300. A Shocking Disgrace at the US Half Marathon Champs and What Needs To Happen Next, Learning From Elite Cycling Training, and Optimism Science!

Okay, so we're going to start with the big story in running.

This was on the New York Times this morning.

It's the story that is dominating the news, as it should, which is yesterday at the Atlanta Half Marathon, their USATF was hosting the US Half Marathon Championships.

This race is a big deal, not just for whoever becomes the national champion or finishes on the podium, but also it selects for the US team at the World Championships.

And most significantly, perhaps, is if you know the status of running contracts.

It's $20,000 to the winner, plus massive bonuses from shoe companies, plus PR bonuses, plus rollover bonuses the following year.

So we're talking life-changing amounts of money are on the line with this type of race being run appropriately.

Honestly, when you put it all together, kind of like a down payment on a small house.

Depends on where you live in the country.

Maybe not Silicon Valley, but in places.

That's the amount of money we're talking about.

This is not like trail running where you're in it for a

cougar.

I think actually Broken Arrow has quite a large...

And even beyond that,

this

is just what running's about for these athletes.

Their entire life goes around it.

And so first we'll describe the unfortunate situation and then the extremely disgraceful response to it.

So, um, it's a very hilly course.

It has almost a thousand feet of elevation gain and Jess McLean came in ready to race.

So, you know, coach Jess for a long time now, maybe like the best person I've ever met outside of you, Megan.

And you knew it.

You're like, Jess is crushing right now on training to the point that we talked about this on our Patreon episode on Friday.

And I'm like, what are you doing? Get your ass to Atlanta.