Cubs, Chaos, And Marathons

When Endurance Sports Stop Being Serious

Endurance sports have a funny way of convincing us that everything has to be measured. We look at paces, mileage, splits, heart rate, and recovery scores. But every once in a while, it’s worth stepping back and remembering why many of us fell in love with running, cycling, or triathlon in the first place: because it was fun.

That’s exactly where Fiery Embers, a podcast by Run Tri Bike, lives. It’s the space where seriousness takes a back seat, laughter takes the wheel, and endurance athletes get permission to be human again.

A Ridiculous Idea That Worked

In one of the most joyfully unnecessary episodes to date, Fiery Embers set out to answer a question no one asked but everyone needed: If you had to build a Chicago Cubs marathon team, who makes the roster?

The episode pairs host Jason Bahamundi with Bobby Le, better known online as Goofy Nerd Runner. What follows is a collision of baseball nostalgia, marathon brain, and creative chaos. The rules are simple: choose Cubs players, from the past and present, based solely on who could survive, suffer, and maybe thrive during 26.2 miles.

No stats. No VO₂ max. Just vibes.

Drafting the Ultimate Cubs Marathon Team

The debate kicks off immediately. Bobby taps Carlos Zambrano as his marathon ace because of his raw grit, unpredictable energy, and zero fear of the pain cave. Jason counters with Greg Maddux, imagining “The Professor” quietly dissecting the course and executing the perfect race plan without breaking a sweat.

From there, the lineup fills out with Cubs legends and fan favorites:

Jody Davis grinding it out behind the plate
Derek Lee steady and dependable at first
Ryne Sandberg doing everything right at second
Javier Báez attacking the wall with reckless enthusiasm
Ron Santo holding things down at third
An outfield stacked with Andre Dawson, Doug Dascenzo, and Pete Crow-Armstrong

And because Fiery Embers doesn’t care much for rules, Ernie Banks becomes the honorary captain. If anyone’s running two marathons in one day, it’s Mr. “Let’s play two.”

More Than Baseball Talk

What makes this episode resonate isn’t just the laughs. It’s the humanity underneath them. Bobby shares his experience running the Chicago Marathon during a brutal 2021 heat warning, along with his deep connection to the city and its running community.

The conversation drifts, intentionally, into the absurd corners of running culture. Who would you want to run a marathon with? A former president pointing out historic speech locations? A hometown hero sharing stories you’ll never hear on TV? These moments remind us that endurance sports aren’t just about the finish line. Our sports are about the stories we collect along the way.

Humor as a Training Tool

As Goofy Nerd Runner, Bobby has built a platform that celebrates the weird, awkward, and hilarious parts of endurance sports. Humor, in this space, isn’t a distraction…..it’s a bridge. It’s how runners connect, cope, and keep showing up when training gets hard.

As Bobby looks ahead to a spring 2026 50K after years of running 100-milers, the conversation turns reflective. Sometimes progress means going back to basics. Sometimes joy is the missing metric.

Do You Love Baseball and Running? Maybe Just Laughing?

If you love baseball, running, or creative chaos, this episode delivers. And if you’ve been feeling burnt out by the grind, it might be exactly the reset you didn’t know you needed.

So here’s the question Jason and Bobby leave us with:
Which players from your favorite team would absolutely crush a marathon?

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Cubs, Chaos, And Marathons