Work, Play, Love With Lauren Fleshman And Jesse Thomas

It’s the “Dad” episode! In honor of Fathers’ Day, Lauren and Jesse field questions all about parenthood through the lens of being a dad, relationships with dads, and more. They cover topics like post-partum depression for dads, what to do when your kids favor mom more than dad, how to maintain a healthy relationship with a dad after divorce, and how to respond to your dad when he lectures you about your life choices. Plus, Jesse and Lauren talk snack science, writing workshops, and listeners write in with follow ups about mom guilt, leg-shaving, and more.   This episode is brought to you by New York Road Runners—an awesome organization whose mission is to inspire people through running. This month, NYRR is holding a virtual Pride Run 5K through Strava. You can run the race any time between 6/22-6/30. Head over to Nyrr.org/virtualracing/workplaylove to register and show your Pride today!

You want tips about work play and love? We got tips. Whether you’re wondering about the best way to fuel after a workout, how to handle all-consuming “mom guilt”, how to navigate whether you should date a teammate, or how to race your best in the heat, Lauren and Jesse offer up a healthy dose of advice on what’s worked for them. Plus, the Flomas duo talk about cool vacation spots for active couples, where to go swimming in Bend, and exercise resources for postpartum diastasis recti.

Confronting yourself or someone close to you is a major challenge, but it’s often worth it. Whether you’re approaching a tough conversation with a loved one, addressing your sleep-depriving excitement or anxiety before a race, or digging deep to get honest with yourself about how to spend your time, Jesse and Lauren offer tips on how to push through it in work, play, and love. You'll also hear about the best 5K workouts, sweet podcast recommendations, and the best jogging stroller. Plus, follow-ups about runner's PTSD, and changing your name.

What does it mean to step up at work, in sports, and in relationships? What does it take? Lauren and Jesse share their feelings about the rapidly developing story of former Nike athlete Alysia Montaño, who was recently featured in the New York Times speaking out against industry sponsors and their (lack of) maternity leave policies. They also talk about stepping up to a marathon after you’ve run a few halves, and stepping up to support your partner’s goals, even if it means temporarily sacrificing your own. Today’s episode is brought to you by Global Running Day: a day where people around the world pledge to move their bodies. Celebrate running and movement with Jesse and Lauren! Pledge to run a mile (or more) on June 5. Pledge here: https://globalrunningday.org/workplaylove

Worrying about how you might be perceived by others can make it challenging to make decisions, pursue your goals, or figure out your next moves. If you’re failing in a project, you might be able to realize it yourself, but how do you break it to your community? If you leave work early for a weekly running group or other exercise, will it jeopardize your job? Should you keep your last name when you get married, or will your family and your in-laws be disappointed? And if your race didn’t turn out the way you expected, does that mean you didn’t train well enough, or race smart enough? Lauren and Jesse tackle these questions about perception and more—like, you know, if a triathlete pees on the bike, do they smell when they reach the finish line? Most of the time, it’s best to take a look at the evidence and let you do you.

Spring training is ramping up, and Lauren is riding high from recent workouts with her athletes. Meanwhile, Jesse wonders whether he set a world record for fastest 5K on crutches. This week, Jesse and Lauren discuss gender in sport, and the challenges that DSD athletes face in light of the recent the Caster Semenya case. They share how they mentally prepare for races, and talk about wisdom from coaches throughout their careers. Lauren talks about racing after injury, and how she worked with Mel Lawrence to recover from a string of injuries and come back to set a 5K PR at Payton Jordan 2019. They also dig in to who does what when it comes to late-night baby duties. Don't forget that June 5th is Global Running Day! Head over to globalrunningday.com/workplaylove and celebrate moving your body by pledging to run! This week's episode is sponsored by Jaybird wireless earbuds for athletes. Visit jaybirdsport.com and use promo code workplaylove to get 20% off your order.  

Jesse’s training up for the Wings For Life World Run, where he plans to smash out a 5K. The catch? He’s doing it on crutches. He talks a bit about the race while Lauren makes some predictions about Jesse overdoing it. Meanwhile, Lauren’s just back from the Eugene Half where she ran a 1:17:27. They talk about how racing as parents has completely changed the pre-race dynamic, and how it’s difficult to take a race seriously while also taking care of the kids. The two also talk about exciting developments at Picky Bars before diving in to your questions. In this episode, Jesse and Lauren cover performance and alcohol, fatigue and iron, maintaining career motivation, and running while (trying to get) pregnant. This week's episode is sponsored by Jaybird wireless earbuds for athletes. Visit jaybirdsport.com and use promo code workplaylove to get 20% off your order.

Sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough get to Work-Play-Love-ing…! Whether you’re going hard at a dance party after a long weekend of parenting (and racing) like Lauren, or you’ve got renewed focus at work because an injury is keeping you off the field like Jesse, balancing relationships, sports, and work is just that—a balance. Listener questions are all about the hard stuff this week. Jesse and Lauren talk about racing (or not racing) after you’ve lost a loved one. They offer some dating advice for late bloomers (like them). They talk about how to navigate relationships when you’ve got a big training commitment. And they share their thoughts on message-board trolls.  

Lauren and Jesse are back on the road, traveling back to Bend from San Francisco where Jesse has just had foot surgery. Their road trip entails listening to new podcasts, discussing Jesse’s recovery outlook, and answering a bunch of WPL listener questions. They answer a question from a listener in North Carolina about training in the hot summer months, they discuss nutrition and relationship to food when you’re training vs. when you’re in an off season, they offer some bike-buying advice to someone new to triathlon, and they share the business side of Picky when they were first getting started to answer a listener question about founders’ equity. So get ready—it’s 7 hours to Bend, and you’re in the passenger seat for this week’s WPL adventure.

It’s been a rough week for the Flomas family. Jesse’s down for the count with a navicular fracture that’s nearly identical to the one he suffered in the opposite foot after Wildflower. Despite getting to zoom around on multiple devices, the injury makes balancing work and family life tough. Negotiating logistics can be hard, and Lauren and Jesse answer questions about how to navigate uncomfortable situations like supporting your competitors, skipping workouts when you’re not feeling it (and what to do the next day), finding balance on rest days, and moving in with your partner. Plus, Jesse and Lauren share new developments learned over the past week, and talk about how the injury is impacting home and Picky life. On top of that, Jesse experienced an illness that gives a new name to “man cold,” and Lauren and Jesse announce a new job opening at Picky Bars.

Sometimes when you have an extended car ride with your spouse, you run out of things to talk (or fight) about, and you decide to fire up a podcast episode! Lauren and Jesse answer listener questions during the car ride from Bend to Eugene—road noise and all—and today’s episode is all about being in touch with your body. They discuss how to identify, deal with, and hopefully avoid injury. They share how they approach their kids’ relationship to food. Plus, they weigh in on the existence of the Athena/Clydesdale division and its implications regarding body weight and performance, and they cap the episode off by talking sandbagging. It’s full of great insight from Lauren, Jesse, and WPL listeners.   

Jesse and Lauren are just starting to thaw out from the winter, and the signs of spring are accompanied by a mixed bag of emotions for the Flomas fam. Lauren’s got an exciting year shaping up with Wilder retreats, and Jesse—with a recent injury—is finding that the plans for his year are changing. Today’s show dives into hard-to-answer questions. How do you push through mental fatigue during a race? How does Picky Bars decide to follow (or buck) food trends like sugar avoidance? What’s the best way to recover from play? And when do you decide to take your business to the next level vs. letting it settle in so you can spend more time with family. Jesse and Lauren tackle those questions and more.

When you’re training hard and going after a big dream, not much is more disappointing than an injury. This is especially tough when the window of opportunity to achieve your goal is small or fleeting. So what do you do when that happens? Today, Lauren and Jesse answer questions about the highs and lows of play—and how re-setting expectations can have a big impact on your mental health and your race performance.   

Jesse’s just back from a Natural Products show in Anaheim and Lauren’s been solo-parenting for a week at home, and the Work Play Love hosts get to hang out for the first time in a while on the show. How appropriate, then, that today’s episode is all about transition. How do you jump from work to play to relationships, especially when one of the areas of your life, like business, is really heating up? How do you transition to and from maximum effort in a long race without sacrificing your overall time? And how do you come back to “normal life” after an intense training cycle. Tune in to hear Lauren and Jesse answer these questions and more. 

Jesse’s been at home with two sick kids for almost week straight. Lauren’s just back from an epic trip to New York for the indoor championships. And the two talk about their experiences during the 2019 snowpacalypse. Now, they’re cozied up in their little studio ready to field your questions. Today Lauren and Jesse tackle your hard hitting questions about building your own training plan, dealing with the urge to poop while racing, the challenges of sleep training your baby, and jealousy in relationships.   

When it comes to balancing work, play, and love, how do you draw the lines to balance it all? Today’s show is all about drawing those lines. When you’re dealing with an injury, where do you draw the line between seeking an answer vs. changing your sport goals? Where do you draw the line with work to prevent burnout from cumulative stress? When it comes to starting a family vs. starting your career, how do you work with your partner to find a time that works for you both? And when you’re just starting a business—how do you raise awareness? Jesse and Lauren answer these questions and more!

Today’s show is all about the tough stuff. Where’s the line between pushing through a challenging race and taking a DNF? What do you do when your training is disrupted by big life changes? How do split up responsibilities at home to balance emotional labor? Lauren and Jesse answer these questions and also chat about athlete sponsorship from their perspectives as athletes and business owners.   

Jesse and Lauren are fresh off of a weekend full of play. Both recount their experiences of racing the Great Nordeen Nordic race. Jesse talks about his unfortunate crash during the race, and how his triathlon training came in handy. Lauren shares why her inner monologue during the race was “I hate this” on repeat. But now that they’re back in the proverbial saddle, they’re set to answer your questions about sport, family and business. Today Lauren and Jesse discuss weight loss, how to train for distance when you’re a fast-twich athlete, what the Flomases do to play as a family and as a couple, and whether or not to go pro as a triathlete.  

From proper snot-rocket etiquette to how to divvy up parenting duties, this episode has something for everyone. Athletes? Lauren and Jesse go deep on the habits they developed in sport that they needed to un-learn in other areas of their lives. Parents? The Flomases talk about how they share parenting duties and what they do when they differ on a parenting approach. Biz owners? Jesse shares how he’s had to become more comfortable with failure as a business owner, and he critiques the roll-out of the latest Picky Bars product. Tune in for all that and way more.

You can experience pretty awesome wins in life. You know, like professionally competing in triathlons, breaking national running records, and growing your own business from scratch. But some days it all comes down to negotiating how many bites of food your five-year-old is willing to eat for dinner. This week’s show is all about that work-play-love balance. How do you try to excel in multiple areas of your life, and not end up feeling mediocre in all of them? How do you set athletic goals that won’t lead to burnout? How do you adjust to a new child in the family? And how can you change your role in a business you co-own with your spouse? Tune in to hear Lauren and Jesse answer those listener questions, and more.