My favorite podcasts for running
When I was training for this year’s SeaWheeze I started listening to podcasts while running to better simulate what it would be like (my mom really likes to talk while running… so it was a similar experience). I ended up really enjoying the “company,” and I now mix in podcasts fairly frequently to keep my runs (or walks or workouts or drives) interesting.
Listen up:
Barbell Shrugged
This is the first podcast I listened to, and it got me hooked on the medium. I like hearing their fitness tips, and the guests they talk to are often highly successful athletes, movement specialists, or even scientists. I listened to their podcast on adaptive athletes during one of my last long runs, and it definitely made me push through when I wanted to walk (how could I stop if they didn’t?!?). In the name of honesty, I would appreciate more women on the show, and there are times that feel like they recorded terrible jokes and unfortunate comments from inside a high school boys locker room.
RadioLab
I’m super late in the podcast game (and no, I haven’t listened to Serial). After Barbell Shrugged I found most of my podcasts by browsing the most popular tab in iTunes, including this one. The topics vary wildly, but they keep my attention.
This American Life
Another one that everyone and their mom listens to. For good reason! They have made me laugh, and they have made me cry (unfortunately while on a 12 mile run).
Ted Radio Hour
I’m a sucker for TED Talks, and this podcast splices together the original talks with interviews with the speakers. I always learn something new (and usually weird). I also really like that these episodes are typically around the same length. They are perfect for a 10k.
She Does
I fell hard for this podcast when they had a writer heroine of mine, Ann Friedman, on the show. (You should do yourself a favor and sign up for Ann’s newsletter while you’re at it.) Each episode dives into a different woman’s background and the work she does. They explore all kinds of professions, and they really get into how their guests got their start and discovered what they wanted to do. The premise alone makes me happy.
The Minimalists Podcast
I’ve been a long time reader of The Minimalists, and their podcasts includes an entertaining mix reader questions and their thoughts. It’s more a think-piece, so I would recommend it for easy runs or other activities where you have some extra brain space.
