Secretly Sporty

Celebrated author Chad Harbach shares about his long journey to write his award-winning novel The Art of Fielding and its newly released follow-up The Brightness . He discusses what drew him back to the world of Westish College, the character from both books that he identifies with the most, and the connection he feels to the work of William Faulkner. He also walks Sebastian through his many eras...

In the final episode of Secretly Spooky, acclaimed author Erika T. Wurth ( White Horse , The Haunting of Room 904 ) joins Sebastian to share how her daily gym routine helped get her through cancer treatment, how she changed her approach to nutrition, and how — after years of writing literary fiction — she pivoted back to her true love: horror/dark fantasy. She also discusses why Stephen King is so...

Writer Adrian Van Young discusses how his new novel Rough Beast was inspired by the Scandinavian Black Metal scene, reflects on his recent move to France, and details his runs through the various neighborhoods and cemeteries of Paris. He and Sebastian also go deep on the darker side of the Romantic poets. Plus, Adrian gives recommendations for his favorite literary horror novels, and Austen theori...

Award-winning writer and editor Alex Woodroe joins Sebastian from Transylvania to discuss what kicked off her interest in fitness five years ago, and how that led to studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She recounts the Romanian folklore that inspired Bram Stoker when he was writing Dracula and reveals the complicated relationship the country has with the omnipresent vampire. She shares about her new nov...

Special effects artist Dan Crawly shares with Sebastian how he went from Crossfit newbie to Crossfit gym owner in just five years. He details his journey from growing up in Illinois to moving to LA to pursue a life in the movies, and explores how his fitness practice helps him both practically and creatively when he tackles some of his most challenging work projects, from building superhero costum...

Secretly Spooky is here! First up is the “Scream Queen of Film Scoring”: composer Holly Amber Church. She joins Sebastian to sing the praises of the online fitness community she’s found, why she chose a plant-based diet, and how, as she approached middle-age, she embraced doing it all when it comes to fitness. She goes in-depth on how she came up with her Emmy-nominated main title theme for Guille...

Musician Low Cut Connie joins Sebastian to talk about the rigorous workout routine he follows to be able to perform his athletic stage show night after night, and demonstrates the vocal strengthening exercises he does to protect his voice. He details the precise eating schedule he follows while on tour, to make sure he’s hitting the stage with maximum energy. He also shares what he reads while tra...

Comedian Dru Johnston ( The Chris Gethard Show , Funny or Die , MTV’s VMAs ) speaks with Sebastian about how running provides a counterbalance to an entertainment career that often feels out of his control, and reminds him that the most important thing is to just keep going - keep writing, keep performing. He talks about the inspiration for his Substack “I’ve Got the Runs” and shares the most memo...

Journalist Makeda Easter joins Sebastian to discuss her new passion for Samba dancing and how she uses dance as a way to find community and discover new cities. She also shares about her upcoming book on the history of roller skating and reveals how different US cities have their own unique styles. She speaks about how she was initially skeptical of CrossFit gyms, but took a chance on one, an...

Television writer Brent Forrester ( The Simpsons , The Office , Space Force ) shares how his passion for surfing helps him ride out the emotional roller coaster of working in Hollywood. He discusses the creative ways he’s brought fitness into the writers’ room and spills who won a push-up contest amongst the writers of The Office. He also reminisces on how he went from hating surfing to...

Acclaimed author Emily Nemens discusses her recent essay “The Back Meets the Nose” , which chronicles her harrowing experience with a debilitating back injury & its effects on her running life.  She catches us up on her recovery process, and details how devastating it was to lose her ability to run, sharing what it meant to be a runner for so long.  She also delves into her baseball...

Author Michael Copperman discusses his new book Seeking Kenny: A Wrestler’s Journey , reveals why he loves bouldering, and reflects on the ways that his days as an elite high school wrestler still impact his approach to fitness and nutrition today.  He also speaks about his experience being raised by two Aikido masters and what techniques he still uses from the martial art.   Plus, he sh...

Award-winning music critic Ben Ratliff joins Sebastian to discuss his book Run the Song , which was longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award, and how running helps him think about music in unpredictable ways. He also shares how he started running in 40s, why he never tracks his mileage or sets goals, and how he used his daily runs to navigate leaving his job at the New York Times afte...

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...

For this month’s Rest Day Radio, we break out the popcorn! Story guru Matt Bird, author of The Secrets of Story and The Secrets of Character and co-host of the podcast A Good Story Well Told , joins Sebastian to dive into the world of sports movies. Austen gets in on the fun as co-host, and the three of them discuss and debate their favorites.  Matt also breaks down the fitness rout...

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 hea...

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...

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 thin...

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. The...

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, sh...

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 T he Secret to Superhum...

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 wri...

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche joins Sebastian to discuss his new album Acrobats , his journey to a sub-three hour marathon, and how starting to run in his 30s expanded his approach to music & boosted his performances.  He shares why he’s taking a new, lower-key approach to running these days, but also why he’ll never give it up.  Plus, he reveals the connection between Ac...

Award-winning writer Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act ; and The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars — shares with Sebastian how Pilates unlocked a consistent exercise habit for the first time in his life, why he’s learning the bass, and what the culture wars of the 80s and 90s can tell us about the way society views the...

Greg Marshall, author of the acclaimed memoir Leg: The Story of a Limb & the Boy Who Grew From It, joins Sebastian to discuss why Peloton classes give him the same sense of peace as a well-lit department store, how learning he had cerebral palsy at 30 affected his exercise routine, and why he thinks about optimization differently than his husband Lucas Schaefer (last week’s guest).  Plus,...