About this episode

Kelly and JK discuss pregnancy-related controversies in athletics, including sponsorship issues faced by marathoner Emma Bates.

Kelly and JK celebrate episode 75 and share training updates: Kelly recaps a March 28 two-mile race and notes issues with the Runna app. JK reports recommitting to priming and short recovery circuits after lifts, reframing rest days as “recharge” days, and separating recovery as part of training strategy rather than sleep. They then discuss controversy around marathoner Emma Bates being dropped by nutrition brand UCAN after revealing she was pregnant, including disputed contract/negotiation timing, reduced offers, PR implications, contractor protections, and whether sponsorship type affects pregnancy support. 00:00 Episode 75 Kickoff 01:29 Updates And Controversy Tease 01:54 Kelly Two Mile Race Recap 11:19 Runna App Frustrations 16:51 JK Recovery Work Recommitment 28:22 Courtroom Streams And Lunch Breaks 32:06 Unedited Reality Moments 32:35 Desensitized To Crime 34:57 Living Abroad Perspective 37:35 Pivot To Fitness Talk 37:58 Emma Bates Sponsor Dispute 43:43 Brand Nuance And PR 51:29 Contract Terms And Workload 01:00:49 Contractor Protections And Abercrombie 01:07:02 Wrap Up And Where To Find Us Follow the podcast at ⁠⁠⁠@liftingrunninglivingpod⁠⁠⁠ Email us at…

People in this episode

Hosts: Kelly Lutz, JK McLeod

Topics covered

• pregnancy
• athletic contracts
• sponsorship
• nutrition
• fitness
• recovery

Keywords

• pregnancy
• athletic contracts
• Emma Bates
• UCAN
• Runna app
• recovery
• sponsorship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UCAN, Abercrombie

Products: Runna app

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• 73. AR Running Glasses, LA Marathon, and US Half Marathon Champs Controversy · March 13, 2026 · 1h 7m
• 72. Exploring Fitness, Fame, and Integrity with Joy Parrish · February 27, 2026 · 1h 8m
• 71. Quad Strength: The Key to Longevity? · February 13, 2026 · 46 min
• 70. Social Change, Fitness Gains, and Life Transitions · January 29, 2026 · 53 min

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