DFW Running Talk

A double iron-distance triathlon. 31 hours and 31 minutes. Discover the story behind the finish—and a life built around adventure. Before becoming a Fit 4 Adventure co-owner, this Texas athlete spent years caddying on professional golf tours and finding races wherever work took her. She shares stories from a Double Anvil finish and extreme triathlons in Alaska and Iceland, plus the weekly swim, bike, and run challenge that keeps her active today. We explore Boston Marathon travel, turning a destination race into a vacation, and choosing adventures that match your fitness. Along the way, a trip planned for friends becomes the beginning of a new career—and lasting community. CHAPTERS 00:00 Growing up active in Texas 07:12 Life as a professional golf caddie 15:56 A weekly challenge to keep moving 18:07 The 31-hour double iron-distance triathlon 25:54 Boston Marathon travel and race weekend 30:37 Running and exploring Iceland 38:25 From golf to owning an adventure travel company 47:37 Choosing your next race vacation or adventure FEATURED COMPANY Fit 4 Adventure Follow DFW Running Talk on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Rate the show to help more runners discover these conversations. What race would you build a vacation around? Leave a comment. DFW Running Talk — the stories behind Dallas–Fort Worth’s runners. Running resources: https://www.dfwrunningtalk.com/ Newsletter: https://dfwrunningtalk.substack.com/ YouTube and Instagram: @dfwrunningtalk

A Dallas–Fort Worth runner turned two marathon blowups into a 2:36:11 breakthrough at Houston. This DFW Running Talk runner interview reveals what changed in his marathon training—and why it took more than fitness. Kevin Barr returned to running in 2023 after nearly seven years away. His first marathon ended in a painful 3:10. He tried again, bonked again and finished in 3:02. Kevin eventually broke three hours with a 2:57, joined Completely Sloth and began training with some of the fastest runners in DFW. At the Houston Marathon, he caught the women’s Olympic Trials qualifying pace group, negative-split the race and finished in 2:36:11. Kevin explains how he: • Increased his mileage and consistency • Learned from two marathon blowups • Changed his pacing to finally break three hours • Used faster training partners to reach another level • Balances nine to ten hours of training with work and four children • Plans to chase a 2:29 marathon next Know a runner we should interview? Send your suggestion at https://dfwrunningtalk.com.

Running coach Rafa Aguilar explains how he quit vaping, went from throwing up after his first 5K to running a 2:45 Houston Marathon, and earned a Boston Marathon qualifying time in less than three years. Rafa shares the marathon training, strength work, fueling plan, running community and negative-split pacing strategy behind his transformation—including how he saved his hardest effort for the final 10K and closed Houston with sub-six-minute miles. Follow Rafa at @rafarunz and discover more Dallas–Fort Worth running stories at https://dfwrunningtalk.com.

David Slear shares the training, mileage, and racing decisions behind his 64-minute transformation. David traces his journey from Princeton lightweight rowing through triathlon and into competitive marathon running. We discuss the fueling mistake that destroyed his first Dallas Marathon, how the DFW running community gave him confidence to chase faster times, and what changed when he began running more than 100 miles per week. David also explains why he uses two-a-day runs, how he balances training with work and family, and why he races by effort instead of locking onto a specific pace. Whether you’re chasing a Boston qualifier, building marathon mileage, or trying to break through a plateau, this conversation offers an honest look at what major improvement requires. CHAPTERS (00:00) Meet 2:23 marathoner David Slear (13:38) The 3:27 Dallas Marathon blowup (24:35) Finding the DFW running community (27:29) Winning his second marathon in 2:39 (44:00) Building toward 110-mile training weeks (47:43) Running 2:28:41 at the Chicago Marathon (52:05) Breaking the rules at the Boston Marathon (1:01:23) Self-coaching, two-a-days, and staying healthy Follow DFW Running Talk on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Rate the show—it’s one of the biggest ways you can help new runners find us. Know a DFW runner we should interview? Send us your recommendation. DFW Running Talk—the stories behind Dallas–Fort Worth’s runners. dfwrunningtalk.com · YouTube · Instagram · Substack

The former TCU runner, CFO, and father of two explains how he progressed from a 3:28 marathon debut to a Boston qualifier—and ultimately one of the strongest races of his life. We get into the marathon training volume that changed everything, why 55–60 miles per week wasn’t enough for his goals, how the DFW Sloths pushed him toward 70–90-mile weeks, and the race-day pacing decision that saved his CIM. Jeff also shares what runners chasing a sub-3-hour marathon, Boston qualifier, BQ, or major marathon PR can learn from his long plateau: improvement comes from patience, community, fueling, recovery, and years of consistent work. (00:00) Jeff Pels and the long road to 2:37 (12:25) From a 3:28 debut to a sub-3 Boston qualifier (17:24) What finally broke the 2:58 marathon plateau (22:44) Increasing from 55 to 90 miles per week (28:38) How the DFW Sloths made him faster (33:37) Rebounding from a difficult Boston Marathon (38:06) The race strategy behind his 2:37 at CIM (50:18) Patience, community, and long-term improvement Follow DFW Running Talk on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Rate the show—it’s one of the biggest things you can do to help new runners find us. Know a DFW runner we should feature? Send us a message at [email protected]. DFW Running Talk—the stories behind Dallas–Fort Worth’s runners. https://dfwrunningtalk.com https://youtube.com/@DFWRunningTalk https://instagram.com/dfwrunningtalk https://dfwrunningtalk.substack.com