Jesse’s been alone for a week solo parenting, and Zadie’s transition from infant to toddler is in full swing, but he’s kept the Flomas house in check and even found down time to sneak in some long runs. Meanwhile, Lauren had a very work-play-love week of travel. First out to Austin for The Running Event for Picky Bars, then to Columbus, Ohio for the USATF annual meeting, and then back home to search for a Christmas tree with the fam. In what’s going on? Jesse talks about the struggle to find balance between work and play as he comes out of his training hiatus in the coming months, and Lauren remembers holiday traditions from her childhood.

In today’s Rapid Fire (pew pew pew pew pew!), you’ll learn about Jesse’s and Lauren’s pre-race warm-ups, get some gift ideas for healthy, active, expecting parents-to-be, how to manage all your running gadgets, what’s a good stationary bike, and how to manage all of the images on your phone. Other listeners had questions about:

• What to do in the off-season
• How to deal with the urge to poop during races
• Coming back from a bike crash
• Comparing yourself to others, especially in a competitive athletic community

The name of the game this week is to take it easy on yourself. In the off season, try to find something fun or engaging to do to stay active. Switch up your activities. Listen to your body and do what you feel like doing. Then, getting back to the track, if you’ve got the urge to go #2 every time you start to run, try to find a solution that gives you the time to go before your race or workout. Lauren and Jesse share what’s worked for them and for friends in the past, including checking in with a doctor. They each also share how they’ve come back from their own respective bike crashes. They recommend taking baby steps to come back to the sport and being patient with yourself in the process. Lastly, when it comes to the comparison game, don’t get caught off guard by all the noise on social media, Lauren and Jesse talk about how it’s important to cultivate a sense of internal validation, so you don’t need to compare yourself to others.

As always, submit your questions—long-form, or rapid-fire—to: pickybars.com/podcastQs