Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught-Leer are back for an Easter Sunday edition of Off the Rails — recording from Boulder after Aisha narrowly avoided a Donner Party situation in Crested Butte. The Boston live show sold out in hours, track season has officially opened and there is now a buddy cop doping sting operation on the table.
Discussed in this episode:
Boston live show sold out: Dillon’s on Friday of Boston Marathon weekend is officially full. If you missed it, Eric and Aisha will be around all weekend and will share their full itinerary. Stay tuned.
Kristi Noem's husband and bimbofication: Photos emerge of the Secretary of Homeland Security's husband in pink spandex and balloons doing things online. Eric and Aisha don't kink shame.
Tiger Woods in the back of a police cruiser: ET memes confirmed accurate. Aisha shares her no-karaoke-footage rule. Eric reminisces about singing "New York, New York" at karaoke in Tokyo with Chris on the ASICS trip.
Kanye West's comeback and the Wall Street Journal apology
Albert Korir doping positive: The 2021 NYC Marathon winner tested positive for CERA (essentially EPO) three times in October, kept racing to a third-place finish at NYC in November, and received a five-year ban. Eric and Aisha discuss the systemic problem in Kenyan distance running, the difficulty of a national ban, and their proposed solution: a buddy cop undercover sting operation in Kenya.
Connor Mantz withdraws from Boston: Aisha on the mental brutality of being injured while chasing a big race — and why pulling out might actually be the mature move with a baby due in July.
Track weekend roundup: Kishane Thompson runs 14.92 in the 150m, breaking Linford Christie's world best from 1994. Gabby Thomas opens with a wind-aided sub-11. A sprinter out of Botswana runs 9.89 early in the season. Jane Hedengren runs her very first 10K at Stanford Invitational and breaks the NCAA record as a true freshman: 30:46.
Matt Choi gets DQ'd again: This time at 70.3 Texas. Eric offers to ghostwrite his next apology.
📞 Listener Voicemails
– A listener recommends Eric run the Sri Chinmoy Marathon — an eight-lap loop course on a Thursday morning for $65.
– Emma from Missouri, who ran cross country in the same district as Chappell Roan, clarifies that "soft swinging" is just making out with other couples.
– Multiple listeners want to know which runners should go on Survivor. Eric has never seen a single episode. Aisha would rather do The Amazing Race.
– A equine sports medicine vet asks about the craziest injury hacks runners use.
– Kelly, who yelled "Go Miss Seema!" at the 10K because she googled the name, says it was harder to get tickets to the live show than to qualify for Boston.
– A listener from the "target demographic of middle-aged moms" asks what the Off the Rails comedy tour would look like.
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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.