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PODCAST

For Better Or For Worse

Marathon Handbook

For Better or for Worse: the show where a beginner and an elite runner, engaged to be married, try to survive training, racing, and each other. Meet the Hosts: Alexis D’Souza: Beginning runner, Gilmore Girls fanatic, real estate agent. 5k PB: TBD. “Alex catfished me into this whole running thing - 100 mile weeks was never part of the deal. But my siblings are into it, and my friends are racing marathons; so I’ve finally decided to see what this fuss is all about. It can’t be that hard,

sports running

All Episodes

56:58

Should You PR in Training? Our "Prove It" Workouts...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/10/06

Episode 20 of For Better or For Worse! Alex and Alexis mark the milestone with a game of Two Truths and a Lie. In training updates, Alex goes way too hard in his "Prove It" workout three weeks before the Valencia Half Marathon. He runs an unofficial 10K personal best of 28:56 in practice, and the two of them debate whether you should ever PR in a workout. Alexis looks back on her 7:09 Bloor Street Mile as her own prove-it moment, starts tapering for her 5K at Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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57:25

I Raced My First Ever Mile (It Didn't Go to Plan)

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/09/29

Alexis has finally raced. Just 26 hours after the first-ever Bloor Street Mile in Toronto, Alexis D'Souza Cyr and Alex Cyr go through her first race, from start to finish: the race-morning nerves, the porta-potty standoff, the imposter syndrome at the start line, and Alex's pacing job (he admits it was bad), which sent her through the first 400m about 20 seconds too fast. She still ran a huge 7:09 mile. Then came track hack.This episode is brought to you by ASICS: Sign up for a free

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66:17

A 14:13 5k for Alex, Alexis Chooses Her 5k Race Pace

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/09/22

On Episode 18 of For Better or For Worse, Alex and Alexis kick things off with the ultimate runner's hypothetical: 300 meters from the finish line, in the lead, and your body betrays you... do you hold the line or take the L?Then it's training-update time: Alex breaks down his Yorkville 5K (14:13, just off the podium) and gets brutally honest about whether his competitiveness has turned into a problem, while Alexis talks through her hardest training week yet and locks in an official 5K goal

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54:13

Should Your Partner Have to Attend Your Races?

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/09/15

On this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex and Alexis kick things off with a truly disgusting round of "worst first impressions" (snot rockets, projectile vomit, and a barrata tomato incident) before rehashing the real story of their own disastrous first date. Then it's into the training: Alexis tackles a 5x4-minute threshold workout with Alex coaching from the e-bike, followed by an honest check-in on runner burnout as they close in on the Toronto 5K. The big debate of the week: is

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64:06

A 97-Mile Week, a Bee Sting, and Should Marathons...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/09/08

Alex is coming off the biggest mileage week of his life (97 miles / 154K!) and just signed Alexis up for a surprise race, while Alexis is nursing a bee sting and celebrating a new 5K race-pace PB. Then we get into the big one: should marathons have stricter time cutoffs, or should courses stay open all day for anyone who wants to finish? We debate both sides: city logistics, injuries and disabilities, qualifying standards, and why the media loves a "last place finisher" story a little too

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68:36

We Ranked All 7 World Marathon Majors (Alex Is Back...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/09/02

Alex just landed back in Toronto after covering the Sydney Marathon, and Alexis has news of her own: she signed herself up for her very first race ever, without telling Alex first. They break down what actually makes a marathon a "major," the six-star (now seven-star) finisher medal, Boston's brutal qualifying standards, and then go head-to-head ranking every major from worst to best, with some surprising results. Plus: a stunt-eating segment with duty-free crocodile jerky, training updates

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59:59

We Play "Kiss, Marry, Kill" (Long Runs vs Workouts vs...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/08/25

Today, we're playing Kiss, Marry, Kill... running edition. Alex and Alexis each pick which type of run (long run, workout, or easy run) they'd keep forever, marry for life, and never do again. Along the way: Alexis completes her first full week of real training for her October 5K, the two debate whether ultra running is more impressive than a fast 5K, and things get surprisingly sweet when the game turns into a conversation about what actually makes a marriage work.Plus, in this week's His

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59:14

I DNF'd My World Championships Qualifier... Here's...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/08/18

Alex heads to Edmonton for the Canadian Half Marathon Championships with one goal: run fast enough to punch his ticket to the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen. What actually happens is a start-line scare over recording gear, a rough patch at 5K, and a DNF at 6K after throwing up twice on the course.In this episode, Alex gives Alexis (and you) the full, unfiltered "word vomit" recap recorded just 24 hours after the race: the good, the bad, and the humbling. Along the way

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60:24

Building a Sub-27 5K Plan: Can a Husband Coach His Wife?

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/08/11

In this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex walks Alexis (and you) through the 10-week beginner 5K training plan he built her from scratch, easy pace vs. threshold pace vs. race pace, how many days a week she should actually run, strength training, warm-ups, heart rate zones vs. running by feel, and why a 5K plan somehow includes a 10K long run. Alexis pushes back on almost all of it, they debate whether women handle pain differently than men, Alex recounts a terrifying anaphylactic ER

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48:15

Her First 5K Time Trial Shocked Us Both | For Better...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/08/04

Alexis just ran her first-ever 5K time trial and blew past everyone's predictions with a 28:53. In this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex and Alexis break down the splits, the pre-race chaos (forgotten cameras, a Diet Pepsi "fueling strategy," and a rookie pacing mistake), and what it revealed about how hard Alexis can actually push.Then the big reveal... Alexis is officially racing her first 5K at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon Weekend this October, and Alex is building her a

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70:39

How to Pace Your First 5K Time Trial

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/07/28

Alexis is running her first-ever 5K time trial and the whole Marathon Handbook crew is showing up to document it.In this episode of For Better or For Worse, Alex and Alexis break down exactly how a beginner runner should prepare for a race-pace effort: pre-race fueling, sleep, shoe choice, and a full pacing strategy to chase a sub-30-minute (and maybe sub-29!) 5K. Plus: weird interactions on the run, the headphones-or-not debate, an update on Alex's build toward the Canadian Half Marathon

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51:00

Post-Wedding Running Motivation & Our Fall Half...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/07/21

What happens to your running motivation after a huge life event? We got married a few weeks ago, and while Alex went straight back into his toughest training block ever, Alexis hit a full week of "bride blues" and zero desire to run. We break down why that split happened, whether running couples should target the same race season, and what's next for both of us.Chapters:0:00 Cold Open0:51 Welcome to For Better or For Worse1:18 Old Man Breakfast Roast1:54 Hiding in the Bathroom for Josh

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58:45

Our Wedding Recap! a 5K, Burnt Veil, and Wedding...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/07/15

After 8 episodes of wedding-season training talk, Alex and Alexis are officially married! In this episode of For Better or For Worse, the running couple breaks down their entire wedding week in Prince Edward Island: a 16-act talent show, a surprise 5K run for 90 guests, a burnt wedding veil, an unexpected blessing from the Pope, and six uninvited wedding crashers.They also cover how they each balanced training with wedding week chaos, share their Rose & Thorn moments, debate whether

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47:03

It's Been 6 Months... Alexis' 6 Running Lessons | For...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/06/30

We're recording from Prince Edward Island, Alex's childhood home and the site of our wedding in ONE WEEK!Alex walks Alexis through 6 key categories every new runner struggles with: building mileage, nutrition, run intensity, Strava and the social pressure of running, sticking to a routine, and running with friends. The answers are honest, sometimes surprising, and genuinely useful for anyone who's just getting started.We also read listener comments, discuss the viral reel of a girlfriend

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59:46

Should You Run at Your Bachelor Party? + AI Coaches &...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/06/23

We're two days out of our bachelor and bachelorette parties and Alex ran through his. Every morning. Hungover. Was that crazy, or completely reasonable? Alexis has strong thoughts, and you get to decide who's right in our new "His or Hers" segment.This week on For Better or For Worse, Alex Cyr and Alexis D'Souza get into it about running on big life days, how to stay motivated when your next race is four months away, whether AI coaches are going to replace human ones and why Alex is

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01:02:08

Alex FAINTED at a Dinner, Got 5 Stitches & Raced a...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/06/16

Alex and Alexis are back, and this might be their most chaotic week yet. Alex face-plants at a sushi restaurant two days before racing the Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa, then has a close encounter with Hell's Angels on the highway. Somehow, he still finishes 7th... his best-ever national championship result.Chapters:0:00 Cold Open — Fight or Flight1:00 Welcome to For Better or For Worse2:00 The Week That Was5:47 Alex Faints at a Sushi Restaurant (ER Visit)14:16 Hell's Angels on the

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01:09:37

Learning to Eat for My Biggest Running Week | For...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/06/09

Alex Cyr and Alexis D'Souza are back for Episode 4 of For Better or For Worse, the show where a beginner runner and an elite runner, soon to be married, chase goals together (and occasionally argue about hockey and boiled eggs).This week, Alexis just finished her biggest training week ever: 21.2km over four runs, but keeps getting post-run headaches. Alex breaks down the nutrition basics every new runner needs to know, from macronutrients and meal timing to electrolytes and why calories

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01:00:56

I've Just Started Running: Do I Have What it Takes? |...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/06/02

For Better or for Worse is a weekly podcast following Alex Cyr and Alexis D'Souza: a couple soon to be married, each with a goal to run the best race of their lives this fall. Alex is an experienced competitive runner. Alexis is just getting started. Together, they're navigating wedding planning, first long runs, training blocks, and everything in between.New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss a mile🎙️ Follow the journey📍 Alex Cyr — elite runner, soon-to-be husband📍 Alexis

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01:03:23

Wedding Planning Chaos: Are We Actually Ready? | For...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/05/30

For Better or for Worse is a weekly podcast following Alex Cyr and Alexis D'Souza: a couple soon to be married, each with a goal to run the best race of their lives this fall. Alex is an experienced competitive runner. Alexis is just getting started. Together, they're navigating wedding planning, first long runs, training blocks, and everything in between. This week, Alex goes to Morocco; Alexis makes a friend at the Colonoscopy clinic. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss a

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00:51:55

The Pilot! Planning our First 10k, First Podcast, and...

For Better Or For Worse ·

2026/05/23

For Better or for Worse is a weekly podcast following Alex Cyr and Alexis D'Souza: a couple soon to be married, each with a goal to run the best race of their lives this fall. Alex is an experienced competitive runner. Alexis is just getting started. Together, they're navigating wedding planning, first long runs, training blocks, and everything in between.New episodes every week. Subscribe so you never miss a mile.🎙️ Follow the journey:📍 Alex Cyr — elite runner, soon-to-be husband📍 Alexis

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