Clayton Young is Utah state champion, NCAA champion, and Olympian. He is a 2:05 marathoner who now has his sights set on even bigger goals. He lives in Provo, Utah, where he trains with coach Ed Eyestone and a crew of elite marathoners chasing dreams together.

Clayton has a big announcement about his upcoming marathon in Chicago. Des and Kara were there to witness it and can now share it with you.

Yes, this episode is about chasing fast times, but it is also a picture into Clayton Young as a human. You will see and hear sides of him that you may not know including his background growing up as the 5th child on a family hobby farm, his amazing partnership with his wife Ashley, the uncertainty of being a young pro, the unique training dynamics of competitors and friends, and so much more. If you weren't a fan of Clayton before, you will be now!

Once you listen to the full audio version, mark your calendars for Saturday (9/5) when Clayton will release more BTS video from Des and Kara's visit to Provo, Utah on his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@_Clayton_Young_

Finally, thank you so much to our presenting sponsor Brooks Running for supporting Clayton and for making this trip to Utah possible.

The gang got together for a rare, in-person episode on a semi-secret trip to a yet-to-be-named location. There are a few hints in the episode if you want to take a guess. That special episode will come out next week, and it is a good one - "fire" as the kids say.

As for this one, it's a good one too as Des and Kara dive into a host of track-nerd topics after their usual catch-up. It's a grab-bag episode, not to be confused with another bag of something that always seems to find Des or Kara.

Kara gives a Jenny Simpson update as she got to see her recently. They dig into the recent Diamond League results from Lausanne and Silesia with special emphasis on the 800m, 1500m, and 5000m. For those events, they ask "where have the east Africans gone?" and give some free advice to Grant Fisher, Ethan Strand, and Hobbs Kessler on what might be best as their next moves. Take it or leave it Grant, Ethan, and Hobbs!

Finally, they preview the Ultimate World Championships (UWC) as invites are being announced, including wild cards for Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500. What will become of this Paris 1500m rematch with a loaded field? And, will the UWC turn out to be the major event that World Athletics billed it to be? So far, it is looking better than expected as the fields come together!

All in all, this is a great episode that covers a lot of ground (including the new half WR for the men). These are always good when Des and Kara record while sharing a beer in person. Enjoy!

This episode is an extra long one as a show of appreciation for our long-time, hard-core listeners like the one and only Jessie Diggins. Yes, she's just like you. She listens to the show too, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome her TO the show!

Of course, we start with some classic Des/Kara catch-up with a side of Eugene-2028, US-Trials reactions. Say what about the 10,000m?!?

Then, we cozy up for a long conversation with THE Jessie MF Diggins. She just happens to to be the most-decorated US XC skier of all time. She is a 4-time Olympian and 4-time Olympic medalist. She's won more World Cup races and titles than we can count, and on the side, she has been on the front line of building the sport in the US, as well as advocating on important topics like climate change and mental health. She is kind of a big deal and really f-ing cool too. Plus now in retirement from her sport, she has switched over to ours and has a big trail 100-miler on deck next month.

Des and Kara trade Olympic, retirement, and trail running stories with her and just generally shoot the s**t in the most inspiring way possible. At just under 2 hours, this one is a must-listen, but be warned, it might make you want to run (or ski) through a brick wall!

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Get your eye and earholes ready for this one! Kara and Des welcome special guest Brandon Miller to the show, thanks to presenting sponsor Brooks Running.

But first, they catch up on Noah Kahan, weekend plans, and books. Kara shares about the Noah Kahan concert in Denver where she balled her eyes out, and then they discuss their latest reads: Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About by Isabel Klee and Famesick from Lena Dunham. They are Olympians and now elite book reviewers whether you like it or not ;).

Then, Brandon joins the show. He's made World Championship and Olympic teams already in the 800m, but this may be his biggest season yet with wins at both the Pre Classic and London Diamond League. He gives us more on his background as a multi-sport athlete, the decision to turn pro, how he connected with Brooks, his relationship with Josh Kerr, and the keys behind his latest success. He is one of the nicest guys on the circuit and is now one of the best in the world in his event.

If you aren't already a Brandon fan, then it's time!

Lever Movement is our additional sponsor for this episode. To get your LEVER Movement system, use this purchase link (bit.ly/4bLI2tG) and code NOBODYASKEDUS for 20% off.

Migrating random topics is the best with Kara and Des, and this episode delivers on that to be sure.

They catch up with talk about Kara embarrassing Colt via the pod, her past as a dancer, a sandpiper update, and a mini-book club on Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden. Kara sometimes has "permission to be cringe," and for better or worse, the sandpipers have been evicted for the summer. Des was doing her best to hide her excitement about that. She also has a new book rec for Kara - Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About by Isebel Klee.

Then, the discussion shifts to an update on Kara's half marathon in NYC, which she won in 1:32 (!), thanks to CB who pulled a "Clayton Young" to let Kara take it. It wasn't without challenges and plenty of twists and turns (literally and figuratively), but she got it done with Carrie to run her longest race with dystonia. Now, it's all about recovery for at least a week before she gets back to running more again. Congrats to Kara on the race!

Finally, they turn to a thorough discussion on the new NCAA eligibility rules which go into effect in the fall of 2027. Meanwhile, the University of Texas just signed a 59 minute half marathoner (corrected time vs. what was mentioned on the pod), who will be a 25-year-old freshman to help stack the deck for their distance team. Is the NCAA just becoming another pro league and what does this mean for the development pipeline for high school graduates? Will the new rules help bring order to it all?

Now, you need to optimize your sleep with a Lagoon pillow. Go take the pillow quiz and get 15% off on your first order at this link: https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/lagoon-the-nobody-asked-us-podcast-from-kara-goucher-and-des-linden. Your sleep will thank you!

I might be on vacation, but Des and Kara are not! Fresh off her birthday, Des opens the show and is ready to roll. They catch up on July birthdays and life before digging into ALL of the angles of the latest controversial topic in track and field - new "rules" on camera angles for track and field telecasts. This is a topic that is not straightforward, and Des and Kara cover all of the nuances of it. I think you will find their discussion both funny and interesting! What do you think of the new guidelines?

Then, they break down some of the key races from USA Champs, spending the most time on the 1500s and 10,000s in particular. It was great to see the events at a new venue in NYC, but was this the right year for a change? All hail Nikki Hiltz and their US title streak! Plus, were the 10K racing styles doing the distance any favors or not? Or maybe it doesn't matter? It was a great year for some fresh faces!

If you want to snag one of the Berlin charity bibs, go to this link: https://www.children.de/bmw-berlin-marathon-english.

There are callers and then there are SHOTcallers. Which are you?

Josh called his shot in the mile. 222! Kara is calling her shot in the half marathon (sort-of), and Des is backing them both up. She predicted that Josh would get the World Record, and now she is predicting that Kara will get her goal.

This episode starts with the "normal" catch-up chat where Kara discusses her half marathon training (!), and Des shares the chaos of Ryan's sailing race. Thankfully, he made it back safely, but it was touch and go there for a moment.

Then, they discuss Kara's experience joining the Flotrack Athlete's Lounge to follow the London DL. She gives some BTS intel and calls out all of the silly haters who love to watch, but then turn into online trolls. She is calling her shot by saying she would go toe-to-toe with any of you and win.

Finally, they dig into all things London Diamond League. Keely v Femke! Brandon Miller! And, yes, of course they break down everything about the mile World Record. Josh called his shot and then controlled every single detail to make it look easy, even though we know it wasn't. He is a master of peaking for a single goal and showed that again here with absolute class. Congrats to Josh, his team, and to Brooks! It was a performance for the ages!

To support the pod and get your LEVER Movement system, use code NOBODYASKEDUS for 20% off here... Purchase link: https://bit.ly/4bLI2tG.

It's an exciting week for our presenting sponsor as Brooks athlete Josh Kerr attempts to run the mile world record at the London Diamond League this weekend. Will he do it? Can anyone spoil the party? Of course, Des and Kara break it all down with predictions.

But first... we have a special gift for those who love good intro banter - a brilliantly-long and smile-inducing intro. Everyone else can go touch grass and then fast forward through the first ~40 minutes. We've got a proper catch-up on summer travels, July birthdays, a mini book club chat on Yesteryear, some good laughs over Kara's Strava demotion, a Des training and sandpiper update, and some unhinged discussion of running neuroses. Can you handle a run that doesn't end in a 1-mile or 0.5 mile increment?!

Now, we all need to lock in and cheer for Josh. Go get it done Josh!

To take advantage of our Ketone-IQ sponsorship, use this link: https://ketone.com/pages/nobody-asked-us.

You will receive 30% off on your subscription order so you can try the new flavors!