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This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we open Season 5 with the full story of Garmin Kansas City Marathon weekend and a race experience unlike any Kyle has had before. After two packed days at the Union Station expo meeting runners from around the country, race morning arrived with nearly perfect fall weather and one very specific assignment: serve as the official sweeper for the full marathon. Instead of chasing a personal time, the goal was simple: stay behind the final marathoners, keep an eye on every blue bib, and help as many runners as possible make it safely to the finish line. Along the way, we break down the Kansas City course, from the early hills and downtown landmarks to the brutal second half where the marathon begins asking some very serious questions. As the miles pile up, Kyle begins collecting runners who are dealing with cramps, exhaustion, undertraining, pain, and the creeping doubt that maybe this just is not going to be their day. What follows becomes less of a race review and more of a story about six runners who simply refused to stop moving forward, even when nearly every part of their bodies was telling them otherwise. With incredible support from the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and more than seven hours on the course, the final group eventually reaches the finish line and earns every inch of those marathon medals. This is a celebration of Kansas City, the back of the pack, the people who fight for every final mile, and why sometimes the most meaningful marathon finish is not the one you run for yourself.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast: Second Wind, we continue our Nobody Tells You This series with a lesson runners usually discover only after enough finish lines: our fastest race and our best race are not always the same thing. We dig into why finish time tells only part of the story and why smart pacing, adapting to conditions, overcoming problems, fueling well, and simply executing the day we were given can sometimes matter more than a PR. From brutal weather and difficult courses to comeback races and days when Plan A disappears almost immediately, a slower clock can still represent some of our strongest racing. We also talk about the races where we help another runner, support a meaningful cause, return from injury, or simply allow ourselves to enjoy the experience instead of staring at our watch for every mile. Sometimes the races that stay with us forever are not the ones sitting at the top of the spreadsheet, but the ones filled with people, places, challenges, and moments that a finishing time could never measure. We break down the difference between performance races, training races, experience races, comeback races, and support races, because knowing why we are standing at the start line keeps us from grading the wrong exam afterward. The clock absolutely still matters when time is the goal, but it is only one definition of success, and we can be disappointed with a result while still being proud of how we raced. Fast is great, PRs are great, but the best race is ultimately the one that succeeds at what that particular race was supposed to be.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we are catching up on a busy couple of weeks with the Oktoberfest 10K, the Run for Paws 5K, and a very different kind of endurance adventure at the Octoginta Bike Ride. Kyle starts by wrapping up the Heartland 30K Series with one of his strongest 10K performances in quite a while, finishing Oktoberfest with his fourth-fastest 10K time ever and, more importantly, a run that simply felt good. From there, it is on to the Run for Paws 5K, where a race that looked small on paper suddenly exploded in participation and Kyle decided to see just how close he could get to the very optimistic 5K prediction his Garmin had handed him. Then Sunday takes us to Lawrence for Octoginta, where the original goal of completing a metric century quickly starts unraveling thanks to limited bike training, a poorly fitted borrowed bike, heat, wind, and an upcoming marathon that made pushing too far a questionable idea. But the day takes an unexpected turn when Kyle comes across an older cyclist who crashes hard on a steep hill and needs help getting back on his feet, getting his bike working again, and eventually finding his way back toward the finish. What follows becomes less about mileage and more about what it actually means to help someone when doing the right thing changes your own plans. Kyle reflects on the frustration that briefly crept in, the realization that kindness loses something when it comes with resentment, and why sometimes the race you thought you were there to complete is not actually the most important thing happening that day. We close by looking ahead to a huge hometown weekend at the Garmin Kansas City Marathon, where the podcast will be at the expo and Kyle will take on a very different responsibility as the official marathon sweeper.

In this week’s Second Wind, we continue our Nobody Tells You This series with a lesson every runner eventually learns: the race may officially begin at the starting line, but our race-day experience starts several days earlier. We talk about why the final 48 to 72 hours are not the time to squeeze in more fitness, but instead to protect the training we have already built through recovery, preparation, and a little good old-fashioned restraint. From banking sleep and staying consistently hydrated to eating familiar foods and avoiding the legendary pre-race carb-loading feast that leaves our stomach waving a white flag, the boring decisions really do matter. We dig into the golden rule of nothing new on race weekend, including shoes, socks, nutrition, hydration products, and whatever miracle concoction somebody with impressive calves is handing out at the expo. Traveling adds another layer, so we also talk about expo fatigue, sightseeing, long drives and flights, unfamiliar hotel rooms, and why a destination race can accidentally turn into a ten-mile walking tour before we ever reach the start line. Race-morning logistics matter too, from knowing where to park and when to leave to charging the watch, laying out our gear, planning breakfast, and developing a bathroom strategy before 300 other runners have the exact same idea. We also tackle pacing, race goals, nerves, and the importance of making those decisions before adrenaline, a pace sign, or somebody dressed as Batman convinces us to throw months of planning out the window. Training gets us physically ready, but preparation gives that fitness a chance to show up, because the race begins at the gun while race day starts days before.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, Eric Fritz and Rhonda Hayden return to the show as we officially begin the countdown to December’s Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama. With race weekend now just a couple of months away, registrations are climbing, the course is locked in, volunteers are being recruited, and preparations are underway for what could become the biggest Rocket City Marathon weekend yet. We get an inside look at an expanded expo featuring new Rocket City merchandise, Podcast Alley, interactive vendors, and even a little vendor bingo before turning our attention to what runners can expect on race morning. Eric and Rhonda explain the unique setup of the full marathon and back-half marathon, the warm indoor staging area at the Von Braun Center, pacer groups, and an important change coming to the early-start program after this year. We also spend plenty of time talking about the back of the pack, including how Rocket City handles sweepers, course support, and the runners who may need a little extra time and encouragement to reach that finish line. Then we get to the fun stuff: medals, shirts, Hat Trick swag, finisher gifts, and plans to make the indoor finish at the Von Braun Center even more memorable for the marathon’s 50th anniversary. There is also some major news for the event with PNC Bank joining as title sponsor, plus a look at how race weekend will once again support the pediatric department at Huntsville Hospital, this year helping toward a pediatric-specific ambulance. From running through Huntsville’s Christmas-lit Tinsel Trail to the growing Back of the Pack team making the trip south, this episode is our final big preview before we finally meet Eric and Rhonda in person and launch into Rocket City race weekend.

We’re kicking off our October Second Wind series, Nobody Tells You This, with one of the most frustrating truths in running: fitness does not improve in a perfectly straight line. We talk about why one bad run, ugly race, or sluggish week does not automatically mean all our training has disappeared, because fitness and that day’s performance are not the same thing. We break down the other pieces that can affect what shows up on race day, including fatigue, sleep, weather, stress, nutrition, travel, course conditions, and plain old day-to-day variation. We also look at why training can temporarily hide the fitness we are building, how plateaus can still contain real progress, and why improvement sometimes shows up as better recovery, stronger finishes, smarter fueling, or easier effort instead of another PR. Of course, modern runners have watches, apps, readiness scores, VO₂ max estimates, heart-rate data, and enough numbers to turn every morning into a tiny performance review, so we talk about using that information for trends without letting it run the whole show. We dig into the danger of panic training, the fear that a few missed workouts erase months of work, and why training plans should be treated as maps we can adapt rather than contracts we must obey perfectly. Most importantly, we make the case for zooming out, judging progress over weeks and months instead of one miserable Tuesday, and remembering that race results are snapshots rather than report cards on our entire running lives. Fitness isn’t a staircase, it’s a messy trend, and sometimes the progress is happening long before the clock finally shows it.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we start with a few updates from around the World Marathon Majors before getting to the race that was supposed to happen but never did. Kyle was scheduled to run the St. Joseph Half Marathon, but cold and flu symptoms made the decision for him and resulted in the dreaded DNS: Did Not Start. That missed start line becomes the jumping-off point for an honest conversation about one of the questions runners are notoriously bad at answering: When are you actually too sick to run? We break down the difference between a mild cold and a more systemic illness, the familiar “neck check,” and the symptoms that should make you seriously reconsider lacing up at all. We also look at why an easy jog and racing a half marathon are two completely different demands on a body already trying to recover. Then we get into the runner bargaining process, from “it’s probably allergies” all the way to “but I already paid for the race,” plus the part we sometimes forget: showing up sick can affect everyone packed into the corral with us. Kyle also talks about easing back into running after illness and why one missed week or one missed race is far better than turning a short sickness into a much longer problem. Sometimes the smartest running decision is the one where the shoes stay in the closet, the race bib stays unused, and the chicken noodle soup gets the start instead.

In this week’s Second Wind, we wrap up The Ultra Curious by finally asking the question all this September learning has been building toward: if we’re actually going to try an ultramarathon, how do we choose the right one? We look at why distance alone tells us almost nothing about the true difficulty of an ultra, and why terrain, elevation, course format, weather, cutoffs, and aid-station support can completely change the experience. We break down the jump from marathon to 50K, 50 miles, 100K, and beyond, while making the case that a first ultra does not need to be a sufferfest just to “count.” From crushed gravel and rail trails to technical mountain courses, we talk about choosing terrain we can actually train for and why course-specific preparation matters so much. We also dig into loop courses, out-and-backs, point-to-point events, timed races, cutoff rules, required gear, weather, and the kind of race support that can make a first ultra much more manageable. Just as important, we ask whether the race actually excites us, because training is a whole lot easier when the challenge means something beyond simply sounding impressive. Along the way, we lay out the red flags and green flags to watch for before hitting REGISTER and remind ourselves that success can mean learning, adapting, finishing healthy, or even discovering that ultrarunning simply isn’t our thing. After a month of learning the culture, understanding the game, rethinking our pacing, and figuring out how to choose the challenge, The Ultra Curious comes to a close with one final idea: pick the race that fits the runner we are today, then go find out what lies beyond 26.2.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we are recapping a two-race weekend with the Kansas City Zoo Run 4 Miler and the Woodstock 10K. The Zoo Run brought nearly 90-degree heat, narrow zoo paths, plenty of congestion, and a unique course through one of Kansas City’s most recognizable attractions. The next morning, Woodstock delivered cooler temperatures but a 68-degree dew point and 93% humidity, proving once again that “cooler” does not always mean “comfortable.” Both races were well organized, both had plenty to like, and both left Kyle disappointed with his own performance. So after the race reviews, we turn toward something every runner eventually has to deal with: what happens when an entire race weekend just doesn’t go the way you expected? We look at the difference between excuses and legitimate factors, the things runners can actually control, and why one or two bad races do not automatically mean your training, fitness, or entire running existence has gone off a cliff. We also talk about the temptation to overreact, why more training is not always the answer, and how recovery, hydration, nutrition, pacing, and consistency can all become part of the investigation. Sometimes the most useful thing a bad race can do is make us curious enough to figure out what happened, make a small adjustment, and see what the next start line has to say.

In this week’s Second Wind, we continue The Ultra Curious by tackling one of the biggest mindset shifts road runners face when stepping into the ultramarathon world: sometimes the smartest way to go farther is to slow down sooner. We explore why ultra pacing is less about chasing a specific number on the watch and more about managing an “effort budget” that has to last for hours. From power hiking hills to resisting the urge to chase other runners, we look at how restraint early can preserve the legs, stomach, hydration, and mental energy we will desperately want later. We also break down why walking while we still feel good can be a strategy instead of a surrender, and why the run-everything mentality can become a liability once the distance stretches past the marathon. Fueling plays a huge role too, because if we are moving too hard to comfortably eat, drink, and digest, then our pace may be working against the very system keeping us in the race. We dig into the trap of trying to “bank time,” the difference between building a smart cutoff cushion and burning ourselves up early, and why efficient aid-station stops matter just as much as what happens between them. Along the way, we introduce a simple three-phase approach for managing an ultra: Protect. Maintain. Spend. The goal is not to crawl through the entire day, but to move fast enough to make progress and slow enough to remain sustainable. Because in ultrarunning, patience, restraint, fueling, walking, and problem-solving are not signs that the race is going badly, they are part of the performance itself.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we are back to a more normal race-review rhythm after Sydney, with one race from Hawaii, one race from Kansas City, and one very big milestone to unpack. First up is the Old Pali Road 5K on Oahu, a race that sounded like a fun Hawaiian bonus run until calendar chaos, time-zone weirdness, and a surprise 6:30 a.m. start turned it into a scramble before the first step. Kyle arrived late, missed the official start, chased the course on his own, climbed nearly 700 feet in the first half, passed 30 people, and still managed to leave with a race shirt, because sometimes the real finisher medal is the cotton-poly blend you negotiate for afterward. Then it is back home for the 2026 Plaza 10K, a long-running Kansas City fall tradition and the first race in the Heartland 30K series. This year’s Plaza 10K brought a new course because of the Kansas City streetcar expansion, which meant a different route, fewer favorite downhills, but still a well-run event, a strong turnout, a sharp medal, good crowd support, and a perfectly timed start. The bigger story, though, is that the Plaza 10K marked Kyle’s 400th race, giving us a chance to look at the numbers behind the madness: 188 5Ks, 68 10Ks, 95 half marathons, 17 full marathons, and 2,893 raced! We break down what those numbers actually mean, including how 5Ks make up nearly half of the starts while half marathons carry the biggest share of the mileage. To close things out, Kyle talks about what that much running can do for the body, from cardiovascular fitness and blood pressure to bones, muscles, tendons, mobility, brain health, durability, body awareness, and the not-so-glamorous but very necessary art of recovery.

In this week’s Second Wind, we continue The Ultra Curious by asking what really changes when everyday road runners start looking beyond 26.2 miles and toward the ultramarathon world. We break down why a 50K is more than simply “a marathon plus five miles,” and how pace, terrain, elevation, and time on feet can completely change the way we approach the day. We talk about learning to view walking as strategy instead of failure, loosening our obsession with mile splits, and understanding that sustainable effort matters far more than chasing traditional road-race pace. We also dive into the very different world of ultra aid stations, fueling, hydration, gear, and the danger of getting a little too comfortable when the aid station starts looking more like a neighborhood cookout than a quick water stop. Cutoff times, changing weather, trail surfaces, and even something as simple as knowing what to carry can suddenly become major pieces of the race-day puzzle. The mental side changes too, because ultrarunning can mean riding several emotional highs and lows while learning not to make permanent decisions during temporary bad patches. The good news is that we are not starting from scratch, because everything we have learned through 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and marathons still gives us a strong endurance foundation to build from. We’re still road runners at heart, but as we dip our toes into this new world, we’re learning one thing very quickly: same runner, different game.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we are back from Australia and finally diving into the big review of the 2026 TCS Sydney Marathon. Kyle opens the episode running on jet lag, very little sleep, and the aftermath of a trip where nearly everything that could go wrong did, including a travel nightmare that turned the road to Sydney into its own endurance event. After delays, missed connections, an unexpected 24-hour layover in Vancouver, baggage issues, and arriving in Sydney just 24 hours before the marathon, the race weekend started with a missed 5K and a rushed trip through the expo at Sydney Olympic Park. From there, we get into the marathon itself, from the corral setup and downhill start in North Sydney to the early climb over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and the first miles through The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont, Barangaroo, Circular Quay, and downtown Sydney. The course review follows the race through the Pride section, the long southern stretch, Centennial Park, and the late miles back toward the Opera House, where the second half brought steady climbs, fading crowd support, mental math, and a whole lot of survival-mode running. Kyle also breaks down why the Sydney sun felt so draining, clearing up the ozone-layer rumor while explaining how strong UV, glare, time on course, hydration struggles, jet lag, and marathon fatigue all combined to make the day tougher than the temperature suggested. Even though the race did not go according to plan and finished around 6 hours and 22 minutes, the final run down toward the Sydney Opera House still delivered one of the most memorable finish lines in the World Marathon Majors. Along the way, Sydney earns huge praise for its volunteers and aid stations, while the episode also covers the medal, the now-famous wrong-stadium mistake, and the lessons future Sydney runners should take seriously: get there early, train for hills, plan your hydration, and respect the sun.

We’re kicking off a brand-new Second Wind series called The Ultra Curious, where we start exploring what happens when everyday road runners begin looking beyond 26.2 miles and into the strange, fascinating world of ultrarunning. For our first stop, longtime friend of the show and frequent guest host Karin Velez of the award-winning Just Grow Something podcast takes over the mic while we’re still traveling after the Sydney Marathon. Karin is usually the one bringing the science, but this time she is digging into the history behind one of ultrarunning’s most recognizable traditions: the finisher belt buckle. Why do so many American ultramarathons hand out buckles instead of the medals road runners know and love? Where did that tradition begin, and how did it become such a deeply rooted part of ultra culture? Karin walks us through the history, the symbolism, and the reason that shiny piece of hardware means so much more than simply having something new to hold up for the finish-line photo. It is the perfect introduction to a running world filled with its own traditions, language, expectations, and wonderfully unusual customs. Buckle up, because The Ultra Curious is officially heading beyond the marathon.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, Kyle is off in Sydney, Australia chasing another World Marathon Major, so we are turning the microphone over to guest host Sierra Morris from The Run, Shattered Podcast. Sierra, also known as ShatteredRunner, brings her focus on mental skills, resilience, and the psychological side of running to a topic every runner needs: confidence. This episode dives into how confidence is built, why it matters in training, and how runners can strengthen their mindset before they ever reach the start line. Sierra explores the mental tools marathoners and ultramarathoners use to stay steady when races get hard, including visualization, breath work, mantras, preparation, and learning how to trust the work already done. Whether you are chasing a PR, attempting a new distance, coming back from a rough race, or just trying to believe you belong out there, this conversation is built for you. Confidence is not about pretending everything will go perfectly, it is about knowing you can handle the messy middle when things get uncomfortable. With Kyle halfway around the world and the Back of the Pack community watching the Sydney adventure unfold, this guest episode is the perfect reminder that running is never just about legs and lungs. Sometimes the biggest race-day breakthrough starts with what is happening between your ears.