Podcast: Phedippidations

I'm pretty sure this was the first podcast I ever listened to.  That's saying something, because, to name-drop, I watched Dave Winer and Adam Curry develop podcasts together, and even had dinner with the two of them back in the day before Adam came up with the idea and Dave made it happen.

But I never listened to any, because I prefer reading, and didn't really have the time to just sit and listen.  Well, now that I'm in the car for 1.5 to 2 hours a day, I've got plenty of time.

My friend "The Runner" is the guy who got me into running on a regular basis, got me into trail running, and inspired me to get back into shape and get back into outdoor activities.  I owe him a lot.  He also introduced me to the Phedippidations podcast several years ago.

My interest in running waxed and waned, but I kept listening to Phedippidations, and doing so kept me thinking about running.

Steve Runner, whose real name is Steve Walker, talked a lot about being a runner, what it meant to be a runner, and, of course, about running and his marathon quest.

At the time, I never really thought of myself as a runner, and couldn't really figure runners out.  Sure, I liked my occasional trail runs, and when I came down with diverticulitis I ran a lot to try to avoid surgery.  But then I'd run into the inevitable shin splints, and stop running.  How could runners endure the pain of running?

The notion of running a marathon was inconceivable, but it was something I was really compelled by.

Then I read Born to Run, and realized that maybe I could become a runner, after all.  I waited all summer for Steve to finally getting around to reviewing the book, and I was quite happy that he had the same reaction that I did.

Steve talks about his listeners being his friends, and, in writing the above, I realize that I guess we are.

So although he sometimes covers topics I'm not interested in, and I don't agree with all of his positions, I think it's well worth considering for runners.  For people who aren't interested in running, not so much. ;)

iTunes link here