Back of the Pack Podcast

Kyle Walker
  • 4.9 (53)
  • Running
  • Updated Weekly

Lace up your sneakers, grab your favorite headband, and toe the starting line! The signal has fired and the “Back of the Pack Podcast” is up and running! Are you a fan of running 5k’s just because the finisher medal looks cool? You are not alone there! Join the show that is all about the race swag and running on a Saturday morning to get the most out of your race registration. We will talk about local races in the Kansas City area. We will give you a heads up if you’re wanting to go farther outside the area to run the big races. Host Kyle Walker has fourteen full marathons, over eighty half marathons, and hundreds of 5k’s and 10k's. Take it from us, you are among friends here if you’ve gotten to the finish line to find all the bananas gone!

  1. 2d ago

    A Very Back-of-the-Pack Duathlon

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we recap one of the hardest and strangest endurance weekends of the year: the Argo Half Marathon and Kyle’s first official bike race, Lizard Under the Skillet. First up is Argo, the infamous “finishers only” half marathon on Argo Road, where the hills are rude, the sun is merciless, and the shirt at the end is earned the hard way. With a 9:00 a.m. July start, full sun, 60% humidity, a dew point of 71, and a finishing heat index of 102 degrees, this year’s Argo was even nastier than expected. Kyle walks through the brutal out-and-back course, the repeated trips past the cooler, the lifesaving water stops and misters, the climb up Slaughter Hill, and the final push to earn the fluorescent finisher shirt. Despite the heat, the hills, and the general “why did we do this again?” energy, Kyle finished four minutes faster than last year, proving that even tiny victories on a monstrous course deserve celebration. Then, less than 24 hours later, it was off to Lawrence, Kansas for the Lizard Under the Skillet ride with the Lawrence Bicycle Club and Kyle’s first official bike event. The 31-mile Gecko distance brought country roads, bike etiquette lessons, SAG stops, one very important helmet-wearing rubber duck named Crash, and a whole new appreciation for padded shorts. From scorching hills to sore legs, numb bike-seat regrets, and the realization that Argo followed by a bike race may not be the smartest scheduling choice, this episode is a full weekend of bad ideas that somehow turned into big wins.

    A Very Back-of-the-Pack Duathlon

  2. 6d ago

    Why Are We Like This?: That Sounds Awful, I’m In

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, our July series Why Are We Like This? continues with a look at the endurance decisions that sound terrible on paper but somehow end up on our calendars anyway. With the Argo Half Marathon and its 2,900 feet of elevation waiting on Saturday, followed by the Lizard Under the Skillet 31-mile bike race and an Evanescence concert on Sunday, this episode asks why runners, cyclists, and endurance people keep signing up for things that sound more like warnings than weekend plans. We talk about why hard courses tempt us, why hills expose our weaknesses, and why a flat course may give us a time, but a brutal course gives us a story. Argo becomes the perfect example of a race where effort matters more than pace, walking hills is smart instead of shameful, and simply finishing can be the real victory. We also dive into the Bad Decision Hall of Fame: signing up before checking elevation, stacking races, chasing medals, falling for peer pressure, and pretending a bike race after a hilly half marathon counts as recovery. This episode also gets into the fine line between brave and dumb, especially when heat, hydration, fatigue, elevation, and recovery are all part of the equation. There is plenty of humor here, but also a real reminder that challenge should stretch us, not wreck us. And as Kyle steps into the biking world as a beginner, we talk about how humbling it can be to start something new again after years of experience in running. Why are we like this? Because sometimes a bad decision with a bib number reminds us exactly what we are made of.

    Why Are We Like This?: That Sounds Awful, I’m In

  3. Jul 6

    A Very Back-of-the-Pack Fourth

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we recap a busy Fourth of July weekend full of fireworks, frantic huskies, Patreon gratitude, race reviews, and questionable scheduling decisions. Kyle starts by thanking new Patreon supporters and talking honestly about how listener support, social media interaction, and community engagement help keep the podcast moving forward. From there, we head to Clinton, Missouri for the Old Glory Days 5K, a small-town Friday night race attached to a much bigger Fourth of July festival full of carnival rides, food, music, fireworks, and classic small-town America energy. The course may have ended up short due to a misplaced turnaround volunteer, but the race still delivered hills, humidity, a beautiful evening atmosphere, a great medal, and one unforgettable trail of pre-race funnel cake regret. After a quick turnaround, it was back to Kansas City for the Ward Parkway 4 on the 4th, where heat, humidity, patriotic outfits, familiar Rock the Parkway roads, and a much-improved medal made for a solid holiday morning race. Kyle also talks about managing overheating on course, including the surprisingly helpful trick of holding ice in the left hand during the final mile. The weekend wrapped with a bike ride that became Kyle’s longest adult ride so far, right up until a blown back tire led to the dreaded biker walk of shame. And with Summer Argo and Kyle’s first official bike race waiting next weekend, this episode is part race recap, part warning label, and part evidence that runners will sign up for almost anything if enough friends are doing it.

    A Very Back-of-the-Pack Fourth

  4. Jul 3

    Why Are We Like This?: Holiday Race Edition

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we kick off our July series, Why Are We Like This?, by asking why runners insist on turning holiday weekends into race weekends. With the Fourth of July upon us, we look at the wonderfully weird tradition of waking up early, dressing in red, white, and blue, charging the Garmin, checking the weather, and voluntarily sweating through a shirt before breakfast. From the Olde Glory Days 5K on July 3rd to Ward Parkway 4 on the Fourth on July 4th, this episode celebrates the strange little joy of patriotic races and holiday start lines. We talk about why holiday races feel different, why they bring out families, walkers, first-timers, costumes, tourists, longtime locals, and plenty of back-of-the-pack party energy. We also dig into the myth of the “just a fun run,” because a festive 5K can still hurt, a 4-mile race can sneak up on us, and heat and humidity do not care how cute the theme is. There’s plenty of talk about patriotic gear, novelty outfits, chafing, sunscreen, hydration, and why racing before the cookout means we still need to recover like adults with at least partial wisdom. More than anything, this episode reminds us that holiday races become traditions because they connect running to real life. They welcome new runners, grow the community, and turn the start line into something bigger than the clock. Why are we like this? Because somewhere between the costumes, the sweat, the family photos, and the finish-line banana, we found a tradition worth keeping.

    Why Are We Like This?: Holiday Race Edition

  5. Jun 29

    June Running: Hot, Humid, and Headed to London

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we are catching up on a very busy June with a stack of race reviews, a heat warning, and one massive personal announcement. We start with the big news: Kyle is officially heading to the 2027 London Marathon, which will complete his original World Marathon Majors journey after Chicago, New York, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, and finally London. From there, we dive into the June race review backlog, beginning with the Heroes 4 Hospice 5K in Overland Park, a meaningful race supporting hospice care and one of the few local 5Ks still skipping finisher medals in favor of keeping the focus on the cause. The next day brought the I Wanna Rock 5K, run on nearly the same course but in the opposite direction after a massive pre-race thunderstorm turned the morning into a soggy, humid rock-and-roll sweat fest. We also revisit the cancelled Clinton Historic Half Marathon, where severe storms and flooding wiped out the final running of the half marathon distance and threw Kyle’s race-count math into chaos. Then we head to Tulsa for the Treat Trot 15K, a last-minute race added during a podcast planning getaway that featured three repetitive out-and-backs, summer heat, a second-place age-group finish, and a glorious post-race Bomb Pop. Finally, we review the Sunglasses Run 10K at Longview Lake, where excessive heat, limited shade, and thick humidity made the new 10K option a true summer sufferfest, even if the medal turned out to be one of the best sunglasses-themed medals yet. This episode is a full June running junk drawer: local races, travel miles, cancelled plans, hot-weather lessons, big goals, and the next step toward London.

    June Running: Hot, Humid, and Headed to London

  6. Jun 26

    Running MythBusters: Stop Buying the Shortcut

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we wrap up our June Running MythBusters series by taking on the gear, gadgets, gimmicks, and shiny little running trinkets we all love to buy, wear, track, trust, and occasionally blame when the wheels fall off. We talk about the myth that the “right” shoe, watch, supplement, sock, vest, belt, or gadget is what magically makes us better runners. Good gear absolutely matters, especially when it comes to shoes that fit correctly and help keep us healthy, but carbon plates do not come with fitness installed. We also dig into running watches and why Garmin, Strava, and all our blinking wrist computers can give us helpful data, but they cannot give us wisdom. From hydration packs at 5Ks to traveling-yard-sale race setups, this episode looks at the difference between being prepared and being overloaded. We also bust through supplement hype, from electrolytes and gels to collagen, magnesium, pickle juice, and whatever the internet goblin is selling this week. Then we talk cotton, compression gear, and why personal preference matters more than pretending one rule works for every runner. Finally, we close the series by reminding everyone that elite runners, influencers, and sponsored athletes live in a different running universe than most of us. Gear can support the runner, but it cannot replace the runner. At the end of the day, the best running tools are still consistency, common sense, listening to our bodies, and doing the work.

    Running MythBusters: Stop Buying the Shortcut

  7. Jun 22

    More Than Miles at Outpacing Melanoma

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we take you with us to the Outpacing Melanoma 5K, where the podcast set up on-site for a morning of racing, conversations, interviews, and community connection. After previously having the race team on the show to talk about the mission behind the event, we had the chance to be there in person, meet the people behind the cause, and hear directly from those impacted by melanoma and skin cancer. Throughout the morning, we spoke with dermatologists, doctors, nurses, survivors, supporters, runners, and families who all brought their own perspective to why this race matters. We also caught up with Jenny from 106.5 The Wolf, the race director, and plenty of runners who were brave enough, curious enough, or just chaotic enough to step up to the microphone. This episode is less of a traditional race review and more of a race-day field trip into the heart of a community fighting for awareness, prevention, treatment, and hope. For runners, the message hits especially close to home, because hours spent training in the sun can come with real risks if we are not taking care of our skin. We talk about the energy of the event, the people who made it meaningful, and the reminder that every start line can carry a bigger purpose than just miles and finish times. Join us as we share the voices, stories, and mission from a powerful morning at the Outpacing Melanoma 5K.

    More Than Miles at Outpacing Melanoma

  8. Jun 19

    Running MythBusters: Race Day Rules That Need Retiring

    This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, our Running MythBusters series continues with a look at race day rules that may need to be retired, or at least loosened up a little. We talk about the classic “nothing new on race day” advice and why it is good guidance, but not a federal law carved into a Garmin screen. From new shoes at Little Rock to mystery fuel at mile 8, gas station burrito chaos, weather adjustments, hats, hydration plans, and Gatorade versus Powerade, this episode reminds us that race day success requires preparation, flexibility, and common sense. We also bust the idea that carb loading means eating everything in sight, because fueling should help the race, not create a pasta-powered disaster with a bib number. Then we get into one of running’s biggest truths: the first mile is a liar, whether it feels amazing, awful, or just plain weird. We also break down why “banking time early” usually leads to paying it back later, why race day adrenaline is only a spark and not a training plan, and why real runners absolutely can and should use aid stations. Most importantly, we talk about how a bad race does not have to ruin the whole day. Sometimes the goal changes mid-race, and success becomes finishing, learning, helping someone else, or simply getting through the ugly miles with a story worth telling.

    Running MythBusters: Race Day Rules That Need Retiring
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4.9
out of 5
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About

Lace up your sneakers, grab your favorite headband, and toe the starting line! The signal has fired and the “Back of the Pack Podcast” is up and running! Are you a fan of running 5k’s just because the finisher medal looks cool? You are not alone there! Join the show that is all about the race swag and running on a Saturday morning to get the most out of your race registration. We will talk about local races in the Kansas City area. We will give you a heads up if you’re wanting to go farther outside the area to run the big races. Host Kyle Walker has fourteen full marathons, over eighty half marathons, and hundreds of 5k’s and 10k's. Take it from us, you are among friends here if you’ve gotten to the finish line to find all the bananas gone!

Information

  • Creator
    Kyle Walker
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    290
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright The Back of the Pack Podcast
  • Show Website
    Back of the Pack Podcast

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