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