Episodes

  • Jason Kander Swings for the Fences

    Jason Kander Swings for the Fences
    Apr 20 2026
    Former politician Jason Kander, author of Invisible Storm and host of the podcast Majority 54, joins Sebastian to discuss playing high-level baseball (not softball!). He shares how joining the team changed his relationship to fitness, made him a more empathetic father, and opened up community in his life. He also goes in depth on his experience living with untreated PTSD, how that affected his physical health, and how he was eventually able to treat it. Plus, he reveals the writing advice President Obama gave him — and explains why he refuses to swim in the ocean!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    28 mins
  • Laura van den Berg Packs a Punch

    Laura van den Berg Packs a Punch
    Apr 13 2026
    Celebrated author Laura van den Berg, writer of The Third Hotel and State of Paradise, discusses how she became a competitive boxer — and the intense training regimen she maintains to be ready to get in the ring at a moment’s notice. She shares with Sebastian the ways in which competing helps her manage her anxiety, how being a writer makes her a better boxer, and how partaking in the sport has inspired her upcoming novel. Plus, she and Sebastian discuss the one exercise they’re surprised they can do.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    29 mins
  • Dano Cerny Hikes to the Beat

    Dano Cerny Hikes to the Beat
    Apr 6 2026
    VMA-award-winning music video director Dano Cerny speaks with Sebastian about his journey from being an artsy kid who hated sports to someone who prioritizes physical activity, and he reflects on what he wishes he’d understood about fitness earlier. He describes how he found the inspiration for the Sia x Kylie Minogue collab video “Dance Alone” (on one of his daily hikes). Plus, he shares the pros and cons of getting shredded for his 40th birthday.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    28 mins
  • Halimah Marcus Rides on the Level (with Liam Billingham)

    Halimah Marcus Rides on the Level (with Liam Billingham)
    Apr 2 2026
    The first Thursday of each month, Secretly Sporty takes a recovery day and releases an episode of Rest Day Radio. And in our first edition, Electric Lit editor and author Halimah Marcus comes on the show to talk about her love for cycling and horseback riding. She and Sebastian reminisce about their time in college together, trade stories of traumatic moments involving horses, and discuss how writing is a lot like a long uphill bike ride (in a good way!). They’re also joined by podcast producer and host Liam Billingham, who swaps notes with Halimah on the best Peloton classes.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    37 mins
  • R.O. Kwon’s Midnight Climbs

    R.O. Kwon’s Midnight Climbs
    Mar 30 2026
    Acclaimed writer R.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries and Exhibit, tells Sebastian about her love for bouldering, why she stopped, and what brought her back. She also talks about her passion for powerlifting, and how those two activities are the best antidote to anxiety she’s found to date. She also shares her approach to revisions and the precise metric she uses to know when a novel is finished. Plus, she reveals the ways in which she’s like a vampire.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
  • Soman Chainani Gets Deadlift Drunk

    Soman Chainani Gets Deadlift Drunk
    Mar 23 2026
    Internationally bestselling author Soman Chainani, writer of The School for Good and Evil series and the forthcoming Young World, talks to Sebastian about his weightlifting practice and tennis game. He discusses how getting what he calls “deadlift drunk”’ helped him through a rough year and how the joy of playing tennis with college students keeps him young. He tells Sebastian that it was only by getting physically stronger that he had the stamina to keep up with his creative ambitions. Plus, he makes the case for what he believes is the best protein bar on the market.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins
  • Alison Bechdel’s Superhuman Strength

    Alison Bechdel’s Superhuman Strength
    Mar 16 2026
    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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    32 mins
  • Chris Duffy has Seven Minutes to Work Out

    Chris Duffy has Seven Minutes to Work Out
    Mar 16 2026
    Comedian Chris Duffy, host of TED’s How to Be a Better Human podcast and author of Humor Me, speaks with Sebastian about his years-long devotion to the scientific Seven Minute Workout, his love of swimming in community pools, and how comedy and laughter are an essential element of good health. He also fills Sebastian in on a war raging among the world’s demographers, and explains why he always (always) eats before working out.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    31 mins