience.We discuss some of the unforgettable moments from Cocodona 250, including the incredible story of Wayne Amo, who came within roughly a minute and a half of the cutoff after covering 250 miles. Chris describes what it was like watching the clock, doing the math, and trying to will Wayne toward the finish line as the entire broadcast team became emotionally invested in the outcome.That story becomes a perfect example of why ultrarunning is different.You may not be able to relate to a professional athlete running a record-setting performance, but you can relate to someone fighting through exhaustion, doubt, pain, and uncertainty just to make it to the finish line.We talk about why those stories matter and why the ultra community has become such an accessible and welcoming part of endurance sports.Chris also shares his thoughts on how ultrarunning has changed over the years. More generous cutoffs, more coaches working with everyday runners, improved race coverage, better production, social media, documentaries, YouTube, and the growing number of people discovering trail running have all helped make the sport more accessible.The conversation also dives into the incredible people working behind the scenes to make live ultramarathon coverage possible.We talk about follow filmers, bike crews, drones, camera operators, and the people running miles and miles alongside athletes just to capture footage for the broadcast. Some of these camera operators are elite-level runners themselves, while others are simply willing to put themselves through an incredible physical effort to tell the story of someone else's race.Chris explains why all of these pieces are necessary to create a live ultramarathon broadcast and why following a runner through difficult terrain for hours can be its own endurance event.From there, we look toward the future.Could ultrarunning eventually have a regular place on ESPN or another major sports network?Chris doesn't necessarily believe full live broadcasts of 100-mile races are the most realistic model for mainstream television, but he sees a real opportunity for an ultrarunning roundup or weekly show that highlights the ...
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    1 時間 4 分
  • Episode 71: Walker Higgins: Badwater 135, Spartathlon, and Six Days in the Dome. The Return of WHOA Racing??

    Episode 71: Walker Higgins: Badwater 135, Spartathlon, and Six Days in the Dome. The Return of WHOA Racing??
    2026/08/04
    Walker Higgins joins Endurance State of Mind for one of our most anticipated episodes yet. If you've spent any time in the ultrarunning or trail running community throughout the Southeast, you've likely heard Walker's name. His resume includes some of the toughest endurance events in the world, including Badwater 135, Spartathlon, expedition racing, multi-day adventure races, elite 100-mile performances, and one of the most remarkable pacing displays we've ever seen at Six Days in the Dome. Beyond his accomplishments as an athlete, Walker has inspired countless runners through coaching, race directing, and creating unforgettable endurance events that have helped shape trail running throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South.In this episode, Walker shares his journey from an adventurous kid growing up in Louisiana to becoming one of the most respected ultrarunners in the region. He talks about the races that changed his life, the mindset required to compete at the highest level, and the lessons he's learned after decades of pushing the limits of human endurance.Walker tells the story of how his very first 5K sparked a competitive fire that never went away. After getting passed late in the race by another runner—and then by someone pushing a stroller—he became determined to see just how far he could take his potential. That single race ultimately led him into adventure racing, expedition racing, ultramarathons, and some of the most demanding endurance competitions on the planet.We spend time exploring Walker's background in expedition racing, where athletes spend multiple days navigating forests, rivers, mountains, and wilderness using mountain biking, kayaking, trekking, climbing, swimming, and running. He explains why those experiences became the perfect foundation for ultrarunning and how they built the mental resilience that continues to define his racing today.The conversation then shifts to Badwater 135, widely considered one of the toughest foot races in the world. Walker discusses what it takes to qualify, why he intentionally built an aggressive racing schedule to strengthen his application, and the valuable lessons he learned after pushing his body to its limits in pursuit of one goal.We also dive into Spartathlon, the legendary 153-mile race from Athens to Sparta, Greece. Walker shares the rich history behind the event, what it's like to follow the ancient route of Pheidippides, run past centuries-old ruins, cross mountains in the middle of the night, and experience one of the most iconic endurance races ever created.One of the most entertaining stories of the episode comes from Walker's own wedding, where a friendly challenge from another ultrarunner convinced him to sign up for his very first 100-mile race. That moment became the catalyst for a career that would eventually take him around the world.One of the biggest highlights of this conversation is Walker's detailed breakdown of his incredible performance at Six Days in the Dome. If you're interested in race execution, pacing strategy, or elite ultrarunning, this section alone is worth the listen.Walker explains:How he maintained nearly identical lap splits for over 100 miles.Why consistency beats speed in long-distance racing.The mental tricks he used to stay focused for nearly fourteen hours.Why bathroom breaks became part of his race strategy.How positive thinking helped him push through some of the hardest moments of his career.What it takes to execute an elite 100-mile performance from start to finish.Throughout the episode, Walker shares practical advice for runners of every level.We discuss:Preparing for your first ultramarathon.Why most runners lose the race before the starting line.The importance of pacing discipline.Training slower to race faster.Nutrition and hydration strategies.Learning to adapt when your race falls apart.The difference between physical fitness and mental toughness.Why consistency always beats shortcuts.Building grit over years—not weeks.Walker also discusses his coaching philosophy and why learning to embrace discomfort during training often becomes the difference between success and disappointment on race day. Rather than chasing instant results, he encourages athletes to become comfortable with patience, consistency, and long-term development.Anthony and Zach also share their own experiences with endurance sports, pacing mistakes, visualization techniques, caffeine strategies, and the mental battles that occur deep into ultramarathons.One of the biggest announcements of the episode comes in the second half:WHOA Racing is back.Walker officially shares the return of WHOA Racing, the Louisiana race organization known for creating some of the South's most unique endurance events.He discusses:The return of the Cane Field Classic.Plans for bringing back Children of the Cane.The legacy of Beast for a Day.Why he stepped away from race directing.What inspired him to bring these races back.New endurance event ...
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    1 時間 3 分
  • Episode 70: A Navy Engineer's Tour de France Analysis: John Daly on Tadej, Vingegaard, MVDP, and the Data Behind the Numbers

    Episode 70: A Navy Engineer's Tour de France Analysis: John Daly on Tadej, Vingegaard, MVDP, and the Data Behind the Numbers
    2026/07/28
    This week on Endurance State of Mind, we bring on one of the most well rounded athletes and sharpest cycling minds we've had on the show. John Daly. Six foot seven, 250 pound former Citadel football player. 18 year active duty Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer. Deployed across the world with the CBs, including hard tours through Europe and Africa. Powerlifter who has bench pressed 500 pounds on two different continents. Road cyclist. Rower. Peloton dominator turned Gulf Coast Bicycle Club regular. And the guy in our group chat who can actually make sense of what we just watched at the Tour de France.We open with John's journey. From growing up in Marietta, Georgia playing baseball as a right handed first baseman who nobody needed, to earning a football scholarship at The Citadel where he studied civil engineering under a full ride. From working construction and design out of school to joining the Navy in 2007 to build in some of the toughest places on earth. And from powerlifting his way to a 500 pound bench in the 275 pound class to picking up a Peloton bike with his wife in 2017 that quietly rewrote what he thought was possible.John tells us about the moment he realized dominating the Peloton leaderboard was not the same thing as being a road cyclist, buying his first entry level Giant Contend 3 from a shop in Georgia, and finding his community on the Mississippi Gulf Coast under the mentorship of Eddie Holmes and the Gulf Coast Bicycle Club. He talks about deploying with NMCB 133 across Europe and Africa, using sport as a shared language when no other language works, and how a soccer ball or rugby ball can build trust and camaraderie faster than any English speaking classroom ever could.He walks us through his climb of Haleakala in Hawaii, the 10,000 foot stratovolcano that taught him a hard lesson about watts per kilogram when you weigh 250 pounds. The bonk. The nutrition failure. The fact that he had to drive down the first 5,000 feet of descent because he could no longer safely hold the brakes on a six percent grade. And what it means to prepare for one specific day when you do not live on the island where the climb sits.Then he takes us inside his most recent big ride. Seattle to Portland (STP). 206 miles from Husky Stadium to Portland in a single day. Five AM wave, on the road for over 12 hours, on the bus back until midnight, home at 2 AM. 6,400 people signed up. Roughly 10 percent do it in one day. John was one of them.And then we get into the reason a lot of you clicked this episode. The 2025 Tour de France, unpacked from the inside out by someone who actually understands what he is looking at.We dig into Tadej Pogačar's performance on Alpe d'Huez. Seven watts per kilo for 35 minutes. A two and a half minute gap to Sep Kuss, Carapaz, and Lenny Martinez that Tadej closed alone after Adam Yates set him up at the base of the mountain. John explains why he thinks Tadej was fully peaked for that specific stage, why his consistency across the year is the strongest evidence for his physiology being legitimate, and how his relatively heavier build at 68 kilos changes the math on wattage output. He also explains why Tadej climbing that mountain on a Colnago Y1 Rs aerobike matters, and why Chris Froome's high cadence style might not be what works for the current era of climbers.We tackle the doping questions head on. The high altitude alibi and the theory of microdosed EPO hiding under expected altitude bloodwork spikes. Whether the anti doping wake up calls at 2 AM for Jonas Vingegaard and 5 AM for Tadej Pogačar between two of the hardest mountain stages of the tour were necessary, appropriate, or a step too far. Whether Jonas being woken in the middle of the night played a role in his crash on stage 14 that broke his collarbone and ended his tour. And what a real biological passport can and cannot prove.We break down the wide open podium fight for second and third after Jonas went out. Remco Evenepoel. Isaac Del Toro. Paul Seixas. Tom Pidcock. Florian Lipowitz. The Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe two team leader problem. Sep Kuss missing his feed and going over the barrier at speed on the descent (thankfully into the safety net). What the Peloton dynamics look like when the whole race is essentially a Tadej Pogačar exhibition.We get into cutting edge nutrition science. The exogenous lactate gels being tested by Labdafield, Exolactate, Santa Madre, and Innervit. Whether a four percent gain is actually meaningful at the top of the sport, or whether it disappears into the noise of training effect and individual variability. Why ketones seem to have shifted from performance to recovery in the peloton.We close with the Champs Elysees finish that John calls one of the most otherworldly moments in cycling. Matthew van der Poel kicking Tadej Pogačar off his wheel on the Montmartre climb. Tadej holding 700 watts for over a minute just to hang on. MVDP dropping an estimated 1,500 watt sprint (two horsepower) to ...
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    1 時間 15 分
  • Episode 69: Sub 6 in the Swamp: A Big Butts 50K Post Mortem, Josh Kerr's Mile Record, and Tour de France Week 2

    Episode 69: Sub 6 in the Swamp: A Big Butts 50K Post Mortem, Josh Kerr's Mile Record, and Tour de France Week 2
    2026/07/21
    Just the two hosts this week, back behind the mics fresh off Big Butts 50K in the Mississippi summer, with a heat index that touched 106 and a story arc that included a two hour personal best, a survival mode second half, and a whole lot to unpack.We open with the reality of racing an ultra when the sun peaks at 97, the humidity turns the course into a sauna, and the heat advisories keep rolling in. Anthony walks through his day lap by lap. How he set expectations without telling anyone, how he executed nutrition to a T after learning from Mississippi 50, how he lost his entire bottle of carbs and electrolytes in the first half mile of lap four, and how he still hunted down a sub 6 hour finish by sprinting the last two miles at a 190 heart rate with 10 minutes to spare. Two hour PR. Mission accomplished.Zach walks through his own race, including how the humidity hit like a light switch at the start of lap three, how his ice bandana strategy stopped working, and how his core body temperature stayed elevated so long that he registered a low grade fever seven hours after crossing the line. Real talk about what it takes to just get to the finish line in these conditions, and why the Big Butts 100K finish rate this year was four out of seventeen.We give major shoutouts to David Slowick for a podium finish at the 100K, the Delot family, Ward, Jamie, Lacey Saul, and Michael Yarbrough for showing up in that oven. And we talk through Anthony's three bucket framework that made this his best race in years: execution discipline, sleep hygiene, and nutrition.Then we pivot to one of the coolest sporting moments of the year. Josh Kerr broke the mile world record over the weekend. 3:42, taking down Hicham El Guerrouj's 27 year old record. Kerr called his shot months in advance under a project he named Two Two Two (222 seconds to break 3:43). He documented the entire vulnerable journey publicly, showed his prep workouts, and delivered on the biggest stage. We dig into what made it special beyond the number: the courage to call your shot in front of the world, the discipline of showing up every day, and the Steve Magness quote that stopped us both in our tracks. "On the starting line, trying harder is the enemy. You spend years grabbing control, then in the moment that matters most, the skill is letting go of it."Then we head to France for a Tour de France week 2 that flipped the entire race on its head.Tadej Pogačar answered every question people had about whether the field could keep him close. He went from being down 8 minutes on Jonas Vingegaard early to putting up an 11 minute swing on a single stage, opening a lead that already feels insurmountable with a week to go. Then Jonas crashed on stage 14 and broke his collarbone, ending his tour. And a controversy exploded around the anti doping officials waking Jonas at 2 AM and Tadej at 5 AM to test them between two of the most demanding mountain stages of the tour, with the cycling community raising real questions about how that was handled.We break down what a wide open podium fight for second and third looks like now. Remco Evenepoel, Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Tom Pidcock, Florian Lipowitz, and the mess at Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe with two team leaders who clearly do not want to work together. Plus a great Lance Armstrong quote from The Move about Tade being fully aware of the yellow jersey count he could be chasing.And of course we wrap the tour segment with the running Watch Update from the peloton. Pogačar wore his $989,000 Richard Mille. Matthew van der Poel showed up with a $300,000 Richard Mille and a Rolex Daytona. Jasper Philipsen sported a $60,000 AP. Quinn Simmons in a Tudor Black Bay flying the American flag. And Ben O'Connor in a Cartier Santos.We close with a huge shoutout to Sierra Morris, host of the Shattered Runner Podcast, who absolutely shattered her goals at the Vermont 100 this weekend after publicly documenting her mental and physical training. Both Anthony and Zach will be appearing on her show soon.If you love endurance sports, PR stories, world records, cycling drama, or just watching normal people do genuinely hard things in horrible conditions, this one is for you.EPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome. Fresh off Big Butts 50K. 01:05 Heat index of 106 in Jackson, Mississippi. The AAR from weather.com. 02:00 Only 4 of 17 finished the Big Butts 100K. 04:45 Anthony's expectations coming into year two of Big Butts. 06:00 Nailing nutrition and heart rate management. 07:30 Lap one and two overconfidence. 08:00 The two hour PR and sub 6 finish. 09:20 Losing the bottle of carbs and electrolytes at the start of lap four. 12:15 The sprint to the finish at 190 heart rate. 15:00 Zach's survival lap and the humidity light switch. 17:30 Ice bandanas, core body temperature, and a post race low grade fever. 20:00 Shoutout to David Slowick and the 100K podium. 22:30 Anthony's three bucket framework: execution discipline, sleep hygiene, nutrition....
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