Blood Doping in 2026, Wiz Khalifa Is Running and Merch Is Finally Live

<p><em>One of the longest episodes in Off the Rails history and one of the most eventful.</em></p><p><em>Discussed in this episode:</em></p><p>– <strong>Eric vs. the bike:</strong> Three rides in. Main problems: sweating while commuting and not wanting to wear shorts.</p><p>– <strong>Pre-race rituals:</strong> In response to a voicemail from Jean Nicole, a theology professor who uses athletic analogies in teaching monastic practices.</p><p>– <strong>Freddie Crittenden is a middle school math teacher:</strong> Retired at USAs. Now posting the most wholesome content on Instagram — previewing his classroom, talking through the transition. </p><p>– <strong>Wiz Khalifa is running:</strong> The touchstone that running has arrived in culture. He got called slow at a nine-minute pace, went out and ran fast to prove people wrong. Shame on anyone who shamed him for his pace. </p><p>– <strong>AOC&#39;s egg-freezing journey:</strong> Aisha opens up for the first time publicly about being almost two years into an IVF journey that hasn&#39;t been going great. The power of seeing someone do this in real time (not at the end of the story when everything is resolved) is felt.</p><p>– <strong>Brad Pitt is drinking again:</strong> Seven years sober. Now not. All his kids have dropped his last name. He owns a vineyard. The comment section is on fire. He&#39;s in the Leo/Pitt class — too big, too beloved, too beautiful for PR to fully catch them. </p><p>– <strong>Fayetteville-Manlius and Bill Aris:</strong> 12-time national championship coach let go over overtraining allegations. The broader conversation centers on: What is the right intensity for high school athletes? </p><p>– <strong>Jonah Koech gets a three-year blood doping ban:</strong> Full ABP explainer from Aisha. The Athlete Biological Passport tracks blood values over time and flags when they&#39;re consistent with doping, even if no single test detects a substance. Two tests flagged: July 30, 2025 (one day before the USATF prelims he&#39;d go on to win) and August 8th (six days after his final win). Values consistent with blood doping. Standard four-year ban reduced to three for admitting use of a prohibited method. He&#39;s since come out saying he was pressured into the admission. </p><p>– <strong>European Championships recap:</strong> Jakob Ingebrigtsen wins the 5K gold in his first race back in 11 months; Mark English wins his first European gold in the 800m at age 33; Gesa Krause wins the women&#39;s steeple in one decisive move at the final water jump; Audrey Werro beats Keely Hodgkinson again; Andreas Almgren&#39;s 10K is a clinic in front-running from the start and finishes with a 40-second winning margin, European record.</p><p>– <strong>Lausanne Diamond League is back on Friday August 21st:</strong> Audrey Werro vs. Femke Bol women&#39;s 800 rematch. Winfred Yavi, Faith Cherotich in the women&#39;s steeple. Graham Blanks, Grant Fisher, Parker Wolf, Nico Young in the men&#39;s 5K. Brandon Miller, Emmanuel Wanyoni, Marco Arop, Djamel Sedjati in the men&#39;s 800. </p><p>– <strong>Eric is running the New York City Marathon:</strong> First marathon. New Balance team. Goal: 3:30. Eight-minute pace. That&#39;s actually running. Current long run: 8 miles. Fueling: never done it, has to figure it out immediately. </p><p>Voicemails include: Did someone set Eric up in his bad host family experience; who would you want to host for a race; what would your running celebration be</p><p>– <strong>MERCH IS LIVE:</strong> Link in the show notes. They said it couldn&#39;t be done. They were almost right. Against all odds — it&#39;s done.</p><p>Get your Off The Rails merch here: <a href="https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/"><u>https://off-the-rails-pod-shop.fourthwall.com/</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>📞 Call in to (856) 279-0080‬ to leave us a voicemail with any question you may have, whether it’s running-related or not.</p><p>📲 Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow the show