We talk with Dave about the slow, messy slide into overtraining syndrome, the missteps that worsened it, and the practical tools that brought him back to strong, sustainable running. Along the way, we share a content warning about a graphic post-credits medical story and explain why health metrics and honest pacing matter.

• Catalina 50-mile recap and the mental game on long grinds
• What overtraining syndrome is and why tests look normal
• Early flags: insomnia, excess sweat, dizziness, migraines
• Diagnosis by exclusion and the limits of quick fixes
• Hormones, low testosterone, mood changes and trade-offs
• Gut findings: H. pylori, candida and systemic stress
• Returning via true easy training, vert, and HRV trends
• Using rest, fueling, and life stress management
• Why “listen to your body” is a performance skill
• Publishing the OTS case series and shared patterns

After we say bye, stay for the post-credits story. Trigger warning: blood, injury, intense medical condition, male sexual organs. Dave shares a personal story and has a few notes: "Sharing and laughing about the experience has given me a sense of control over it, and sharing it more broadly feels like a continuation of that. A penile fracture isn’t all that uncommon, but it’s rarely talked about—probably out of shame or embarrassment. My hope is that sharing my story could help others. Maybe runners will be a little more cautious with OTS too!"

Check out the article on OTS we referenced in the episode: LINK TO FULL ARTICLE

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Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.