Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara

This episode is a fun one because it contains a big announcement about the future of of the pod. Spoiler alert... Brooks is involved (if the episode title didn't give it away). Drum roll please... 
Brooks will continue their presenting sponsorship of Nobody Asked Us through at least LA 2028! To celebrate, we bring on Garrett Heath who is the head of sports marketing for Brooks to talk about the partnership.
Des and Kara are excited to be together for this one at Brooks HQ. Before Garrett joins, they start by giving some love to Minnesota and the challenges that the community is facing there. They hope that compassion can rule the day - more of that please - and that this pod can be a fun/light respite from the news. They give short life updates and talk a little about the indoor results from the weekend. Indoor track is back and things are already fast and spicy!
Then, they bring on Garrett. He gives you a background on his running (and skiing) career. He grew up in Minnesota, was NOT recruited by Kara's alma mater CU, but did have an amazing career at Stanford before signing with Brooks as a pro. He's worked his way up at Brooks and is now head of sports marketing. 
Garrett shares some fun stories of his running past (beating some of the all-time greats) and then gives you some behind-the-scenes intel on sports marketing and how Brooks chooses and partners with athletes. Plus, he tells you why Brooks is exciting to support the pod with some previews of fun/new stuff coming in 2026. If that's not enough to buy some Brooks shoes, then we don't know what is!
Finally, they finish with a Lever uplifting Top 5, where they also announce a fun Lever contest. You could win one! See details at the contest link below!
Lever contest link: https://levermovement.com/pages/nau-giveaway-lp. Contest will be live until Friday, Feb 6th at 12 pm MT (2 pm ET).
Or to go ahead and get yours: Use code NOBODYASKEDUS for 20% off here...
Purchase link: https://bit.ly/4bLI2tG.

The buzz is real when it comes to Des's trail plans for this year. She just announced her first trail race of the season - the Black Canyon 50K - on February 15th in prep for the epic stage race Marathon des Sables (MDS) in April.
MDS is a self-supported, multi-stage ultramarathon, primarily held in the Moroccan Sahara, where runners cover ~250 km (155 miles) in six days, carrying all their own food and gear while facing desert conditions, and sleeping in communal tents with other participants. We know Des likes a sufferfest, so it shouldn't be surprising that this race has captured her attention. She gives a little preview of her prep and opens the floor for some help for her team name. Drop your ideas in the YouTube or Spotify comments!
Then, Des and Kara talk about the impending choice for the host city of the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials. Phoenix and St. Louis go head-to-head for the opportunity to choose our Olympic marathoners for LA. What factors should be considered and which city might have the edge?
Finally (before a Top 5), they preview the indoor track action coming up at the NB Indoor Games and at Millrose. There are some fun and exciting races to watch in the coming weekends, and they give you some tips on what and who to watch! Track is back!
Thank you to Lagoon Sleep for sponsoring this podcast. Take the quiz to find your ideal pillow and use code NOBODYASKEDUS for 15% off at LagoonSleep.com/NOBODYASKEDUS.

"The files are in the computer." 
Guess that movie reference as we open the show!
Well, the runners were in the TV this weekend with live action at the Houston Marathon/Half Marathon and the World XC Champs in Florida. Des was on the call in Houston on Sunday, and both Des and Kara watched the coverage of the races in Tallahassee on Saturday.
What amazing races they were! 
They cover all of the amazing chaos from World XC (from water to "mud" to obstacles and snakes), which made for some carnage on the course. Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda won the men's race, and Caroline Agnes Ngetich absolutely stole the show on the women's side. Des and Kara talk about it all and assess the US performances, with both men and women finishing in 4th place in the team results. Congrats to Tallahassee for putting on a great show!
Then in Houston, perfect weather brought some very fast times. You had 4 US men under 60 for the first time in a single race, with both the US men's and women's half records very nearly going down. And in the marathon, Zouhair Talbi won the men's marathon in 2:05:45 with the third fastest time ever by an American. Talbi is a recently naturalized citizen. He can't compete for the US yet but should be eligible by the 2028 Games, so watch that name. Great Britain's Calli Hauger-Thackery won the women's marathon in 2:24:17 after also winning Honolulu just a month ago. 
Finally, they talk about a big doping bust in marathoning - Albert Korir - before ending on a more positive note with a top 5 for the week. We are only 13 days into January and already 3 episodes into this fourth season of podcasts for Des and Kara. It's going to be a good year!

Des and Kara are back in Houston for 2026 with another podcast, live from the Cullen Theater. We had another great turn-out, and the crowd brought their A game with great questions. The audio is clean for a live pod, and the content on this one is must-listen. 
Des and Kara start with some preview thoughts on World XC and on Houston Marathon weekend. Then, they take a little trip down podcast memory lane as they enter their 4th year of podcasting together.
Finally, the crowd brings their A game with some fire questions. You get breaking news from Des on her 2026 racing calendar, and you might just learn something new about the two of them. There are some fun facts in here that not many know, plus plenty of inspiration to go around.
Thanks to everyone who joined us and good luck to everyone racing on Sunday!
Note: Unfortunately, this one is audio only as we had a video malfunction. We apologize to our YouTube loyalists!

Most importantly, if you will be in Houston this weekend, get your tickets to the Des/Kara live pod there. 7 pm on Friday (1/9) at the Cullen Center Theater. Tickets here: https://performingartshouston.org/events/nobody-asked-us-with-des-and-kara-2026-01-09-700-pm/. We hope to see you there!
Now with this episode, Kara and Des kick-off 2026 with updates on their holidays, their winter training, and some tips on how to beat the winter training doldrums yourself. Cold or bad weather - don't sweat it! Roll with the punches, and remember that it is ok to modify or miss a day on occasion. And... that rule actually applies all the time whether it's winter or not. 
They also give brief previews of the events of this weekend including the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon and World XC in Florida. To watch World XC, tune into NBC and Peacock on Saturday morning (1/10). The mixed races start at 9:45 ET, and the senior races are at 11:35 am and 12:20 am for women and men respectively. While the two-time defending champion Beatrice Chebet is out, the fields are stacked and should make for exciting racing.
Finally, they finish with a New Year top 5 as we start 2026 with a podcast banger! Happy New Year everyone!