AI Summary
5 min readGobi | From This Is Love
In June 2016, Dion Leonard arrived in northwestern China to run one of the toughest races on earth: a 155-mile ultramarathon across the Gobi Desert, spread over seven days, with all food, water, and supplies carried on his back. He had trained for months by running on a high-incline treadmill in a spare bedroom heated by two industrial heaters, wearing the warmest clothes he owned and a backpack loaded with fifteen pounds of rice. He was there to win. On the morning of day two, as he was checking his gear before the start, he looked down and saw a small, skinny, light brown terrier chewing on his shoes. The dog had no collar, had skin problems, and looked like it hadn't been bathed in a long time. No one knew where it had come from. Dion started yelling for someone to come get the dog away from him. "I love animals," he says. "It wasn't that at all. I was focused on the race."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:05) **Episode Introduction** - Hosts Jonathan and Khalila introduce the episode as a preview of the podcast *This Is Love*, hosted by Phoebe Judge, about an ultra marathon runner and a stray dog in the Gobi Desert.
- 2 (04:24) **Dion's Training & Race Setup** - Dion describes his extreme training regimen and the beginning of the race, including his competitive mindset and exhaustion before day two.
- 3 (05:14) **First Encounter with the Dog** - At the start of day two, Dion looks down to find a small, scruffy brown dog chewing on his shoes, and he initially tries to shoo it away.
- 4 (07:54) **The Dog Follows Through the Mountains** - Dion runs through a forest, past a glacier, and through snow and clouds, unaware the dog is following him for 25 miles.
- 5 (09:20) **Naming Gobi and Bonding** - Dion names the dog Gobi, shares his food with her, and she falls asleep next to him, marking the beginning of their bond.
- 6 (10:23) **The River Crossing: A Turning Point** - Midway through day three, Dion must cross a 300-foot-wide river, and when he leaves Gobi behind, she panics, forcing him to make a critical decision.
- 7 (11:52) **Sacrificing the Race for the Dog** - Dion explains that going back for Gobi was a huge deal for a competitive runner, but he felt it was the right thing to do, and it deepened their bond.
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Show Notes
We're taking a break to bring you an episode of This Is Love, from the makers of Criminal and hosted by Phoebe Judge. Where Heavyweight explores past regrets, This Is Love looks at the expansiveness of all kinds of love — sometimes love between people, sometimes not.
In June of 2016, Dion Leonard attempted one of the toughest races in the world — a 155-mile ultramarathon through the Gobi Desert in China. At the start of day two, he looked down and saw a little brown dog chewing on his shoes. Dion and the little dog were about to embark on an adventure that would change both of their lives.
You can find This Is Love wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at http://thisislovepodcast.com/.
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