Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara Des Linden and Kara Goucher

This episode is the runner's equivalent of an all-you-can-eat buffet. There's a little bit of everything, just please go easy on the corn and tomatoes.
Des and Kara start with a recap of the Diamond League Final at the Prefontaine Classic, covering the highlights with behind-the-scenes stories from Kara who was on the call with NBC. They share their favorite moments and try to put some of the mind-blowing results in context. 
Then, they step into a full Chicago Marathon preview starting with the inside scoop on Des's training, key workouts, and her goals for the big day and ending with a breakdown of the elite fields on both sides, including some intel Des has collected on a few of the top American contenders. 
Finally, Kara talks about Colt's middle school cross country season and how she's supporting his interest in the sport as a parent. At the same time, she and Des reflect on their own journeys to fall in love with the sport. Plus, you get plenty of pet and life updates with the Top Five to end the show!
Thank you to TCS for sponsoring this podcast as well as being the technology partner for the Chicago Marathon and the Chicago Marathon app. Download it today to track and support all of your favorite runners on October 8th.

This is Des and Kara at their finest, like listening in on two best friends shooting the s**t about their favorite sport. Yes, the recent World Championships in Budapest is the backdrop for the discussion, but they weave in so much more than just event recaps. Plus, Kara dishes all the behind-the-scenes, broadcasting tea, including the back story behind the now-infamous pic of a shirtless Trey Hardee on Instagram. Who's mad about it? Absolutely no one.
Topics include a race recap from Des on her 20K tune-up in New Haven, fangirling Courtney Dauwalter, pressure as an athlete, "new" media vs. traditional, Athing Mu, Sha'Carri, and so much more. Grab your coffee or go for a run, and listen in!

This is fun one. Recorded a few weeks ago, Des and Kara start with a mini-preview of the World Championships in Budapest, which is even more interesting now that we know the results. Then, they turn to an in-depth discussion of what it's like to be in the drug testing pool as an elite athlete. 
From mixing it up on the ones and twos (and we aren't talking about turntables) to the nuts and bolts of the whereabouts filing system, you get all of the gory details, including their favorite war stories. Des and Kara are huge advocates of clean sport so they view this process as a necessary part of the job, and one that's manageable if you accept it. 
This episode is dedicated to the show's sponsor @tcsglobal and to all of the doping control officers (DCOs) out there doing this not-so-glamorous work for clean sport. May you all get good samples and win the lottery some day.

You can't have a Nobody Asked Us episode without a pet update. In the intro, Des gives in an update on her puppy Rivers, and Kara details the history that led to a Bearded Dragon joining the Goucher household. Hi Margot!
Then, Des and Kara wade into the deep end to discuss recent track and field controversies involving New Gen Track & Field, potential hot weather at the US Marathon Trials in Orlando, and race bibs. Kara finds herself speaking for "The Man" (aka USATF) as Des tries to bring balance to the discussion about heat at the Trials. Who knows what the temps will be in Orlando in February, but we know it was a little frigid in hell on the day this was recorded ;).

No... we aren't talking about petty criticism about pets, but rather pets as the perfect antidote for petty criticism while in the public eye. Des and Kara start by commiserating over what it's like to face public criticism and how it's evolved both pre and post social media. They recap their first memories of being affected by such criticism and talk about their various coping strategies through the years, including the potential satisfaction of watching their follower counts drop after an especially controversial post. Who could possible get mad about a bird with a backpack anyway?!?
Then, they turn their attention to the best possible coping mechanism - time with their pets. Des talks about her two dogs including new puppy Rivers, and Kara shares her love affair with her four pets - two dogs and two cats. If you aren't a pet lover, then this episode might not be for you. Don't be too mad though... not everything has to be about you anyway ;).

This episode begins with Des and Kara commiserating over their hatred for midwestern, summer horse flies, and in true Des fashion, she finds a way to gain inspiration from them. Would you expect anything less from one of the most gritty and tenacious athletes of our time?!? 
Then, your hosts meander through a fun episode discussing the World Championships marathon and how it's different from the Olympics or a World Marathon Major. From field sizes to racing dynamics and the water station setup... they take you behind the scenes. Plus, this includes a discussion of the two of them racing together in the 2009 World Championships in Berlin with a bonus preview of the US marathon team set to line up in Budapest in August.