Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins record on the last day of August, which emotionally already feels like fall because the bear is back at the Leers'. Eric just came off the Fairgrounds 5K and Mile in Maine.
Discussed in this episode:
– The bear is back and bolder: Same bear, or so the North Boulder neighborhood assumes. Will had had a stiff spicy marg and was deep in a pleasant summer walk vibe. Cell phone camera reveals two beady eyes. They back up. The bear doesn't leave. Neighbor kid in an electric Volkswagen gets flagged down: "Boy, it's a big one."
– Eric's predators in New Hampshire: Bears (less intense than Colorado). Fisher cats (weasel family, mean, would eat a small dog). Great white sharks now coming north as the Atlantic warms — Seacoast New Hampshire and Maine waters are apparently attractive to them now.
– Fairgrounds 5K and Mile, Portland Maine: Horse racing track, approximately 800 meters around.
– Aisha explains that she cannot swim: She is very dense. She goes straight to the bottom like an anchor.
– Marathon training — Eric's update: Something is off in his foot and ankle. He pushed his long run. He is still clean. He is not ready to be coached. He's going to lean heavily on the New York crowd energy and his training partners.
– Banned substances sidebar: Aisha opens up more about the IVF journey in this context — fertility medications that stimulate ovulation are very much on the banned list, and the experience of taking them gives you genuine visceral understanding of why they're banned.
– Dolly Parton passes away at 80: After a brief battle with cancer. Icon, philanthropist, advocate, great all-around human.
– Usain Bolt proposes: Thirteen years, three kids (a daughter and twin sons), and during his fortieth birthday celebration, he finally put a ring on it.
– Mondo's latest music: "Location" slaps
– The robots: Lightning and friends. They can sprint but cannot stop — they run full speed into the padded wall at the finish line and become a dust cloud of metal.
– Zurich Diamond League — two world records in the hurdles: Alison Dos Santos, 45.80 — men's 400 hurdles WR + Masai Russell, 12.09 — women's 100 hurdles WR
– Cole Hocker gets his first Diamond League victory: Classic Cole race. On the rail. Gets a bit boxed. Refuses to leave. The lane opens on the inside, Cole passes through, wins.
– Femke Bol's training paces — the internet discourse: Preet interviewed Femke and she shared her training paces. Long runs at 5:30 per kilometer (8:51 mile pace). Threshold at 4:30 per kilometer (7:14 mile pace).
– Women's 800m at Zurich: Audrey Werro 1:53.70 — third fastest performance ever. Femke Bol 1:54.71 personal best. Georgia Hunter-Bell 1:55 season's best.
– Parker Wolfe wins the Zurich 3000m for second fastest 3K ever by an American: Graham Blanks immediately behind him for the American 1-2. Over Cam Myers, who was probably the pre-race favorite. Parker Wolfe just has it. He's a winner.
– PSA — ATHLOS New York is cancelled
☎ Voicemails: Jack from Dublin asks what's the craziest thing you've seen at a start line; Lucy from Philadelphia shares her experience from four weeks on a murder trial; Katie and Emily from Vermont asked about favorite high school cross country memories; someone else calls with a competitor-turned-friend question
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