Secretly Sporty

Celebrated singer-songwriter Laura Veirs discusses her new album Temple Songs and how the production process was a milestone in her career.  She delves into why she loves group fitness classes and how long bike rides helped her process her divorce.  She also pushes back against the myth that an artist needs to feel tortured and unhealthy to make great work, and explains why, for her, the best songs come from when she feels healthy and stable.  Plus, she asks Sebastian for tips from past guests about how to maintain a workout schedule while touring.

Acclaimed author Paul Yoon (and husband of our previous guest Laura van den Berg) joins Sebastian to discuss his new novel Etna - inspired by his dog Oscar. He shares why he was initially reluctant to join a gym, and why he now loves it.  He also reveals why post-Mile 6 is where the running magic happens for him, and he goes deep on his unique writing process  —  writing in his head, like a dancer memorizing a sequence, before ever putting words to the page.  Plus, he and Sebastian delve into their experiences with pet psychics. This episode contains a discussion of a suicide.  If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to https://speakingofsuicide.com/resources/ for a list of additional resources. 

Award-winning musician Joe Goodkin speaks with Sebastian about his life as a modern day Homeric bard, touring the world performing music inspired by The Odyssey and The Iliad, and how he evolved from a moderate runner into an ultramarathoner, running races 50 and 100 miles long. He reveals which distance he thinks is the hardest - it’s not the one you’d think! - why he doesn’t listen to music when running, and he and Sebastian discuss their favorite music biographies. Plus, the episode features songs from Joe’s albums The Odyssey: Songs of Odysseus; and Winedark Life.

Actor-writer-producer Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, The Magicians) joins Sebastian to discuss how a walking desk is key to maintaining her fitness while plotting the 20th anniversary movie for her groundbreaking webseries The Guild.  She also shares the inspiration for her graphic novel The Lost Daughter of Sparta, reveals why foreign language classes are the best thing to listen to on the elliptical, and discusses various methods used to curb her insomnia.  Plus, she reveals where to buy the best peanut butter in the world.

Legendary author and poet Eileen Myles shares with Sebastian how they fell in love with yoga during the pandemic through Yoga with Adriene, and how it changed their relationship with their own breath. They share their long history of running and the counterintuitive accessory they used to bring to the track, and how they’re attempting a return to running now, using an entirely new method. They also detail their writing process, and how the type of notebook they use influences the shape of a poem. Plus, Eileen reflects on writing poetry for Versace.

Doree Shafrir - author of Startup and Thanks for Waiting, and co-host of the Forever35 Podcast - shares with Sebastian her newfound love of tennis, how training for a marathon helped her tackle her first novel, and the joy of seeing your kid be proud of you. The two also discuss the role of plot in novels, and go deep on the acclaimed writing template detailed in Save the Cat. Plus, she helps Sebastian come to a realization about the activity in his life that commands his full attention.

In honor of our New York Times debut and our 4-month anniversary, we're rereleasing our pilot episode with Alison Bechdel!Legendary cartoonist Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home and Spent, shares with Sebastian the weightlifting routine she’s been doing for over 20 years and discusses the magic of long bike rides and cross country skiing. The two go deep on Bechdel’s book The Secret to Superhuman Strength and bond over their mutual love of rollerblading. Plus, she outlines her tried and true tip for making sure she gets her workout in.  

In this month’s episode of Rest Day Radio, award-winning arts writer Carolina A. Miranda joins Sebastian to discuss her recent tour of 1980s exercise videos, including Buns of Steel and Jane Fonda’s Workouts.  She details the history of those franchises and analyses what drove their aesthetics versus the starker aesthetics more common today.  She also goes into how she became an arts writer and how it changed the way she sees the world, and she and Sebastian share their admiration for author Álvaro Enrigue.  Plus, she makes the case against the word “protein.”