Off The Couch Podcast

On Blister's Off The Couch Podcast, Jonathan Ellsworth talks with one of the most influential product designers in the outdoor industry, Jean-Luc Diard, about the design philosophy of Deckers X Lab, a number of the models in the Deckers Lab lineup, and why they are trying to rethink everything from the standard flip flop to the casual sneaker to the suspension systems of high-end, performance shoes.

Jean-Luc Diard on the Deckers X Lab Design Philosophy & Products (Ep.85)

by
We’re talking again with one of the most influential product designers in the outdoor industry, Jean-Luc Diard, about the design philosophy of Deckers X Lab, a number of the models in the Deckers Lab lineup, and why they are trying to rethink everything from the standard flip flop to the casual sneaker to the suspension systems of high-end, performance shoes.
Zoë Rom goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss her DNF Podcast, growing up in Arkansas, Oreos, Fireball, ultramarathons, her FKT on Capitol Peak, and much more

Zoë Rom on Fruit, Oreos, Fireball, FKTs, & Running Culture (Ep.77)

by
Zoë Rom is a runner / scrambler / climber; reader; writer; and host of the DNF Podcast. We talk with her about all of this plus her interest in continuing to deepen and enrich running culture; the very specific way to win her heart; getting cut from the cross country team in high school; winning her first ultra with the help of Oreos & Fireball; her FKT on Capitol Peak; what she’s reading, watching, and listening to; and more.
Peter Bromka goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss writing, running, writing about running, and more

Peter Bromka on Running & Writing (Ep.76)

by
Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talk with Peter Bromka, a runner that grew up in Portland, ran at Tufts University, and now is back in Portland where he runs for the Bowerman Track Club Elite Program. But in addition to training hard and running fast, Peter is focused on writing about running itself. And in this conversation, you’ll hear more about how he is currently pursuing both.
Matt Hart, author of Win At All Costs, goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss the book, PEDs in a variety of sports, and more

Matt Hart on Nike, The Oregon Project, & PEDs in Sports (Ep.74)

by
We talk to Matt Hart about his book, Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and its Culture of Deception, which is is an important book that everyone interested in competitive athletics should read. We discuss how Matt got interested in and involved with this story; whether we should just make all performance-enhancing drugs legal in all sports; who is most to blame for PED use in sports; what Nike’s response to the book has been; and Alberto Salazar’s upcoming trial.
Jean-Luc Diard goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss going from an intern to the CEO of Salomon, founding Hoka One One, and his current role as VP of of Innovation for Deckers.

Hoka Founder & Deckers Group VP of Innovation, Jean-Luc Diard (Ep.73)

by
If you are interested in product design and the process of innovation, then you need to listen to this conversation. Jean-Luc Diard started as an intern at Salomon, developed the first shaped ski, became the CEO at Salomon, played a major role in the development of Salomon’s running shoes, moved on to found Hoka One One, and is currently the VP of Innovation for the Deckers Group, where he currently heads up the Deckers X Lab.
Billy Yang goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss filmmaking, his podcast, running career, and more

Billy Yang on Running, Filmmaking, Media, Moving (??), & More (Ep.72)

by
Billy Yang is (among other things) a runner, filmmaker (Billy Yang Films), podcast host (Billy Yang Podcast), and someone who has been chronicling the sport of running in a fashion that is often beautiful, and always inspiring. So Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Billy about everything from cigarette brands to the need for more compassionate critical thinking in our world.
Cody Townsend goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss how he went from hating running to loving it, how running is a big part of his training plan for his ongoing Fifty Project, and more

Big Mtn Skier (& Trail Runner), Cody Townsend (Ep.70)

by
Six months ago, professional skier, Cody Townsend, hated running. Now he loves it. So what happened?? And will his current training program really get him ready to ski tour up and down some of the gnarliest peaks in North America for his ongoing Fifty Project? If you have ever found yourself in the “I hate running” camp, you should listen to this episode.
Coree Woltering goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss setting the FKT for the Ice Age Trail, how he got started running, ticks & mosquitos, and more

Coree Woltering on his Ice Age Trail FKT, Catcalls, & Tick Removal (Ep.67)

by
Coree Woltering is definitely one of the most interesting ultrarunners out there, so Brendan Leonard and Jonathan Ellsworth talked to Coree about the one time when a catcall actually worked; why the running world needs to stop overlooking midwestern athletes; Quick Trip burgers and how to remove ticks; and the injury and the miracle that happened while he was setting a new FKT on the Ice Age Trail.
Ryan Hall goes on Blister's Off The Couch Podcast to discuss running his first ultramarathon, the Grand Traverse in Crested Butte, how he is now focused on weight lifting, how he views weight and running performance, and much more

Ryan Hall on His First Ultra; Performance & Weight; Proper Perspective; & More (Ep.66)

by
Ryan Hall is a two-time Olympian and is the only American to run a sub-2:05:00 marathon. But these days, Ryan is far more focused on lifting, yet he just completed his first ultramarathon — and he did it in the most ‘Off The Couch’ way possible. So we sat down with Ryan in Blister HQ to talk about his first ultra; finding proper perspective; weight & performance; and more.
Kelly Roberts goes on Blister's Off The Couch podcast to discuss how to start running, how to keep running, the Bad Ass Lady Gang, & More

Kelly Roberts on How to Start Running, Keep Running, & Her Badass Lady Gang (Ep.65)

by
Ever feel like you aren’t — or couldn’t ever possibly be — a “real” runner? Most of us have, which is why most of us need to meet Kelly Roberts. Kelly is good at making us feel fine about the fact that we sometimes hate running. And she’s equally good at helping us continue to run — or walk, or bike, or just keep moving. So we talk to Kelly about her moving (and hilarious) entrance into running; her Badass Lady Gang; angel ghosts; and more.
+ More