Off The Rails With Eric And Aisha

Eric Jenkins is officially a marathoner, and his legs have plenty to say about it.

Fresh off a 3:27:19 finish at the NYC Marathon, Eric joins Aisha Praught-Leer to recap his first 26.2 with the CITIUS MAG crew: the chaos on Staten Island, electric Brooklyn crowds, a midrace White Claw, an oversized fanny pack full of gels and the final two miles when his quads stopped cooperating.

Aisha shares her view from the radio broadcast booth, and the two reflect on friendship, gratitude and what makes marathon weekend so special.

Plus, remembering Ciara Mageean and Coach Frank Gagliano, celebrating Jess McClain and wondering what challenge comes next.

Aisha calls in from Crested Butte altitude camp and drops an announcement: She's landed a live radio gig with iHeartRadio for the NYC Marathon broadcast. Eric reveals he's been sober for a month as part of his race prep. From there, the episode covers race day logistics, a major doping bust, the rise of treadmill training and a detailed preview of the NYC Marathon pro fields.

Discussed in this episode:

– Aisha just locked down a live radio broadcast gig with iHeartRadio for NYC Marathon coverage . As a result, Aisha will not be doing the CITIUS watch-along tech support this year

– Eric's race prep + race day logistics

– Eric's one-month sobriety reveal

– Last year's NYC post-race party went until 4AM — technically 5AM with daylight savings and Eric recounts being offered cocaine in a bathroom by a stranger

–Post-Race confessional booth idea

Listener Voicemail — Running group asking about post-race beer plans

Pop Culture / News

– Jay-Z officially announced for Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium on February 14, 2027

– Victoria's Secret Fashion Show return

Peres Jepchirchir Doping Bust

•

Jepchirchir tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test in Kenya on July 17th

•

Attempted to delay testers for two hours; security guard was involved in blocking access

•

Agent issued a notably condemnatory statement — called it spoiling her career, unusual for an agent

Yassin Abdalla at Valencia Half Marathon

•

Abdalla ran 59:11 at Valencia; represents Sudan; trained solo in Austin, Texas

•

NCAA product; no training group; has been calling his shot on Instagram and Strava for months

•

Framed alongside Vinny Mari as validation of the treadmill-heavy, go-it-alone training philosophy

•

NYC Marathon — Celebrity Field

NYC Marathon — Men's Pro Field

NYC Marathon — Women's Pro Field

Race Logistics / Looking Ahead

Listener Voicemails

Megan, Columbus, Ohio: Attended Chicago live show with parents; dad got the "TGIH" hat

Lexi, North Boulder: Was at Black Canyon 100K in February; watched Eric's Molly Seidel interview live; was too nauseous to deliver a White Monster, apologizes

Anna, Champaign, Illinois: Birthday party hot take PowerPoint competition

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

🍫 This episode is brought to you by Unhinged.

Try their chef-crafted bar with the caffeine of an espresso in it. 11–14g protein, 7–8g fiber. No crash. Try them today. Promo code CITIUS20 for 20% off all orders at AlwaysUnhinged.com

🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Aisha and Eric are back, recording the weekend after the Chicago and TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathons. Eric recaps his training trips to Chicago and Toronto, previews NYC with his 3:30 group, and then the two spiral through current events

Discussed in this week’s episode

– Eric's Training Trips to Chicago and Toronto

– Kelly Clarkson's animatronic bird drama

– Shane Gillis / SNL controversy

– Katie Zacharia fired as White House press secretary after 5 days

– Discussion on the Nathan Fielder / Elizabeth Holmes movie

– Aisha’s golf work trip was surprisingly fun

– TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Recap

– Amsterdam Marathon Recap

– Looking Ahead: New York Marathon storylines to watch

– Problems with broadcasting a marathon

– "Let them know we're here."

Voicemails this week: Amy's Rational and Irrational Fears (plus sidewalk debate); Second-time caller named Eric pitches that Eric Jenkins should come to a Santa Monica 5K and Zalt should be the official race hydration

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

🍫 This episode is brought to you by Unhinged.

Try their chef-crafted bar with the caffeine of an espresso in it. 11–14g protein, 7–8g fiber. No crash. Try them today. Promo code CITIUS20 for 20% off all orders at AlwaysUnhinged.com

🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Off The Rails goes live in Chicago! On the Friday before the Chicago Marathon, Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught-Leer take the stage at Happy Camper with special guests Sharon Lokedi and her pacer Jacob Thomson. Sharon talks mindset and gardening, and gives us a surprise hard launch.

Plus pop culture, Chicago predictions, trivia and live voicemails from the crowd.

Topics:

• Sharon Lokedi on Boston, her course record and throwing out a first pitch at Fenway
• Why she treats every marathon like her first
• JT on pacing Sharon after pacing Weini Kelati to the American half record
• Sharon’s garden, her plants and Watchgate

• JT on what makes Sharon special
• Sharon’s custom Under Armour kit and her advice for Sunday’s runners

More topics:

• Crazy Rich Asians: the only acceptable plane movie, now getting an HBO sequel series
• RIP Coach Ditka
• No Super Bowl halftime performer yet. Will Jay-Z and Beyoncé step in?
• The Berlin Marathon influencer who got a bike ride, and Matt Choi
• Eric’s NYC Marathon prep: two weeks sober, compression socks, three runs a week
• The Bermuda Triangle and the Russian plague rumor are so back
• Chicago picks
• Patrick Cullen calls his shot on LetsRun

• Chicago Marathon trivia for prizes
• Voicemails: Vaseline mistaken for gels, Eric opening all the tabs for Aisha’s birthday, Stephen Haas’s Flagstaff invite, and running playlists

Thanks to Under Armour for making the night possible.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM
🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

🍫 This episode is brought to you by Unhinged.

Try their chef-crafted bar with the caffeine of an espresso in it. 11–14g protein, 7–8g fiber. No crash. Try them today. Promo code CITIUS20 for 20% off all orders at AlwaysUnhinged.com

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

Chicago week! Aisha is fresh off a hair appointment and attempting to preserve the blowout via silk pillowcases, a sleeping rod, and the full Jason-from-Halloween night routine. Eric completed a ten-mile run this week. The live show is in five days. There is a lot more to discuss.

In this week's episode:

– Chicago live show is on Friday, October 9th, sold out: Put your name on the waitlist in case of drops. Under Armour is supporting the show. Sharon Lokedi is the guest and she's racing Chicago for the first time. She has won two Bostons and debuted with a New York win, and is going for a fast time on a flat course for the first time in her career. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/off-the-rails-live-in-chicago-presented-by-under-armour-tickets-2002158580210

– The hair appointment and the Korean beauty deep dive

– Voicemail: A formal grievance on the ATHLOS London red carpet from a listener from the Rail Rider collective calls in to say Eric should have been on that red carpet, Air Force Ones, gold chain, the whole thing. He is the cult leader. He represents the gang. What happened?

– Marathon update — Eric's current situation: Ten miles was the long run this week. Eric needs: a baggie of Zalt (tryzalt.com, code OTR10, 10% off, stacks with everything), lots of gels, Vaseline, nipple band-aids, phone as life alert. He is going to be running with a Santa Sack.

– NYRR's brand ban

– We need a CITIUS MAG technical meeting for a pre-race pasta party technical meeting to go over race day logistics.

– Chicago forecast: 77 degrees.

– Caller Abby's proposal voicemail: She ran 2:56 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, broke three hours, and got engaged that same afternoon — the family that had "come to watch the race" was actually there for the proposal.

– Aisha's Proposal Story

– Revisiting Tigst Assefa's Berlin Marathon win and the Achilles question: She won in 2:11:04, the third-fastest women's marathon ever, on what turned out to be a progressively rupturing Achilles.

– Voicemail: A listener's daughter asks to drink the shower water. Also: This caller saw an Instagram ad saying Nike AlphaFly and Vaporfly users who suffered injuries may be entitled to significant compensation. Is this a real class action?

– The Execution Attempt on Christa Pike: Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike was halted after she survived the administration of pentobarbital.

– The Cornell Seven: 7 former and current members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University accused of sexually assaulting a female student at their fraternity house in October 2024.

– Cross-country runner hit by a falling tree in Allentown, Pennsylvania

– Voicemail: Fat Bear Week; Jury duty after breaking three in Berlin; The Sisterhood of the Traveling Flag; Anonymous voicemail about Will Leer

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM
🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

🍫 This episode is brought to you by Unhinged.

Try their chef-crafted bar with the caffeine of an espresso in it. 11–14g protein, 7–8g fiber. No crash. Try them today. Promo code CITIUS20 for 20% off all orders at AlwaysUnhinged.com

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

A nor'easter that didn't deliver brought Eric Jenkins to the microphone slightly dehydrated, slightly tired from a night with the boys, running a maximum of four miles this week, and with a 3:30 marathon goal that may have shifted to four hours or something in that vicinity. The episode goes extremely Off the Rails from the start. Buckle up.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric's marathon update: He is running. Four miles is the current long run. The 3:30 goal may have shifted.

– Chicago live show is sold out! Waitlist available for those who missed out. Check it out here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/off-the-rails-live-in-chicago-presented-by-under-armour-tickets-2002158580210?aff=oddtdtcreator

– The Avengers and Disney Channel original movies rankings

– The Strait of Hormuz is still closed and Iran was offered a seven-day plan. Trump said it was unacceptable.

– CNN headline: "Kash Patel Defends Removing Bestiality as Automatic Disqualifier for FBI Applicants." Both hosts process this live.

– An update on the Lindsay Clancy case: Mistrial declared, one holdout juror. The holdout is being attacked online.

– Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, and the shaved head: Macklemore spoke out in support of Palestine at a show. Robert Kraft's venues made clear they wouldn't host the tour with Macklemore opening. Ed dropped Macklemore. Macklemore donated over a million dollars in tour earnings to Palestinian organizations. Ed apologized emotionally at a concert and shaved his head.

– Berlin Marathon results: Tigst Assefa wins in 2:11:04 — third-fastest women's marathon ever. Won by almost six minutes. Was on world record pace deep into the race but faded slightly in the final kilometers.

– Chicago Marathon preview:

Men's highlights: Jacob Kiplimo (2:00), Amos Kipruto (2:01), Bashir Abdi (2:03), Charles Hicks (2:04), Clayton Young going for the American record, Vinny Mauri (self-coached, ASICS just signed him, soloed 2:05 on a bike path), Galen Rupp + more. The American record is genuinely in play with this field on a favorable day.

Women's highlights: Twelve women sub-2:20 in the field. Bridget Kosgei returns to where she broke the marathon world record. Sharon Lokedi with her PR of 2:17:22, going for a flat course time — genuinely going after something new after dominating on Boston and New York's hilly profiles.. Emma Grace Hurley is coming off a massive Copenhagen half just three weeks ago.

– Josh Kerr time trial dropped:

– Voicemails: A caller from Hawaii asks about the handicap format, world record potential, and other distances that might work in a handicap race like the Merrie Mile; Gabby in Burlington asks whether either host ever wished they'd had a rehearsal for a moment in their running career; Christina in Oakland wore her This Gig Is Hell cap to a playground meetup with fellow parents; A caller says she is running a spite marathon from a recent divorce and was invited to the NYRR gala the Thursday before the New York City Marathon and wonders if she can go without a plus one.

– Coming up: Chicago Marathon and the live show. Eric's training this week. Cycling World Championships results.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM
🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Both hosts just off planes. Aisha has a girls' weekend voice situation — no sexy raspy, just middle school puberty cracking. Eric went to Athlos London for 48 hours, did not walk the red carpet, and ate approximately four bacon sandwiches.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric at Athlos London — the full debrief: 48 hours. Tate Modern Museum. Saint Paul's Cathedral (almost broke down from the beauty). Camden neighborhood. No red carpet — didn't have the right fit, a decision Aisha processes audibly in real time.

– Athlos race highlights: Sha'Carri Richardson, women's 100m, 10.8; Keely Hodgkinson wins the women's 800m in 1:56 in a Nike speed suit (the big fashion moment of the meet); Claudia Kązmierska wins the women's mile for three big ones in a row + more

– Chris and Kari are having a baby: The CITIUS MAG overlords are growing by one. Both hosts are genuinely thrilled and genuinely aware that as soon as this baby talks, their jobs are in jeopardy. A baby with Chris Chavez's curiosity and Kari's musical ability and on the CITIUS MAG mic within six months: they are cooked.

– The Emmys: Drama series: The Pit wins big. The Diplomat is one of Aisha's favorite shows ever. Comedy: Widows Bay wins — Eric has seen it, recommends it, it's on Apple TV.

– Mitch McConnell memes

– Boulder dog guardianship law: In Boulder, you are not an owner of a dog. You are a dog guardian. City ordinance.

– Marathon training — Eric's update: Calves at approximately 82%. Running is scheduled for this week. He will be the most undertrained person on the start line of the New York City Marathon.

– World Road Running Championships, Copenhagen:

•

Agnes Ngetich — new women's half marathon world record, 65:15

•

Andreas Almgren — men's half marathon win, European record 58:06

•

Men's road mile — Robert Farken’s biggest win

•

Women's road mile — Agathe Guillemot of France wins

•

Men's 5K — Jakob Ingebrigtsen gets upset

•

Women's 5K —Likina Amebaw with three consecutive major wins to end the season

•

American women's half — Emma Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati, Jess McLean go 5-6-7: First time three Americans have broken 67 minutes in the same race. Emma Grace moves to approximately third on the US all-time list.

•

The World Athletics website replay package: Aisha watched the whole thing at 2x speed on the plane and notes that World Athletics has a clean, well-curated replay package on their website that goes: full race, a bit of the celebration, interview with the winner, next race. Tight and polished. Nobody needs to hunt for bootleg streams.

– The Nike Elite camp story: Content warning: This story involves an allegation of sexual assault at the Nike Elite camp on Fourth of July weekend, involving two high school athletes.

– Off the Rails Live, Chicago — October 9th: Free tickets drop Thursday, September 24th at noon Eastern. Set an alarm.

– Voicemails: Non-runner filing whereabouts for their sport wants to know how to handle camping and backpacking; Jess from Arizona on Keely doing Femke's makeup in the call room and Rai and Dos Santos doing rock-paper-scissors in the semis to determine the finish order; Michaela from Brooklyn who ran a group long run with her run club, slowly realized a woman who looked familiar was someone who had ghosted her cold on Hinge.
📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught-Leer are back for a Monday edition of Off the Rails (sorry for the one-day delay). Aisha is fresh off her broadcast debut on the Fifth Avenue Mile, Eric is packing for London and there's a full weekend of World Ultimate to unpack.

Discussed in this episode:

– Aisha's big girl broadcast: Her first capital-J-O-B TV gig on the Fifth Avenue Mile stream alongside Carrie Tollefson. 10,000 buttons in the truck, 98% humidity, no hair and makeup, and a Monica Geller hair situation that grew an inch every 15 minutes. Self-graded an A for effort, B for execution.

– Fifth Avenue Mile recap: Jemma Reekie wins in a course record 4:13.9 for her third Fifth Ave title. Marco Langon takes the men's race over Jake Heyward, Adam Spencer and Stefan Nillessen, then delivers the post-race interview heard around the world — an F-bomb, a shit and an ass on live TV while Ali Feller tries to hold it together. Nobody warned the truck there was a loose cannon coming.

– World Ultimate delivered: A polished first-year event that felt championship-esque — no prelims, straight to the good stuff. Aisha dares to ask whether we even need the 10-day World Championships anymore.

– Free Mondo: His theme song performance did not go well, and it wasn't his fault. Eric presents his PR fixes.

– Beers with the boys: Mondo and Alison dos Santos both had one post-race agenda item.

– AI is going to kill us all by 2030

– The Hyrox poop incident: A competitor in China had an accident mid-race and kept going. The venue had to be torn down. Eric may or may not be consulting for Hyrox on a poop rule.

– Men's 5000m at World Ultimate: No pacers, still sub-13. Jakob's best kick in years, sit-and-kick is apparently fine when it's the 5K. Jakob vs. Cole, continued.

– Men's 1500m: Josh Kerr closes in a 1:47 last 800 for what's now a business-as-usual win. Josh Kerr's betting odds had him 13th in a field of 12.

– Women's 1500m: Klaudia Kazimierska runs away from Georgia Hunter Bell in 3:57.55 — breakout star of the year, back-to-back wins over the Diamond League Final and World Ultimate.

– Men's 800m: Marco Arop takes it out honest and it takes a Djamel Sedjati kick from the depths of hell to catch him.

– Women's 800m: Audrey Werro, Keely Hodgkinson and Femke Bol go 1:55.8 / 1:56.2 / 1:56.7.

– Quick hits: Kenny Bednarek's 19.52, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's 21.47 double into a headwind, Rai Benjamin's 400/400H double, Alison dos Santos' crown earring (a listener also wants to discuss the minion earring), Gabby Thomas' leading question about coaches with suspensions, and the field events finally getting the storytelling they deserve.

– Athlos London preview: Eric will be eating beans on baked potatoes and minced beef pies with green sauce because British food TikTok has taken over his algorithm.

– World Road Running Championships, Copenhagen

– Voicemails: Someone swiped left on Eric on Hinge in 2021 because of too many running pictures; Harry Styles' MSG residency ends October 31 and the rumor is he's running NYC on November 1. Do you abandon your race plan to get pictures with him?What are your comfort shows?

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

🍉 This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at TRYZALT.COM

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins are back for Labor Day weekend, both in new Off the Rails merch, planning a crew neck, and eight weeks from the New York City Marathon.

Discussed in this episode:

– Marathon training — Eric's current status: Eight weeks out. Biking heavily while reintroducing the calf to running. Eric is on a bicycle.

– Dejon Love — the 49ers scam: A man who posed as a San Francisco 49ers player for multiple years, posting beach workout videos in a football helmet and employing a teenage "money man" as his business partner, stole approximately $1.3 million from women through romance and investment schemes.

– US Open weed-smoking drama: Players including Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have spoken about people smoking weed courtside and influencers being loud during serves.

– Lindsay Clancy — mistrial declared: Jury of nine women and three men deliberated seven days after five weeks of testimony. Told the judge by note on Friday: we cannot reach a decision. Mistrial.

– RIP Gloria Steinem

– Brussels Diamond League recap

•

Men's 1500m — Cam Myers wins

•

The post-race drama — Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs. Cole Hocker

•

The implication for World Ultimate: Josh Kerr is sitting back, loving all of this drama. Cole is in Budapest. Jakob is in Budapest. Yared is in Budapest. Josh is in Budapest. The men's 1500 is going to be the race of the year.

•

Women's 800: Audrey Werro 1:54.75, Femke Bol 1:54.81.

•

Women's 1500: Klaudia Kązmierska wins in 3:54.05.

•

The TikTok: Dos Santos, Masai Russell, and Jacoby Tharp did a group TikTok dance at the Diamond League final. Three world record holders, one TikTok.

– Clayton Young going after Connor Mantz's American marathon record in Chicago:

– Voicemails: Jill from Atlanta planning to attend the 2028 Olympic Trials in Eugene with husband and two young kids; Alex from Chicago wonders about a retired athlete drug testing loophole; Charlie's post-collegiate cross country question; Daniel from Austin on comment sections and the audiobook stolen valor debate

This episode is brought to you by ZALT.

ZALT is an electrolyte pouch — tuck it in, sip water, and every sip gets electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Their new V2 formula packs 372mg of active ingredients per pouch, including French sea salt, potassium, and B vitamins, and it tastes like salt on watermelon. Perfect for long runs, hot days, post-race, or the day after a wedding. Use code OTR10 for 10% off your entire order — and yes, it stacks with other discounts at http://tryzalt.com

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins record on the last day of August, which emotionally already feels like fall because the bear is back at the Leers'. Eric just came off the Fairgrounds 5K and Mile in Maine.

Discussed in this episode:

– The bear is back and bolder: Same bear, or so the North Boulder neighborhood assumes. Will had had a stiff spicy marg and was deep in a pleasant summer walk vibe. Cell phone camera reveals two beady eyes. They back up. The bear doesn't leave. Neighbor kid in an electric Volkswagen gets flagged down: "Boy, it's a big one."

– Eric's predators in New Hampshire: Bears (less intense than Colorado). Fisher cats (weasel family, mean, would eat a small dog). Great white sharks now coming north as the Atlantic warms — Seacoast New Hampshire and Maine waters are apparently attractive to them now.

– Fairgrounds 5K and Mile, Portland Maine: Horse racing track, approximately 800 meters around.

– Aisha explains that she cannot swim: She is very dense. She goes straight to the bottom like an anchor.

– Marathon training — Eric's update: Something is off in his foot and ankle. He pushed his long run. He is still clean. He is not ready to be coached. He's going to lean heavily on the New York crowd energy and his training partners.

– Banned substances sidebar: Aisha opens up more about the IVF journey in this context — fertility medications that stimulate ovulation are very much on the banned list, and the experience of taking them gives you genuine visceral understanding of why they're banned.

– Dolly Parton passes away at 80: After a brief battle with cancer. Icon, philanthropist, advocate, great all-around human.

– Usain Bolt proposes: Thirteen years, three kids (a daughter and twin sons), and during his fortieth birthday celebration, he finally put a ring on it.

– Mondo's latest music: "Location" slaps

– The robots: Lightning and friends. They can sprint but cannot stop — they run full speed into the padded wall at the finish line and become a dust cloud of metal.

– Zurich Diamond League — two world records in the hurdles: Alison Dos Santos, 45.80 — men's 400 hurdles WR + Masai Russell, 12.09 — women's 100 hurdles WR

– Cole Hocker gets his first Diamond League victory: Classic Cole race. On the rail. Gets a bit boxed. Refuses to leave. The lane opens on the inside, Cole passes through, wins.

– Femke Bol's training paces — the internet discourse: Preet interviewed Femke and she shared her training paces. Long runs at 5:30 per kilometer (8:51 mile pace). Threshold at 4:30 per kilometer (7:14 mile pace).

– Women's 800m at Zurich: Audrey Werro 1:53.70 — third fastest performance ever. Femke Bol 1:54.71 personal best. Georgia Hunter-Bell 1:55 season's best.

– Parker Wolfe wins the Zurich 3000m for second fastest 3K ever by an American: Graham Blanks immediately behind him for the American 1-2. Over Cam Myers, who was probably the pre-race favorite. Parker Wolfe just has it. He's a winner.

– PSA — ATHLOS New York is cancelled

☎ Voicemails: Jack from Dublin asks what's the craziest thing you've seen at a start line; Lucy from Philadelphia shares her experience from four weeks on a murder trial; Katie and Emily from Vermont asked about favorite high school cross country memories; someone else calls with a competitor-turned-friend question

🛒 Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins discuss all the week's happenings including the half marathon world record being broken, the Silesia Diamond League and some updates on Eric Jenkins' marathon training.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric's marathon build — current status: Ten miles. High 8:30 average. Ninety minutes. First double-digit run in possibly two years.

– Yomif Kejelcha, half marathon world record, 56:51: Set at the Buenos Aires Marathon. Took 21 seconds off Kiplimo's 57:20 from Lisbon in March. Was checking his watch the whole race, fully aware. Post-race quote included the phrase "full of beans" — not a fueling strategy, a British idiom meaning full of energy and enthusiasm, which neither host had ever encountered before.

– Harry and Meghan moving back to the UK: Short-term, up to six months, keeping the Montecito mansion. Nobody knows why.

– Tupac murder trial: Dwayne Davis, accused of the 1996 drive-by shooting, has pleaded not guilty. Conspiracy theories about Diddy resurfacing.

– Lindsay Clancy case: Duxbury, Massachusetts. Pleading not guilty by reason of insanity — postpartum psychosis and a combination of medications. Mother-in-law testified in her defense that she was begging for help beforehand. Husband has since remarried. Netflix series incoming.

– Casey Musgraves and the disco balls: She opened her tour perched atop giant testicle-shaped disco balls.

– Diamond League recap: Ethan Strand wins the men's 1500 in a loaded field featuring Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Cole Hocker; American men went 2-3-4 in the Lausanne 5000m (Parker Wolf, Nico Young, Graham Blanks); Tsige Duguma wins the women's 1500 with a last-50m burst that nobody saw coming; El Bakkali gets beaten in the steeple for the third time in four years; Marco Arop goes out in 48.5 through 400 meters in the men's 800 and goes for the world record — doesn't get it but the bravery is noted; Rai Benjamin's flat 400 is real; Femke Bol is getting exponentially better every race in the 800m

– Why changing your running form is harder than it sounds: Aisha shares her drill philosophy from her days with coach Mark Rowland

– New York City Marathon elite field announced

– Jenny Simpson speaks publicly: Diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy — scar tissue in the heart causing an arrhythmia.

– Voicemails include: A former shot-putter explains why throwing is the objectively superior sport; best competition roommates; and some surprises from Eric and Aisha's Wikipedia pages.

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

One of the longest episodes in Off the Rails history and one of the most eventful.

Discussed in this episode:

– Eric vs. the bike: Three rides in. Main problems: sweating while commuting and not wanting to wear shorts.

– Pre-race rituals: In response to a voicemail from Jean Nicole, a theology professor who uses athletic analogies in teaching monastic practices.

– Freddie Crittenden is a middle school math teacher: Retired at USAs. Now posting the most wholesome content on Instagram — previewing his classroom, talking through the transition.

– Wiz Khalifa is running: The touchstone that running has arrived in culture. He got called slow at a nine-minute pace, went out and ran fast to prove people wrong. Shame on anyone who shamed him for his pace.

– AOC's egg-freezing journey: Aisha opens up for the first time publicly about being almost two years into an IVF journey that hasn't been going great. The power of seeing someone do this in real time (not at the end of the story when everything is resolved) is felt.

– Brad Pitt is drinking again: Seven years sober. Now not. All his kids have dropped his last name. He owns a vineyard. The comment section is on fire. He's in the Leo/Pitt class — too big, too beloved, too beautiful for PR to fully catch them.

– Fayetteville-Manlius and Bill Aris: 12-time national championship coach let go over overtraining allegations. The broader conversation centers on: What is the right intensity for high school athletes?

– Jonah Koech gets a three-year blood doping ban: Full ABP explainer from Aisha. The Athlete Biological Passport tracks blood values over time and flags when they're consistent with doping, even if no single test detects a substance. Two tests flagged: July 30, 2025 (one day before the USATF prelims he'd go on to win) and August 8th (six days after his final win). Values consistent with blood doping. Standard four-year ban reduced to three for admitting use of a prohibited method. He's since come out saying he was pressured into the admission.

– European Championships recap: Jakob Ingebrigtsen wins the 5K gold in his first race back in 11 months; Mark English wins his first European gold in the 800m at age 33; Gesa Krause wins the women's steeple in one decisive move at the final water jump; Audrey Werro beats Keely Hodgkinson again; Andreas Almgren's 10K is a clinic in front-running from the start and finishes with a 40-second winning margin, European record.

– Lausanne Diamond League is back on Friday August 21st: Audrey Werro vs. Femke Bol women's 800 rematch. Winfred Yavi, Faith Cherotich in the women's steeple. Graham Blanks, Grant Fisher, Parker Wolf, Nico Young in the men's 5K. Brandon Miller, Emmanuel Wanyoni, Marco Arop, Djamel Sedjati in the men's 800.

– Eric is running the New York City Marathon: First marathon. New Balance team. Goal: 3:30. Eight-minute pace. That's actually running. Current long run: 8 miles. Fueling: never done it, has to figure it out immediately.

Voicemails include: Did someone set Eric up in his bad host family experience; who would you want to host for a race; what would your running celebration be

– MERCH IS LIVE: Link in the show notes. They said it couldn't be done. They were almost right. Against all odds — it's done.

Get your Off The Rails merch here: https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

Eric Jenkins calls in from a Cleveland Airbnb a few hours before the Guardian Mile, mic clipped to a Celsius can, surrounded by friends. Aisha is home in Boulder. It's a Saturday edition.

In this episode:

– Guardian Mile tonight: Colby is running the stroller mile with his son. Colby is not quite at race weight and is racing on a course that goes uphill for the first 800 and downhill on the back half.

– Community road miles: There should be more of them everywhere. One mile is the perfect community race distance — not intimidating, done in 30 minutes, everyone has a frame of reference.

– Presidential Fitness Test: Created 1956 under Eisenhower. Obama softened it into a non-competitive program in 2013. RFK is now restoring it.

– Sir Walter Mile results

– Host family philosophy debate: Eric's one bad experience: divorced man, post-dinner guitar serenading, Beach to Beacon 10K, never again. Aisha has had uniformly excellent host family experiences and is still friends with most of them.

– Tour de France Femmes — bra-maxing/aero-fairing scandal: Riders allegedly stuffing sports bras to create a larger chest profile in the aero tuck position, which is aerodynamically advantageous (called aero-fairing).

– Will Geoghegan = Handsome Will: Women in Eugene and around the track circuit have been calling him this for years. The canon grows. His Beach to Beacon course record attempt build-up — posting workouts, weekly Instagram updates — was one of the best pieces of athlete content of the summer.

– European Championships — August 10-16, Birmingham UK: Watch on Eurovision Sport (free globally) or BBC for UK listeners. Jakob Ingebrigtsen races the 5K on day one. Women's 800 final Friday August 14th at 9:46 PM UK time. Full field breakdown covered.

– Jake Heyward’s comeback story: 20 months off — nearly two years without racing. Double Haglund's surgery. Was on the shortlist of top British milers until the injury. This is one of the great comeback stories of the year and is flying under the radar.

Voicemails: – Air quality and running: Owen from Bozeman is calling from his work treadmill because the AQI outside is 165; Alan from Raleigh asks about the best post-race after-parties on the circuit; Vanessa from Boston with daughters Melanie and Aubrey make a group call — first-time callers who've been listening to Jimothy clips as a family, asking which animal each host would domesticate; James from San Francisco, Survivor alum, reports on Canicross and the alleged 11:56 5K world record run with a dog named Kazuma, and offers to be a Survivor audition coach

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

----

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

Discussed in this episode:

– Standing desk philosophical debate: Aisha is 50/50 sitting and standing. Eric has his at the lowest setting and sits.

– Women's Professional Baseball League launches: Boston Hunters, New York Heights, Los Angeles Queens, San Francisco Fireballs — all playing in Springfield, Illinois.

– The national anthem at the WPBL opening game: Potentially the worst national anthem performance ever captured on video.

– Shoutout to Kari Cotone-Chavez, whose a cappella group (The High Notes) sang the national anthem at USAs.

– Usher concert, Gabrielle Cheyenne, and the Facebook clap back: Usher's team pre-screens fans to bring on stage. Gabrielle was selected, froze completely when the lights came on, Usher visibly realized and had her removed, the video went everywhere.

– Nicolas Cage WWII film stolen from Netflix: An unencrypted master copy of a film called Fortitude — seven years to make, $45 million to produce — was stolen from the Hollywood studio.

– The Odyssey: Eric saw it, not in IMAX (technically only saw one third of the film), the AC was broken, he was fully dehydrated and fidgeting while the stranger next to him complained.

– Jimothy update: Eric is warming up. Not fully on board, but open to the journey.

– Commonwealth Games recap

– The Josh Kerr weight discourse: Hobbes Kessler raised it at USAs. Aisha addresses it carefully

– The return of Jakob Ingebrigtsen at European Championships

Voicemails include: Jimmy's Eric Jenkins redemption arc; rules for pacers contracted for races; live from a port-a-potty caller; MLB hat survey from a recent Europe trip by a Rail Rider; Amy's cross country team cemetery laps.

Coming up: European Championships. Eric is racing the Guardian Mile. Shoutout to the Alexander family.

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

----

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins recorded on July 26th, delayed slightly so they could watch the final day of USAs. Aisha is running on post-Olivia Dean concert fumes. A bear came to her house.

Discussed in this episode:

– The fridge broke while Will was away. Aisha threw out an entire freezer's worth of food. A bear found it.

– Olivia Dean concert: Ball Arena, Denver. Peak girlhood.

– House switch voicemail (Hadley from Minnesota): If Eric and Aisha switched houses for a week, what's the first thing each does?

– Jimothy is a raccoon in Seattle with no tail, a compressed body, and what can only be described as arms rather than front legs. An internet sensation. The new Moo Dang.

– Raccoon general concerns: Aisha has been in a multi-year battle with the raccoons in her trash cans and they have outsmarted her every time. She does not want them domesticated.

– The Odyssey movie

– Eric's viral video: A friend with a new camera came over and cut old training footage against current footage of Eric doing a shirtless pull-up. The result: a genuinely cool video that went unexpectedly viral

– Off the Rails Running Coaching is now open: Eric is taking clients. DM him.

– Tour de France and the 2 AM drug test: Aisha breaks down the full legal context (speaking in personal capacity only). Normal testing hours: 6 AM to 11 PM. Overnight testing is permitted with "serious and specific suspicion." WADA and UCI rules both require a higher threshold for overnight tests than standard daytime tests. The suspicion in this case appears related to microdosing — timing drug use overnight so it metabolizes before morning testing. Jonas Vingegaard was tested at 2 AM, went back to sleep, and later crashed on a mountain stage, breaking his collarbone.

– USATF Outdoor Championships recaps and highlights

– NCAA removes altitude conversions: As of this week, altitude conversion factors for times run at elevation are no longer valid for NCAA purposes.

Voicemails include: How much can a mom account for pace adjusting while pushing a stroller; applying DMSO on your skin and racing and eating hot dogs.

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

----

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

Aisha Praught-Leer and Eric Jenkins record on the day after Josh Kerr runs 3:42.66 to break the mile world record. Eric's friends don't get it. Aisha's husband spent the day texting every person he's ever run with.

Discussed in this episode:

– The world record reaction: Eric was pacing around his room, more nervous than Josh. Aisha and Will watched from Crested Butte with just one chair, the fireplace stoop, Tour de France on the TV and London Diamond League on the laptop, Will screaming before 9 AM during HOA quiet hours. They drove home overnight just to record. They listened to Chris and Kyle emergency CITIUS MAG pod in full.

– Will Leer's college thesis: His undergraduate thesis in applied mathematics and philosophy modeled out how and when the mile world record would fall, and what optimal splits would look like. Josh Kerr was not yet on anyone's radar when it was written.

– Why this is unlike anything we've seen: Breaking Two and the Faith Kipyegon world record projects were incredible and gripping. But this is the first time a world record was called months in advance, built toward publicly with workouts posted on YouTube, and then delivered live in an actual Diamond League race on home turf. No gimmicks, no manufactured scenarios, no flat road.

– Race breakdown: Eric breaks down what Kerr did tactically in the first lap — the confidence to let a step open between him and the pacer instead of clinging in panic, the subconscious muscle memory of knowing exactly what 3:42 pace feels like.

– The mental toll: Josh's post-race interview with Hannah England — tearing up when asked about the mental toll now that it's done. Aisha breaks down the village around him: family stopped everything for six weeks, a performance coach meeting with him daily.

– What comes next: Commonwealth Games next week in Glasgow.

– Brandon Miller: 1:42.19 for 800m: Fifth all-time for Americans was a good omen of things to come for the Brooks Beasts.

– Jess Hull's return: Looking like herself in London and won the 3000m.

– Keely Hodgkinson wins the women's 800: Coming back from the hamstring and the fall at Pre. 1:56 over Femke Bol. Femke discussed at length and her effortless-looking stride.

+ more from London Diamond League

Other topics include:

– USATF Outdoor Championships declarations

– The Cyclospora explosive diarrhea outbreak: Taylor Farms lettuce. Taco Bell alerted the public first and pulled lettuce from menus in affected states — and is now being blamed. They were the heroes.

– This week's voicemails include: A high school track coach struggling with social media-influenced athletes who think they need to run 70 miles a week and do double threshold; Annalise from Denver whose three-year-old's preschool did a Tour de France.

Aisha Praught-Leer is back, tanned, 35,000 steps deep, and full of things to say. Eric Jenkins has been holding it down solo for two weeks. The reunion episode runs long because neither of them wants to stop talking.

Discussed in this episode:

– The Europe trip: The whole thing was predicated on World Athletics governance meetings in Monaco — the first time Aisha has ever extended one of these trips beyond three days.

– Meeting Neilson Powless: Aisha recognized Neilson Powless immediately, decided not to interrupt his training cafe stop, and played it completely cool. He walked out of the cafe and recognized her first. They talked for a long time.

– Tour de France Grand Départ in Barcelona: VIP passes to the Stage One time trial finish

– Victor Campenaerts' Tour de France PSA: The Visma-Lease a Bike rider does a daily vlog on Instagram that Aisha recommends unreservedly.

– The Yankees hat observation: The coolest-person accessory in Europe right now is a Yankees hat

– South of France gripe: Everyone is vaping. Incessantly.

– European lunch culture: Aisha is trying to bring back the long lunch — sit down, eat a proper meal, no laptop, more than one course, enjoy it like a civilized person.

– Happy birthday Moo Deng: The pygmy hippo at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand turned two this week.

– World Cup debrief: Aisha has been watching every game. Eric walked back some of his earlier skepticism.

– The bed episode fallout: Voicemails flooded in. Someone suggested Eric and Aisha should just kiss and find out. Another listener wanted to know the PR strategy behind recording from a Ali’s bed and also requested wet ham be eaten on stage at the Chicago live show.

– Monaco Diamond League recap: Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s 1000m world record; Julien Alfred goes 21.51; Agnes Ngetich’s 3000m world record attempt; Faith Kipyegon loses again; Graham Blanks almost wins the 5000m

– London Diamond League preview for July 18th: Start lists not yet published. Josh Kerr's mile world record attempt is the centerpiece.

– Voicemails include: One caller asks them to retire the word ‘niggle’ from track vocabulary; what to do about Meta Oakley AI glasses; did Eric ride a horse in Montana; strange things yelled on runs; advice for a freshman going into college; skinny margarita mile predictions

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

Eric Jenkins is on his second solo week and has recruited his first-ever Off the Rails guest host: Ali Feller, world-renowned podcaster, certified Rail Rider loyalist. They record from Ali’s bed in Hopkinton, NH — Eric's choice of location — after approximately an hour of technical chaos involving dead batteries, two phones and a call to Mac Fleet.

In this episode:

– Ali’s hospitality: On arrival, Eric was offered cucumber lemon water, Sprite, brownie bites, red-white-and-blue peanut M&Ms, pasta salad, Caprese salad, cheese balls, and fresh superhero muffins. Ali has never had soda in her life due to a childhood tonsil surgery and has therefore never had a Sprite.

– Fourth of July recaps

– Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce allegedly got married at MSG: Ali has gone full conspiracy theorist. She doesn't believe the wedding actually happened there.

– The Scrabble Champion saga: In sixth grade, Ali was the first-ever Scrabble champion at Maple Street School. Her opponent — tall, smart, athletic, redhead, the one that got away — missed a round due to a family funeral. That was the week Ali pulled ahead.

– House of Dragons/doppelganger list: Eric claims Olivia Cooke from House of Dragons looks like Sinclaire Johnson.

– Nikki Hiltz wins the mile at Pre-Classic: Ali was screaming at the TV. Describes herself as not usually a sports girly but having moments, and this was one of them.

– Men's Bowerman Mile: Cam Myers wins to become the first Australian to win the Bowerman Mile. Led from the moment the pacer stepped off. Yared Nuguse was very close behind, trying for an American sweep on home soil.

– Ali does not accept the absence of Jakob Ingebrigtsen: It's not the same without him.

– Other Pre-Classic highlights: Tate Taylor wins the men's 200 in 19.75 — a high schooler taking it to the pros. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden beats Sha’Carri Richardson in the women's 100 (10.84/10.85, photo finish). Brandon Miller wins the men's 800 to hand Cooper Lutkenhaus’ first loss of the season. Parker Wolfe wins the men's two-mile on Friday for one of the biggest wins of his career.

– Ali responds to the listener about loneliness: Last week, a listener called in about feeling lonely and struggling to make friends as an adult. Ali had been thinking about it all week.

– Voicemails: Track etiquette conflict — a woman with three kids refused to move out of Lane 1; a caller jokes that trail running is just "jogging and hiking"; A Portland, Maine listener asks whether Eric's 2014 NCAA DQ was the beginning of his PR career; team ritual question leads to Ali’s full hazing week story from Quinnipiac dance team.

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

----

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

Eric Jenkins is alone. Aisha is somewhere in Europe. He had a beach day yesterday with skinny margaritas, which pushed the recording to Monday morning, and is now having a conversation with himself that you are all privy to. Some people genuinely have no voice in their heads. Eric has multiple voices running simultaneous dialogues all day. This episode is basically that, out loud, for an hour.

– Big Oyster's PR: The snot rocket of the ocean convinced an entire generation it's an aphrodisiac, high-class, and date food.

– Paris Diamond League — the meet that almost got canceled

– Men's 100: Trayvon Bromell, 30 years old, two Achilles surgeries, lane eight, beats Noah Lyles.

– Men's 400: Collen Kebinatshipi runs 43.5 — a Diamond League record, breaking Jeremy Warner's 2008 mark that had stood for eighteen years.

– Men's 5K: Grant Fisher's first-ever Diamond League win in 12:54 under brutal conditions.

– Men's 1500: Cam Myers, 3:28, Australian record, #12 all-time performance. Front the whole way, just stretched it when the pacer dropped.

– Women's 1500: Georgia Hunter-Bell, 3:55 season's best. Cannot lose right now. With Faith Kipyegon absent from the 1500 circuit — for reasons that remain unclear (Eric speculates she may simply be bored of winning) — Georgia is the top athlete in the event and it's not particularly close at the moment.

– Men's 800: Marco Arop, 1:41.8, world lead, dominant wire to wire. This is the world-beating Marco we saw a couple of years ago. He's back.

– Women's 800: Audrey Werro, Diamond League record, meet record, world lead, national record. Femke Bol runs 1:55 in her fourth-ever 800m

– The London Marathon is going on for two days: Eric does not like it. He understands the business reasons (more entries, more money) but does not want sloppy seconds on the marathon.

– New NCAA age-eligibility rule: Once an athlete graduates high school or turns 19, a five-year eligibility clock starts. Eric likes it as a step in the right direction.

– Western States 100: Eric did not watch fifteen hours of it. He had a beach day. He checked in periodically.

Voicemails include: Rucky Chucky clarification attempt; is there anything wrong with split shorts after retirement; audiobook narration; how to run a hard 5K; the 1.99-mile debate; hard efforts post-retirement; Mondo's music vs. Rebecca Black; astrology and Enneagram; bouncing back from a bad race at nationals

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

----

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.

Eric Jenkins calls in from Whitefish, Montana dressed in wedding merch, planning a horse ride, slightly winded from a four-mile run. Aisha is home in Boulder, heading back to New York tomorrow, having been everywhere again this week.

Discussed in this week's episode:

– Montana wedding: Eric is going to ride a horse this afternoon for the first time since age seven

– New York / West Side Highway: Aisha didn't know the West Side Highway was the place to run in New York when you're in Chelsea.

– World Cup and the World Cup hotties: Scotland has taken Boston and is drinking it dry.

– Jenny Simpson's cardiac event: While pacing a mile race at a community event in Raleigh associated with the Sir Walter Miler, Jenny Simpson crossed the finish line and collapsed a few minutes later.

– Ciara Mageean: European 1500m champion diagnosed with stage four cancer. Her attitude in public interviews has been remarkable — positive, fighting, and gracious.

– Long-term health of elite runners: Years of training stress, race stress, underfueling, and extreme cardiac demand — probably not ideal assessed by a doctor.

– Doha Diamond League: Postponed from its original slot due to the conflict in the Middle East and rescheduled into an awkward calendar position — long travel to Doha at a weird point in the season. Quiet meet overall.

– Ostrava Golden Spike: Everybody who skipped Doha showed up here.

– Sam Blaskowski and Sha'Carri Richardson at the Dennis Mitchell Invitational: Blaskowski runs 19.99 in the 200. Sha'Carri runs 10.77

– Kenyan Trials — men's 1500: Timothy Cheruiyot beats Reynold Cheruiyot in 3:32.28 in Nairobi (approximately 5,500 feet elevation)

– Josh Kerr's mile world record attempt on July 18th in London: Both hosts are fired up.

– Voicemails include: Rashad asks about the naked bike ride; Bill from San Francisco has bathroom emergencies on runs

– Aisha signing off for two weeks: She's heading to Monaco for a World Athletics governance meeting, then Barcelona for the Tour de France Grand Départ, then some actual vacation.

📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.

📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@OffTheRailsWithEricandAisha

Follow your hosts on Instagram:

🗣️ Follow Eric Jenkins: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@_ericjenkins⁠⁠⁠⁠

🗣️ Follow Aisha Praught-Leer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aishapraughtleer

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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

Listening to “Off The Rails with Eric and Aisha” while running may result in uncontrollable laughter, side stitches, funny looks from strangers, and the occasional trip hazard due to snort-laughing mid-stride. Proceed with caution—and maybe stretch your abs beforehand. Use caution when wearing earbuds in public places—people will wonder if you’re okay. You are. You’re just having a really good time.