Carbon-plated super shoes or air fryers or robot leg massagers, it's hard to know which is a better invention. We talk about all of those this week, as well as the cult of puppetry and Meg's fairly fresh pair of New Balance SC Trainer v1. And then there's Puma's newest shoe, the Deviate Nitro Pure.

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LMNT

Summer hydration has never been better, because Lemonade Ice Tea is finally here! Crisp and refreshing, it delivers 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium, plus– 50 mg of caffeine, just enough for that extra boost. And if you're an insider, you can get the limited-edition Pink Lemonade. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: https://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

SWIFTWICK

You already know that Swiftwick makes our favorite socks for running, from training to race day. Now, you can get the special collab pair we wore in the Grand Canyon. Get yourself ready for the new year and save 15% off your first purchase with code BELIEVE15: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe

PILLAR

If you’re training hard, traveling to races, or just stacking miles week after week, you know how easy it is for your immune system to take a hit. That’s why we’ve been reaching for PILLAR Ultra Immune C. It contains a high dosage of Vitamin C (about 16-17 oranges worth in one scoop), which helps fight off illness and protects your body from the stress of intense training. Head to pillarperformance.shop or TheFeed.com/pillar and enter code BITR for 15% off first-time purchases.

How do you feel after finishing a big race or objective? Listen in our The Dirt Division's glorified therapy session on how to deal with life after racing. They also discuss some of their favorites, suprises, and gear they are excited about so far in 2026.

Guest: Rachel Entrekin won the Cocodona 250 outright which is just another major mliestone for her first full year as a professional runner. She is sponsored by some of our favorite brands in the indurstry. She chats about her background as PT, favorite gear, mindset around racing, and much more.

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Näak Nutrition: The Drop Listeners can get 15% off any Näak products by using code BITR15. Näak is a nutrition brand the leverages natural ingredients and research backed formulas to help athletes perform. They have a host of products like gels, drink, mixes, broths, bars, and recovery fuel. Their highest performance Boost line doubles down on the carbs for high-performance fuel that's also gut-friendly. Go to http://naak.com to explore and purchase.

Lagoon: Sleep is one of the most underrated training components. We've been fans of Lagoon for years and use their custom pillows nightly to support a great night of sleep and, of course, our running. Go to http://lagoonsleep.com/believe to take a quick quiz to find the best pillow for you. Get 15% off your purchase by using code BELIEVE

We have a large library of shoes. Charlie has a large library of whiskey. He was kind enough to bring his collection to Baltimore, so on this episode of the podcast we hear Charlie's story while doing a live tasting. Things get..."melty".

Okay, Robbe is back and we're done talking about circle pits. But it's controversy season so we cover the Enhanced Games and everything that did or didn't go down with that. Plus, the Baltimore race that almost was (should we bring it back?) and a water conservation question that we need to be answered. Oh, also the Asics Novablast 6 is a pretty great shoe.

JOIN US FOR SUMMER GRIT

Registration for Summer GRIT is right around the corner. If you want to join the challenge, improve your base fitness, and see what you're made of, you can join here: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Baltimore/Grit

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

LMNT

Summer hydration has never been better, because Lemonade Ice Tea is finally here! Crisp and refreshing, it delivers 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, and 60 mg magnesium, plus– 50 mg of caffeine, just enough for that extra boost. And if you're an insider, you can get the limited-edition Pink Lemonade. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: https://drinklmnt.com/thedrop

PILLAR

Recently, we’ve been taking PILLAR Triple Magnesium, and it’s been a game-changer for our sleep and recovery. WE take it about 30 minutes before bed each night which gives us great sleep and helps us recover better so we're ready to train again tomorrow.If you want to try PILLAR, you can head to pillarperformance.shop or TheFeed.com/pillar and enter code BITR for 15% off first-time purchases.