For all tents & purposes - it’s a birthday episode! Luckily, Carolyn and Michelle have an appropriate age gap now, so they can continue to be friends. We talk about peaking (in regards to aging and training), the cliché-ness of not feeling older in your 30s, running faster as you age, and how Carolyn decided bingo at a wine bar was the right birthday move (watch out, she’s taking on elders in the church next).We cover traveling drama (trauma, perhaps?), being sore, gas station mishaps, and WHO IS DANIEL ADLER??? Show yourself?! Also, why do 5k races end a tad early sometimes? Straight Strava jail, unless you run through the finish at top speed to hit 3.11 (IYKYK).Chili’s influencing strategy is locked in, and we may be opening a restaurant called the Bear & the Boar (maybe). Watch to see who Carolyn randomly gets a present from mid-episode!

Today we start with learning about cogs (well Carolyn talks about them and also other bike-related things), influencing, and we get the anticipated paragliding recap.

And then, with a lot of random pivots, including adult spelling bees, ef/marry/kill The Office edition, narcissistic snakes on a run, and running at threshold pace, we dive into the 'What the Helly' questions you gave us!!

These include what we do with old running shoes, the pool bandaid community (jail), using the bathroom during a race, social vs. solo workouts, see-through bibs, and running in the heat.

Shout out to being all in on something when someone matches your exact enthusiasm level.

Every podcast should start with a wholesome electric scooter wave moment w/ the retirement home community, in our humble opinions.

We’re talking about everything from the UV index to low iron struggles.

Michelle’s hamstring (or is it a tendon?) is still whispering in her ear (same level as a whisper of marshmallow), and yes, we’re still blaming Botox.

Carolyn does more cardio than Michelle’s brain can contemplate. We chat about miles ran per week, professionally sleeping, and somehow everything goes back to someone having a PhD.

Carolyn shares insights from her latest blood panel (ferritin, estrogen, inflammation…), and we talk openly about birth control and fainting in a Harley-Davidson.

Plus:

• SD Tri race recap: third out of the water!
• Thoughts on race starts, Olympic tri fueling, and peeing logistics
• Post-race In-N-Out fries (are they superior?)
• Upcoming summer vacations, small pepperonis being elite, and surprise parties are difficult when you can’t lie very well