Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara

"Haters gonna hate... potaters gonna potate." - Kara Goucher This and other "wisdom" in this new episode. Des and Kara recap an exciting World Indoor meet in Glasgow where the US brought home a truckload of middle distance and distance medals including 4 in the 1500m alone. Kara was on the call and offers some behind-the-scenes insight, plus they give their thoughts on implications for the outdoor season. Then, they discuss results from the Tokyo Marathon including Kipchoge's disappointing 10th place. Should he be chosen for the Kenyan marathon team for Paris? What would Des and Kara do (WWDKD)? Tragically, the Kenya team will also be without one its biggest stars in Kelvin Kiptum who passed away from a car accident on February 11th. Des and Kara share why it took a little bit for them to talk about this very sad news. Finally, the discussion turns to elite contracts as they try to demystify them for you as listeners, sharing the good, bad, and ugly from their experiences. We hope you enjoy this one, and if you don't, then you can just go potate...

Calling all track nerds to reach in and grab a topic of your choosing. From indoor racing to Olympic standards and field sizes to the new long jump rules, there is something in here for any track nerd (or aspiring track nerd) in your life. We think track is fun, but even if you don't, there is STILL plenty of fun to be had. Kara accidentally shares her high school crush in Freudian slip #1 of the episode (hint: think basketball not running), and Des shares her thoughts about who might really be in charge at USATF with Freudian slip #2 of the episode. Plus, they cover this study on sports bras that might have you reaching for a looser one, regardless of how huge your.... rib cage... might be. Stay for the end for a new twist on the top 5, where this time they share their top 5 pet peeves (both literally and figuratively). Happy Des and Kara Tuesday everyone!

Des and Kara got the message. You like it when they are a little bit tipsy... ok, maybe a lot tipsy. In this episode, you will learn that they questioned whether or not to post the last one because of the drinks involved. (Editor's note: you're welcome.) You will also learn what happened at the bar after they finished recording (hint: D, d's, and DD's). Then in this redux on Orlando, you get their additional, sober takes on the races. And, don't worry... there are a few, semi-unhinged moments in this one too. They talk about Jessica McClain potentially catching Dakotah, play armchair QB on Zach's aggressive strategy, cover what made the men's finish so bizarre, and provide insight into the challenges of the heat, balancing preparation, and choosing a race strategy. Plus, they give their reaction on one (terrible) idea for changing the selection process. Bonus content inside: Des's drive back to Michigan with an interesting overnight stop. Kara's next goal. New Balance Indoor Games. A huge whereabouts suspension. The best (?) top 5 ever!

The most important thing for you to know about this episode was that it was recorded on the patio of a bar at 7:46 pm on the night of the Olympic Marathon Trials with (multiple) beers in hand. The result is uncut podcast and YouTube gold from two women with front row seats to all of the day's action. While you will worry in a few moments whether or not they can keep it on the rails, you might be simultaneously happy and disappointed that they mostly do, giving you great insight into both races. Listen, watch, enjoy. Congrats to Fiona, Emily, Dakotah, Conner, Clayton, Lenny, and all who had the opportunity to toe the line. You made us proud!

Des and Kara have two very special guests join this episode to talk about what it's like to play the sidekick role for an Olympic Trials race. Mr. Des Linden (aka Ryan) and Mr. Kara Goucher (aka Adam) break it all down and talk about what it's like to support in training, what it's like on the sidelines, and then how to manage the aftermath in victory and defeat. There's lots of interesting intel in this one including which Mister is the stress-eater of the two, who is chill vs. a *little* more high-strung, why Des may never retire (hint: dirty dishes might be involved), and who might be crying vs. napping as their version of support! Listen until the end for a crazy @drinkolipop top 5 and for the scoop about an upcoming and very-very-soon, special-edition episode.

Apollo 13 may have had a problem, but the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon DOES NOT. What a freaking amazing race with so many implications for the Olympic Marathon Trials! Des was on the call in the booth, and Kara was following along from home. In this episode, they recap it all, discussing the men's and women's races for both distances. This race had a little bit of everything with a smokin' time from a late entrant, a new American record in the half, the first L in history for Father Time, plus a number of Olympic qualifying ramifications. Houston is flat and fast, and the race always delivers. Des and Kara also discuss why an athlete might choose to do a race like this in the build-up to the Trials and what it might mean (or not) for their preparation. Plus, we get an update on Des's training and why she chose to be in the booth vs. on the start line for this one. Stay until the end for the first-ever Olipop top 5 with a juicy, double teaser from Kara about fun things to come. Pop an Olipop and enjoy!

New year, new season... Des and Kara are back for more in 2024! This is a fun one with the perfect mix of behind-the-scenes intel and the usual off-the-rails banter for which these two are known. Since no one else is talking about it yet, Des and Kara start the year with an episode to get you hyped about the competition at the upcoming US Marathon Trials. Plus, you get answers to these pressing questions... Are objects in the camera really as large as they appear or is Des's face just tiny either way? What's Des's resolution for 2024 and how is she already trying to circumvent it with Kara as an accomplice? How are the marathon trials different from other races? Is the course preview trip worth it or not? Who made Kara think "f**k" to herself in the 2016 Trials in LA? What's it like making the podium vs. getting the dreaded 4th place spot? Why is this the deepest women's field ever? What race strategy tips does Des have for the men? February 3rd can't get here soon enough... To get tickets for the live recording in Boston on April 12th, go here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35123/production/1187187?performanceId=11403872

It's been an amazing first year for the Nobody Asked Us Podcast with Des and Kara... 27 episodes, nearly 1 million downloads, 2 new friends and 1 sassy intro song. Are Des and Kara close friends now because of the pod or in spite of it? I think we know the answer, but this final episode of 2023 will confirm it. In this episode, they give you a peak back at the highlights of 2023 and a tiny glimpse into what's in store for 2024. Topics include Colt's results at the National Junior Olympics in XC, a book tour recap, favorite races of 2023, Hassan vs. Obiri in a kick finish at a marathon, air-conditioning in Paris, and of course, famous body parts. They end this one with a year-end top 5 to close out 2023 for the podcast. I think we can all agree that our lives and our internet search history will never be the same thanks to Nobody Asked Us.

A very special guest joins the podcast this week as Mary Kate Shea sits in with Des and Kara. Mary Kate (aka MK) is the Director of Professional Athletes and Technical Support for the Boston Athletic Association (aka the BAA) and personal friend of Des. Before giving details on the episode itself, it'll be important for you, if you haven't already, to find the viral video that Kara mentions at the start of the podcast. It may or may not be posted on Kara's social media and will show you the proper way to exit a party. The legend of Des Linden only keeps growing... From there, the episode takes a bunch of twists and turns starting with a proper discussion of the merits of cross country as an Olympic sport and then shifting to everything you never thought you needed to know about recruiting elites to the Boston Marathon and the rules and regs of elite bottle support. Seriously, the process behind fueling elites on-course in the major marathons is surprisingly fascinating. You will never watch a marathon in the same way again. You will also learn that MK is awesome and that we couldn't possibly have a better person curating the Boston elite field for us. Thanks to MK for joining the podcast and for hosting Des on her trip to watch the most boring football game ever played!

No horses were harmed in the making of this episode. This one starts off innocently enough with Des providing details of her recent trip to Japan, including the recovery tool she rediscovered on the journey that has surely been abandoned again by now. Kara gives an update on her challenges with a recent dystonia flare-up that caused a bad fall while running. In true Des and Kara fashion, that topic leads to a fun and funny discussion of the new Olympic sports coming for 2024 and 2028 (hello break dancing!) and Des's secret Winter Olympic aspirations. Then, the conversation turns a bit spicy as they express frustration over the ongoing back and forth about the start time for the Olympic Marathon Trials and Max Siegel's new contract extension as the CEO of USATF. Plus, they welcome Malcolm Gladwell to the old-curmudgeon club for his not-so-hot take on shoe tech. We are sure that he didn't ask, but we know that everybody wants to know... Editor's note: this episode was recorded before the final decision by USATF to move the start time for the Olympic Marathon Trials to 10:00 am.

Just a few hours after the conclusion of the elite races, Des and Kara jumped on the mics to recap all of the action at the TCS NYC Marathon on Sunday. To call this episode "pure fire" would be a gross understatement AND STILL perhaps the best possible teaser words for it. They spend the most time on the women's race, one that Kara calls "the best race of the year," breaking down the cat-and-mouse games that extended well into the race. This includes their perspectives on the strategies of Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle to take the lead at various points, knowing full well that Obiri and Gidey were going to stay patient until a final, blazing-fast push to the finish. As a bonus, you get some early predictions for the women's marathon in Paris. Then, they cover the men's race too, but not before hearing about Des's death-defying trip to the marathon start line in Staten Island, where she and counterpart-on-the-lead-motos Galen Rupp, were the very last to cross the bridge before it closed. Des was in rare form on this episode - fresh off the marathon broadcast, still jet-lagged from Japan, hopped-up on champagne, beer, and coffee, and oh so ready to stoke any available fire. Kara just can't seem to contain her... or walk away. You have to stay all the way to the end for the biggest conflagration (and genuinely not a bad sponsorship idea for the US Marathon Trials). Enjoy!

What's better? Sex or two Nobody Asked Us episodes in 4 days?!? It's a trick question because the correct answer is listening to this new episode while munching on a Nerds rope. This episode starts by going a little off the rails but quickly gets back on track as Kara leads Des through a conversation about her record-setting weekend. There's also bonus coverage of Kara's 5K race on Saturday and her successful spectating duties on Sunday. You will hear about the controversial KitKat at the press conference, pancakes in a wine room, Rivers on his best behavior, the athlete who held up the elite bus, Des doing math in the final miles, and her mindset from start to finish line with just 12 seconds to spare. Plus at the end, Kara and Des react to the mind-blowing performances at the front of the race and give you breaking news about the NYC Marathon. Are you ready for this?!? We aren't sure, but here goes nothing...

Des and Kara kicked off marathon weekend in Chicago with a live episode from Fleet Feet Chicago. They talk about their marathon routines and strategies for pre-race prep, in-race execution, and of course, the post-race party. Come for the usual, inspirational tips on marathoning, stay for the random tangents about Ted Bundy, a murder on Valentine's day (and the connection to Des's house), running in handcuffs, and tattoos on your face. You never know where these episodes will lead... Des and Kara also wanted to send a special thank you to Fleet Feet Chicago and Altra for hosting the event in Chicago, and of course, to TCS for sponsoring the podcast.

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.

Swifties and track nerds rise up! Fans of the Notorious B.I.G too. Oh, and lovers of puppies and those with July birthdays... this episode is for all of you! Kara recaps her experience at the Taylor Swift concert in Minneapolis. Des talks about her challenges reading the big "E" without glasses and trying to decide on the perfect puppy name. Then, they give you an event by event breakdown of the US Track Championships coming up at the end of this week (July 6th to July 9th). The intrepid among you will listen to the end and then participate in their prediction contest on the YouTube channel. To enter, pop over there, subscribe, and then drop a comment with the 6 winners across the 1500m-5000m-10000m events plus the winning time for the women's 10K for your chance to win a yet-to-be-named, amazing prize. You have until July 6th at 5 pm PST to enter!

In this episode, Des and Kara pay tribute to their support teams. As an athlete, you can't do it alone. It takes a village... you need agents, sponsors, coaches, family, medical providers, pacers, teammates, and, for Des and Kara, their husbands too. In this one, we learn the helpful and a little bit of the not so helpful from each member of the teams that helped make them champions. Plus, we learn that Des and Kara might secretly be pursuing careers to support the next generation in different ways. Which is more likely to be a coach? Agent? Or, paid cheer squad? Listen to find out!

Listeners keep saying that the title is wrong, that everyone asked Des and Kara to start a podcast. That may or may not be true, but one thing that is definitely true: USATF and World Athletics didn't ask for this episode. They won't be listening even if they should. In it, Des and Kara talk about the state of the sport and how to draw in more fans. From small crowds and missing stars at the recent LA Grand Prix to confusing Olympic Qualifying standards and the highly inflated USATF CEO salary, they talk in depth about the challenges for the sport and then give ideas for growing it. As a bonus, you get their live reaction to learning of Faith Kipyegon's new 1500m world record and a classic Kara "rant" at the end that you won't want to miss. Someone put these two in charge!

You might think that two marathoners and a decathlete have nothing in common, and well, you'd be wrong. There's broadcasting, photo shoots, national teams, doggos, track 1500s, and eventually marathons too(?). On this episode, 2 x World Champion and Olympic silver medalist Trey Hardee joins his future marathon coaches for a wide-ranging conversation that covers the ups/downs of his career, the mental side of his 10-event sport, and the very difficult transition to retirement from track and field. Trey opens up about his struggles with mental health that nearly spiraled out of control for him while calling the US Championships last summer. There are intense moments in this one, but it is a really fun episode too. Thank you to Trey for being so open and honest about it all.

This episode has a little something for everyone. Des and Kara start by swapping medical war stories including the backstory behind Des's recent hand injury. Spoiler alert: She nearly lost her thumb in a boating accident but is going to be ok! Then, they jump into recaps of Boston and London where you get their takes on Emma Bates, Hellen Obiri, Sifan Hassan, Conner Mantz, Scott Fauble, Eliud Kipchoge, and so much more. Plus, you hear how Des felt about her race in Boston. At the end, Des and Kara give you a little insight into the life of an elite athlete starting with how both handled downtime after a marathon and then how they transitioned back into full training. It's clear that the rapport between these two is building so you don't want to miss this one!

In this episode, you hear the audio from Des and Kara's live episode recorded in Boston at the Brooks Hyperion House. In this conversation, Des and Kara announce the new presenting sponsor for the podcast - TCS Global - and then dig into stories from their book tours and from their long histories with the Boston Marathon. Fun anecdotes include Des telling us about the moment she knew she had arrived as an athlete in Boston. Spoiler alert: there was a security guard, a table, and dancing involved. Plus, Kara shares a poignant story from her first time watching the Olympic Trials from the sideline in 2020 and the emotion of it all. Listen in for those two stories and so much more. Thank you to everyone who came out to support Des and Kara in Boston for this first live taping!

In this episode, Des and Kara take you behind the scenes at the Olympics. Both Des and Kara have raced there twice. They share what it was like achieving their lifelong dreams and then living it out under all of the pressure of the Games. Spoiler alert: it's not all rainbows and unicorns. You will hear about the "Big O" camp, pictures with the President, the dining hall at the Olympic village, the infamous condom bowl, swapping podium gear with a medalist, the post-Games letdown, and so much more. Go back to Beijing, London, and Rio with Des and Kara!

In this episode, Kara interviews Des on her new book Choosing to Run: A Memoir. The book tells the story of Des's 2018 Boston Marathon victory, woven together beautifully with the story of her life. In it, she reveals harrowing details about the 9 months prior to the race and how she didn't even know if she would make the start line. You think you know the rest of the story, but you don't. Buy the book, listen to this conversation, and be inspired!

In this episode, Des interviews Kara on her new book The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team. You will have to listen and read to learn more, but Des and Kara talk about several elements of Kara's story including never-before-revealed details about her time with the Nike Oregon Project.

In this episode, Des and Kara give their reactions on the indoor track season including the NB Indoor Grand Prix, Millrose Games, and the US Championships in Albuquerque. They talk about the implications of recent mind-blowing times on the future of the sport, thanks in large part to super-shoe technology coming to the track. Is it good for the sport and will there be a return to an emphasis on pure racing in the near future? Then, they go back in time to talk about the history of super shoes on the roads and their personal experiences during that transition in 2016-2018, including discussions of how marathon-racing is permanently changed. In particular, Des talks about how her training and racing have changed (or not) since wearing the shoes herself and gives tips on how you might use them as well.

What do Celestial Seasonings, fried eggs, and a bird with a backpack all have in common? Find out in this episode where you get to learn about how two introverts - Des and Kara - navigate the world of running celebrity, social media, broadcasting and now podcasting. And if you're an extrovert, they give some tips on how to keep your introverted friends happy and energized. Plus, learn more about the "why" behind each of their upcoming books.

In this episode, Des and Kara welcome their first guest - Lauren Fleshman. Lauren is a 4x individual NCAA champion and 2x US national champion. She placed 7th at the World Championships in the 5000m and is now a NY Times best-selling author. Her book - Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World - is defining and redefining how we think about elevating women in sport. Des, Kara, and Lauren first give you a behind-the-scenes look into the book-writing process as Des and Kara also have books coming out soon. Then, they dive into Lauren's book itself and hit several major topics such as the collegiate diet/food culture, oddly-revealing running uniforms for women, what it's like to be an Olympic alternate (something all 3 women have in common), and much more. 3 giants in the sport of running. You get to be a fly on the wall and listen in.

In this episode, Des and Kara take you behind the scenes in the broadcast booth including how they both got into it and the good, the bad, and the really-freaking-hard about making it behind the mic.

Des and Kara share their hot (or perhaps medium?) takes on current events in the world of marathoning. Hear their opinions on the location of the Olympic Marathon Trials, the US Marathon Champs at CIM, Eliud Kipchoge doing Boston and so much more. Plus, find out if Des plans to run the 2024 Trials to try to make it to Paris. Stick around for the "tips" on goal setting and resolutions at the end.

Once competitors and fellow Olympic teammates, now friends and podcast partners, Kara and Des get to know each other in this first episode. We promise you will learn something new about them both!