Out and Back
Out and Back
Jacob Thomson and Rory Linkletter
Rory Linkletter and Jacob Thomson are professional marathoners chasing fast times and big goals on the roads. Training out of Flagstaff, Arizona, they’ve got plenty of stories from the grind of big mileage, the chaos of race travel, the highs and lows of racing on the world stage and the random stuff that happens between workouts. With a passion for storytelling, running culture, and building community, Rory and Jacob bring listeners behind the scenes of the marathon lifestyle. Training talk with a few detours.
#49 Truett Hanes on Chasing the OTQ and Going All In on a Goal That Scares You
⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Truett Hanes is in Flagstaff for a three-week training camp, halfway through it when this was recorded, and it's the most structured he's ever approached running. You probably know him from the pull-up world record, the blue jean marathons, or the Leadville 100 buckle, but now he's locked in on one thing: the Olympic Trials qualifier. Rory coaches him through Let's Tango, and this conversation covers how someone who bulldozed their way to a 2:29 on pure willpower had to completely rethink their approach, what the training has looked like in Flagstaff, and why the jump from 2:30 to OTQ is a different animal than anything he's done before. They also get into the haters, his dad's 11-minute marathon PR at 58, what it actually means to call your shot publicly, and some genuinely good advice on storytelling and content for anyone trying to build an audience around a big goal.Goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.Aqua Omega: a high dose, concentrated omega-3 from sustainably sourced anchovies, third-party tested, no fish burps, and for every bottle sold they remove one pound of plastic from the ocean. Use code OUTNBACK for 20% off at myAquaOmega.com/outandbackMeteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off https://www.meteopace.com/redeem Code: OUTANDBACK https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACKMerch Store:https://outandback.shop/Coaching:Jacob’s Coaching WebsiteRory’s Coaching WebsiteJoin our newsletter⁠Join our Strava group⁠Follow us:Jacob’s YouTube⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠ Out And Back YouTube⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠SandyBoy Productions⁠⁠⁠
Aug 9
1 hr 9 min
#48 Vincent Ciattei on Winning the US 5000m Title, Training as a Miler at Altitude, and the Dark Sky Squad
⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Vincent Ciattei comes straight off USA Track and Field Championships in New York where he finished second in the 1500 by five hundredths of a second, sent a message to his college group chat saying he was winning the 5K the next day, and then did exactly that. First Dark Sky teammate on the pod, and one of the more interesting training conversations the show has had. Vincent is a 3:48 miler running 90-mile weeks at 7,000 feet, doing double threshold, hill circuits at Marshall Lake, and long tempos down in Camp Verde, and this year it all clicked. They get into what a training cycle actually looks like for a mid-distance guy, how he thinks about threshold intensity control, why the 5K is becoming a legitimate weapon for elite milers, what Dark Sky's massive training group brings out in each other, and the broader conversation around why the best Americans keep skipping USAs in off years and what could be done about it.Goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off https://www.meteopace.com/redeem Code: OUTANDBACK https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠⁠Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jul 30
1 hr 6 min
#47 Between Reps: Josh Kerr's Record, USAs, and Training Updates
MERCH: https://outandback.shop/Jacob and Rory are back in Flagstaff after weeks on the road, and Jacob gives an update on his Achilles: no pain in four weeks, mileage climbing back up, and marathon training officially back on. They dig into the Chicago Marathon field announcement, with Sharon Lokedi as the headline story and a stacked American men's field chasing fast times. Then Josh Kerr's mile world record takes over, from the race itself to whether he could go after the 1500m record next, and why USA Outdoor Championships keep losing their biggest names to Europe. They close out with listener questions on training locations, gear from their college days, favorite non-major marathons, and what kids at running camp do better than grown adults.https://www.thomsontraining.run/https://www.letstango.run/Goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off https://www.meteopace.com/redeem Code: OUTANDBACK https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK
Jul 26
1 hr 4 min
#46 Madey Dickson on Running 2:28 at Boston, Working Full Time as a Nurse, and Chasing Big Goals at Berlin
Madey Dickson is a full-time ICU and ER nurse who runs 100 miles a week, smashed the OTQ by nine minutes at Boston, and won Puma's Project Three, all while working 12-hour shifts. Rory coaches her and they were teammates at BYU, where she was a middle distance runner who stumbled into the marathon almost by accident. They talk training around a nurse's schedule, self belief, the Berlin build, and what the 2028 Olympic Trials could look like for her.Goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.⁠⁠Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jul 19
58 min
#45 Between Reps - Summer Heat Training, Josh Kerr's World Record Attempt, and Fall Marathon Field Rumors With Chris Striegel
Jacob, Rory, and Chris Striegel of the Life in Stride Podcast check in for a between reps episode packed with summer training talk and fall marathon buzz. They start with heat training -- what Chris is doing in Kentucky with a newborn, what Jacob survived in Orange Beach, and how to stop panicking about pace when it's 90 degrees and humid. They recap their Fourth of July races in Lexington and Rory's athlete Madey Dixon winning the downtown Flagstaff Mile in a course record. Then it's current events: Josh Kerr's world record attempt in the mile, Faith Kipyegon's first 1500 loss in five years to Nikki Hiltz, and what to watch at USA Track and Field Championships. They close out with fall marathon field speculation, Vinny Mauri's treadmill long run hype, and whether Athing Mu has quietly stepped away from the sport.Follow ChrisJoin our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jul 12
1 hr 3 min
#44 NAZ Elite Coach Jack Mullaney on Building Team Culture, Alex Masai's Breakout, and Marathon Training Philosophy
Jack Mullaney, head coach of NAZ Elite, joins Jacob and Rory at the Run Flagstaff studio for episode 44. Jack walked into one of the most storied professional running programs in the country two and a half years ago as a first-time head coach, inheriting a team mid-transition and figuring out how to build something that felt like his own. He talks about how he navigated that, what his five C's of coaching actually look like in practice, and why connection is the foundation he keeps coming back to. The conversation gets into the weeds on training philosophy: his three non-negotiables, why he's skeptical of silver bullet trends, and how he thinks about keeping all paces present year-round. They also deep dive into specifics of some of Jack's athletes' training and performances. Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off MeteoPace Pro at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meteopace.com/redeem⁠⁠⁠⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠⁠⁠Goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.⁠Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jul 5
1 hr 13 min
#43 Steph Bruce on 20 Years as a Pro, Founding Picky Bars, the Stamata Project, and What Comes Next
Steph Bruce joins Jacob and Rory at the new Run Flagstaff studio for episode 43 -- recorded six days after she and Rory both ran the Broken Arrow Sky Race Ascent. They start there, comparing notes on what is genuinely the hardest race either of them has ever done, and why neither of them were as prepared as they thought. From there the conversation opens up into Steph's full arc: the origin of Picky Bars, built out of a Eugene apartment with Lauren Fleshman and Jesse Thomas and eventually sold to Laird Hamilton's company; the NAZ Elite years and what that team did to change how professional running groups operate; her current role leading the Tracksmith Stamata project, which supports women chasing the Olympic Trials qualifier; and where she sees herself going now that trail and uphill racing have entered the picture. Nine Olympic Trials, a 15:17 5K, a 2:27 marathon, and she's still figuring out what's next. Honest, funny, and worth the full listen.Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off MeteoPace Pro at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.meteopace.com/redeem⁠⁠⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK ⁠⁠⁠https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠⁠This episode is brought to you in part by Amazfit. Rory wore the Amazfit T-Rex 3 at Broken Arrow, where pace data goes out the window and elevation, distance, and heart rate are all that matter. Check out his full Broken Arrow race video on his personal YouTube channel here -- one of the best produced videos he's put out yet.Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jun 28
59 min
#42 Listener Q & A - Broken Arrow & MRI Update
NEW MERCH: https://outandback.shop/⁠Jacob and Rory check in on what's been a rocky few weeks for Jacob's Achilles -- paratendon inflammation that's forced him to pull most of his summer road races and lean hard into cross training. Rory previews his Broken Arrow Sky Race Ascent debut, his first pro trail outing, and explains why he picked the climb over a longer technical race. They also run through current events: Time's Most Influential list snubbing Noah Lyles, Cape Town joining the World Marathon Majors, the Kenyan takeover of NCAA distance running, and that bicarb ad. Then it's a full listener Q&A -- 23 questions covering rest weeks, double threshold training, shoe contracts, beer mile predictions, podcast white whales, and the worst training advice circulating online right now.goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off MeteoPace Pro at ⁠⁠https://www.meteopace.com/redeem⁠⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK ⁠⁠https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠⁠Kava Haven: All the Buzz, None of the Booze — get 15% off your first order at ⁠⁠http://kavahaven.com/outandback⁠⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK15 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/⁠Follow us:⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jun 21
1 hr 18 min
#41 Brady Holmer - High Carb Evidence, Ketone, and How to Actually Sleep Before a Race
Brady Holmer is back for his third appearance, which officially makes him the most tenured guest in Out and Back history. He's a week out from Grandma's Marathon, coming off a stress injury and a training block built around high bike volume, durability workouts, and progression long runs in the Texas heat. The conversation covers a lot of ground: what the research actually says about high carb fueling (and where the evidence gets murky), why the crossover point matters more than oxidation rates, gel selection and why he's cycling between multiple products, a new ketone IQ study showing a 15% boost in EPO production post-exercise, and what Nomeo is actually doing in the body. Then Jacob admits he spent race night at the New York Half taking Advil PM every hour hoping to knock out, and Brady walks through what the research says about sleep before races -- including why trying harder to fall asleep is the worst thing you can do.ZBiotics: This episode is brought to you by ZBiotics, a pre-alcohol probiotic drink designed to break down the toxic byproduct that builds up in your gut when you drink -- so you can have a good night and still show up for your long run the next morning. Go to zbiotics.com/outandback, use code OUT AND BACK for 15% off your first order. Backed by a 100% money back guarantee.Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off MeteoPace Pro at ⁠⁠https://www.meteopace.com/redeem⁠⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK ⁠⁠https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy merch: https://outandback.shop/Follow us:⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy ProductionsBrady's training block and Grandma's Marathon prepDurability workouts: combining bike and runHeat training in TexasWhat the research actually says about high carb fuelingGel strategy, product lineup, and decoupling fuel from hydrationNew ketone IQ study: EPO production and recoveryNomeo: how it actually works (and what we don't know)Sleep before a race: why trying harder makes it worseRecovery modalities: red light, ice bath, and compression boots rankedRapid fire: cross training, electrolytes, and pre-race caffeine
Jun 14
1 hr 20 min
#40 David Roche - The Rules of High Carb Training, How to Train the Gut, Fatigue Resistance, & Training the Pros
David Roche -- ultra marathoner, elite running coach, and what Rory's calling the godfather of the high carb revolution -- joins the Out and Back for episode 40. He started as a running back at Columbia, spent years coaching before ever being competitive himself, and broke the Leadville 100 course record in 2024 (and again in 2025!) largely by stress-testing the same principles he'd been building with his athletes. The conversation covers a lot of ground: how he thinks about carb intake across different race distances, why he separates hydration from fueling, the case for uphill treadmill threshold work, what unites his coaching across trail, road, and ultra, and why he keeps looking to cycling for answers the running world is slow to ask. David on InstagramDavid's WebsiteMeteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off MeteoPace Pro at ⁠⁠https://www.meteopace.com/redeem⁠⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK ⁠⁠https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠goodr: Upgrade your eyewear by heading to goodr.com/OUTANDBACK to claim $10 off your first order.Meteo Pace: Be prepared for race day by getting 20% off MeteoPace Pro at ⁠https://www.meteopace.com/redeem⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK ⁠https://app.meteopace.com/redeem?code=OUTANDBACK⁠Kava Haven: All the Buzz, None of the Booze — get 15% off your first order at ⁠http://kavahaven.com/outandback⁠ Code: OUTANDBACK15 ⁠⁠Join our newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Strava group⁠⁠⁠Follow us:⁠⁠Jacob’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Out And Back YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jacob’s Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Rory's Coaching Website⁠⁠⁠⁠SandyBoy Productions
Jun 7
1 hr 16 min
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