Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara

It's Chicago Marathon race week, and we are excited to be headed to the Windy City this weekend! Live pod on Friday night. 5K Saturday. Race Sunday. Freshy Fresh incoming after that. So much good stuff so stay glued to our channels (both audio and YouTube).
In this episode, we catch up on some weekend happenings with a little deep-dive into Des's hundred-mile training. She is doing back-to-back long runs like a boss, while simultaneously enduring long, painful sessions on the couch watching San Diego and Detroit sporting heartbreak. Which is more difficult for her? The jury is out, but we will learn more on Chicago weekend where she will do 30 miles (including the marathon) on Sunday and then another long run on Monday!
Kara's been through a proverbial "marathon" on her own via another type of self-inflicted suffering - lasers to the face! Yes, she literally burned her face off, and the fresh skin is just starting to peak through, just in time for being on the call in Chicago. You will have to check the YouTube for early results. She will put her new face to the test in the 5K on Saturday where she is targeting a sub-20 time. Will it make her faster?!?
Finally, for your main course in this episode, they give you two names to watch near the front of the men's and women's fields in Chicago. Vince Mauri and Emma Grace Hurley. Vince came out of nowhere with a 2:05 at Glass City in the spring, and now takes on Chicago as a sponsored athlete, even though he does most of his training on a treadmill at Planet Fitness while balancing a day job. Emma Grace led the way at the World Half Champs for the US women, running 1:06 and now debuts at the marathon distance in Chicago. She seems to have assembled all of the skills that she needs for a great debut, but she still has to run the race. Both runners seem to be taking big swings in this race, and it will be fascinating to see how it goes for them. 
Tune in to the live show recording (posting late Friday or early Saturday) for a more complete breakdown of both fields in advance of Sunday!

Fall marathon season is officially here with the Berlin Marathon this past weekend, and as usual, there is much to discuss.
First, Des and Kara catch up on life's happenings. Des is in Arizona previewing the Javalina course for her upcoming 100-miler. She had a near-miss with a rattlesnake who was taking over a dirt road, and she learned that she is more nimble than she thought. Kara commiserates with her own rattlesnake stories and then shares about a bobcat siting. They talk 100-mile prep, driving instructors and tests (Happy Birthday Colt!), and dance-partying the night away. Who remembers their driving test? Did YOU have to parallel park?
Of course, then they turn the discussion to the Berlin Marathon where Tigst Assefa ran the 3rd fastest time ever, finishing the final miles on a completely torn Achilles tendon. An insane finish. Also insane... the uneven discussion of men's and women's performances as it relates to chasing records. Kara just can't get over the fact that the men are always glorified when they run fast, while the women's performances are always questioned for cheating. As for the men in Berlin, the winner (Adola) ran a 2:02 ;). Meh?
Finally, we finish with a top-5 to close things out in yet another fun episode!

Last week, Des and Kara recorded a bonus episode live from Washington DC, hosted by Pacers Running. The highlight of the episode was re-living the 2012 US Olympic Trails with Julie Culley, co-owner of Pacers. Julie made the 2012 Olympic team after WINNING the 5K at the US Trials in a performance that perhaps has never gotten its due because of the close battle between 3rd and 4th that day. Julie tells her side of the story and gives you some insight into her Olympic experience as a teammate of Des and Kara in London that year. They also chat with Julie about poopgate as someone who is getting into Hyrox herself.
Then, Des and Kara turn to chat about all-things half marathon to prep the audience for the DC Half last weekend. They give their own experiences with the distance, both the love and the hate, and provide some tips to the audience for racing that distance. 
Finally, they finish with an audience Q&A which has amazing questions as always, including questions about frequency of hair washing after running, the funniest thing heard from a fan at a race, tips for someone doing a 100-miler, and more! 
It's a bonus episode - no extra charge ;) - so please enjoy! Thank you again to Pacers Running and to Julie for hosting the podcast in DC!

This past weekend essentially marked the end of track season, punctuated by the Athlos meet in London and the World Road Championships in Copenhagen (where a lot of track athletes finished their season). It was a fun way to cap the track year, and now we turn the page to major marathon season with Berlin and Chicago on deck in the coming weeks! 
Before we discuss this episode, here are two podcast notes for your planning purposes:
Chicago live pod tickets will go on sale THIS Thursday (9/24) at 10 am CST. The Chicago live podcast will be on the Friday night of race weekend. The ticketing link will post at this link: https://events.brooksrunning.com/26chicagohyperionhouse. The show will sell out FAST so plan accordingly!
We will have a bonus podcast release this Friday (9/25) from the Live Nobody Asked Us in DC last week. Mark your listening (or viewing) calendars for the bonus episode. It was a fun one as always. 
In this episode, Des and Kara recap Athlos and the World Road Champs, covering all of the highlights including the impressive US results in Copenhagen. They give their reactions on the formats for both and have some feedback for Athlos in particular as it continues to find its place in the sport.
Unfortunately, they must also cover Nike's negligence in an extremely sad and concerning incident at a Nike Track Camp where a female athlete was allegedly raped. The response from Nike officials and representatives, based on the lawsuit's allegations, were completely unacceptable, and both the company and those in charge should be held accountable. Des and Kara discuss their reactions and also raise bigger questions about protecting young athletes in the NIL era.
On a lighter note, they share some fun catch-up time early on, give an update on the Hyrox poop-incident, and congratulate Jessie Diggins on her 100-mile WIN within the top 5.
As always, NAU is a must-listen in the middle of your week!

You know it's going to be a good one, when the episode starts with Kara and Des beat-boxing and dancing to a Jock Jams anthem. Call us Netflix or Spotify...
Des brings a book recommendation to the table for the history buffs, and Kara catches us up on her rainy trip to Stamford, Connecticut to call the Ultimate World Champs. 
Speaking of rain, the clouds exploded in New Jersey where a half marathon should have been canceled due to rain and floods (but continued anyway). And at a Hyrox event in China, there was another type of explosion that should have resulted in a pause to the event or a DNF for the athlete involved (but didn't). Des and Kara give their *explosive* takes on both before turning to recap the action from the Great North Run and the Ultimate World Champs.
How did Clayton Young do in his prep race for Chicago? Plus, did the Ultimate World Champs live up to the hype? Spoiler alert: it mostly did! Des and Kara break down the pros and cons of the new format and then give you their takes on the major action, both from the track and the mixed zone.
Now with the Ultimate World Champs a success, they talk about what might be improved for next time before finishing with a top 5. Take your bathroom break before you listen and then settle in for another good one with Des and Kara!