THE SECOND COMING – RunPod

Welcome to a brand new, semi-regular feature for the Pod Bible blog – The Second Coming! Every few weeks, podcast host and writer Jordan Rizzieri will be discussing the podcasts she’s discovered through the magazine or via the podcast, what they’re all about and why they’re worthy of her re-recommendation!

When Pod Bible began, and I suddenly found myself on the receiving end of an array of podcast recommendations to choose from, it never occurred to me to try a show related to exercise. I have never been athletic and I do not consider myself in shape. After following Jenny Falconer’s recommendation of David Tennant Does a Podcast With… it seemed only fair to give her own show, RunPod a try. I was highly skeptical as the topic did not grab me, but the very first episode drastically altered my outlook on the show.

RunPod features Jenny Falconer interviewing a variety of guests around one topic: running. The program, still less than a year old, covers long distance, high endurance races, brand new runners, favorite trainers, and so much more.

Falconer’s conversation in her first episode with Peter Andre featured a brief discussion of how he got his brother to start running, which was my first exposure to the concept of incremental running. After completing the episode, I couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not I could run using Andre’s method.

It turns out that I could. Since I began jogging in the morning a few weeks ago, I’ve found myself spending more time exploring the RunPod back catalogue in search of advice, reassurance, and camaraderie. The opening theme music is pleasant, upbeat, and reminds me of the way the sky changes during my early morning runs as the sun comes up. There is all the possibility in the world ahead for the chat Jenny’s about to embark on.

I find solace in the way her guests lament the days they don’t want to go out, or how hard it was to get started. The episode with Giovanna Fletcher helped me to worry less about what I looked like while I jogged along in mismatched athletic clothes, sweating like mad. Bella Mackie’s openness about how running helped her mental health gave me a new perspective on running not just for my physical health, but about how it was helping my mind as well.

The best part of having Jenny Falconer in your corner as a runner is how much she genuinely loves to talk about running. Her voice is friendly and positive; she’s discussing her favorite thing with her friends and people she admires. What more could you want from a podcast than to hear two people having a natter about something they both happen to love? And when they can encourage you to love it, too, all the better.

Jordan Rizzieri/The Lady J is a podcast host, writer, wrestling fan, and dog mom based in Washington, D.C. You can listen to her I Never Told You What I Do For A Living podcast, or follow her on Twitter and Instagram.