• 336. Marathon Fueling and Training, The Best Training Shoe of All Time, and New Heat Science!
    Nov 10 2026

    We compressed our vocal cord zones before this great episode! The main topic was a discussion on new data on marathon fueling and training, focusing on NYC Marathon winner Andreas Almgren. It’s a brave new world for performance, with implications for how every athlete thinks about long-term growth.

    And this one was full of amazing topics! Other topics: David’s full clearance to run after surgery, our updated thoughts on elliptical training, extremely high carb in the Ironman record, how we were wrong on the Olympic Trials marathon standards, a study and heat and humidity cross acclimation, wild science on how self-rated heat tolerance may influence response rates, the line between delusion and belief, the best training shoe of all time, and lots more.

    We love you all! Cough cough cough! HUZZAH!

    -David and Megan

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • 335. Jess McClain Sprints to HISTORY at the NYC Marathon! Reactions and Training Theory from A Wild Weekend
    Nov 3 2026

    JESS MCCLAIN 2ND AT THE NYC MARATHON! In an iconic sprint finish! On one level, we are not surprised. But on another level, WTF?!

    Jess is one of our life heroes, and we break down what we have learned from her. 2 years ago, after having a tougher day at NYC, she took a chance on us as coaches. Her belief changed our lives forever. And this weekend, she got to share her kindness and joy and FIRE with the whole world in a way that will be remembered forever!

    Translation: we were extremely excited for this episode. We talk about her 2nd place (the first American on the podium in NYC since Shalane Flanagan in 2018), Rachael Rudel’s win at the Dash to the Finish 5k, what we are learning about training theory, and all of the wild experiences from NYC. Our goal is to bring you into the whole experience, so it can be like you were there!

    In conclusion, WTF?? (I'm talking about the pasta description you won't be able to unhear)

    Thank you all for your support over the years. We love you all!

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    1 hr and 33 mins
  • 334. Running Form and Fatigue Resistance, Bombshell Doping News, Lactate Gel Experimenting, and How Sweat Rate Changes Over Time!
    Oct 26 2026

    We got in trouble at the gym before this great episode! The main topic was a new study tying deteriorating fatigue resistance to increased duty factor (ground contact time). Essentially, the longer the foot stays on the ground after a couple hours of work, the worse the fatigue resistance. That points toward neuromuscular interventions that could improve endurance.

    And this one was full of awesome topics! Other topics: lactate gel experimentation, the major doping bust in road marathoning, menthol gels, our issues with high-carb drink mixes in ultras, how sweat rate varies across an event, a study on deception methods improving performance, steady running the day after long runs, shaving your legs, Strava etiquette, the problems with MAF training, and a big discussion of why we look to training approaches that work for pro female athletes to derive some training theory.

    Welcome to the best episode! Oh, actually that’s supposed to say “vest” episode. We regret the error.

    We love you all! HUZZAH!

    David

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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • 333. Ways That We’ve Been Wrong, The Weirdness of Eccentric Muscle Contraction Adaptation, and The Reproducibility Crisis!
    Oct 20 2026

    We had to clear our search history after this great episode! The main topic was a list of the ways we’ve been wrong in coaching. Examples: fasted training, treadmills, heart rate monitors, squats, and lots more. We use the discussion as a chance to zoom out and make jokes that had to be censored.

    We also talked about a new study on eccentric muscle contractions, which found persistent adaptations for 6+ weeks after a single stimulus. WTF is going on?! There are major implications for how we think about training for all types of events.

    And this one was full of fun topics! Other topics: our curse removal, elliptical training, a follow-up on the ultimate carbs study from last week, the problem of reproducibility of adaptations in exercise science, and lots more.

    We love you all! Huzzah!

    -David and Megan

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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • 332. The Ultimate Carb Study, Chicago Marathon Hot Takes, The Shoe of Destiny, and Elliptical Training!
    Oct 13 2026

    The carbs were flowing for this great episode! The main topic was a new study on carb intake that answered so many open questions about fueling. And in the process, it inadvertently dunked on the low carb studies from last year! Get ready, we have a new all-time favorite study.

    We also talked about the Chicago Marathon, focusing on the American athletes taking big swings at the front. We might love Vinny Mauri even more than we love that carb study.

    And there were tons of more fun topics! Other topics: our new shoe of destiny, the best caffeine gels, a big discussion of advanced training and health in the high-carb era, a pair of carb studies that help explain what we’re seeing in the real world, the low volume base training plan, the Ironman World Champs finish, elliptical training, Chip Kelly and adapting coaching approaches for athlete skills, AI solving math problems, the Taco Bell 50k, Rachael Rudel's breakout season, and lots more.

    We love you all! Huzzah!

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    For training plans, weekly bonus podcasts, heart rate zones, articles, and videos: patreon.com/swap

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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • 331. The Training Episode! 10 Lessons from Pro Road Runners, Vinny Mauri’s Unreal Approach, US 10k Champs, and Zone Compression in Cycling
    Oct 6 2026

    On this episode, we got extremely excited by some of the coolest training theory. So we just ran with it!

    The big discussion was on the 10 lessons we have learned from coaching pro road runners. David took a trip to the US 10k Champs this weekend, where Emily Venters won, Allie Ostrander was 3rd, and Amanda Vestri was 4th. It gave us a lot of fodder to talk about what we’re seeing and hearing behind the scenes of the performance revolution.

    Other topics: new standards for iron deficiency, Vinny Mauri’s wild training for the Chicago Marathon, our excitement for Emma Grace Hurley’s debut, the cycling World Championships, what we can learn from the evolution of cycling theory, and lots more.

    We had so much fun nerding out on this one. Thank you all for being here!

    -David and Megan

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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • 330. Carbs Before Short Efforts, Why Bicarb May Cause Long-Term Adaptations, The Brain-Body Connection, and Strength Work Before Races!
    Sep 29 2026

    We had some deep thoughts on cheese before this great episode! The main topic was a new study on sodium bicarbonate, showing performance benefits in a long, intense protocol. We zoom out to talk about potential connections to mitochondria... in rats (sometimes). Our theory: bicarb is driving some of the performance changes we are seeing via long-term adaptation processes within cells.

    And this one was full of awesome topics! Other topics: Megan’s deep thoughts on the uphill treadmill, the Toe Pro, bicarb pills, the new gear-shifting shoe from Adidas, a study on the brain-strength connection via “mental contraction training,” how hot water immersion and training interact, when to stop strength work before races, what Matt Carpenter would do in the modern era, whether big prize purses will cause more doping in trail running, carb needs before 5k races, fatigue resistance from life, bicarb lotions, and process v. results mindsets in racing.

    The big PSA from this episode: be careful with your search history. Also, feel free to use our example for a convenient excuse. It will make more sense soon.

    We love you all! Huzzah!

    -David and Megan

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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • 329. Why You May Not Need Much Intensity, Running Economy v. Power, The Biggest Prize Purse in Trail Running, and Training and Longevity!
    Sep 22 2026

    We grunted our way through the day before this great episode! The main training topic was a new study on the dose-response curve for intensity, finding that only 11 minutes led to 80% of the benefits. We zoom out to talk about how training theory can shift away from the goal of accumulation of intensity.

    That study connected to another finding that just 12 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity correlated with major longevity improvements. There are a million confounders for both, but there may be similar mechanisms at play.

    Other topics: what happens when you throw gels on the floor, the best headphones, grunting as a performance enhancer, Run Rabbit Run’s $100,000 prize purse, active heat training, Keely Hodgkinson’s speedsuit, Sydney Sweeney’s ad, a Hyrox follow-up, David’s dumb take of the week, “one more rep” workouts, maladaptations from overtraining, a new study finding that cocoa may enhance fatigue resistance, and questions on start line etiquette, opening gels, breakups, running economy v. power, watch bands, tapers, and lots more.

    We love you all! HUZZAH!

    -David and Megan

    Click "Get 40% Off" button for 40% off at The Feed here: thefeed.com/swap

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    1 hr and 29 mins