A new take on BeRad the Pod- a teaser

I've been creatively frustrated. In the last couple of years, I've dabbled in different mediums, gotten stuck, given up, and been sucked back into the trap of my routine. While I need a routine to stabilize my life, the momentum of the daily to-dos often leech the inspiration out of what I am doing.

I started BeRad the Podcast because I needed something else to fulfill me outside of the routine of running and coaching. I felt like I was living in a box made up of training plans and race schedules, and I wanted something more. A podcast seemed like the solution- how much extra work could it be to talk to guests? And what an opportunity it would be to learn from people I admire, especially as I went into surgery and worked my way back to an elite level.

But I didn't want it to be just a running podcast.

I want to give Carson a huge shoutout. While I perceived the podcast as fairly low-stress, he was single-handedly learning how to produce a podcast on the fly without any outside help. A virtual podcast still requires more work than I thought, but we started with a three-camera, in-person operation. The quality was high, but the effort was through the roof. Couple that with the logistical challenges of being on the road, scheduling, and being consistent while living in Hawaii.

The truth is- it was possible. Maybe it wasn't sustainable the way we were doing it (we definitely would have needed to hire outside help). Still, we traveled enough that we were consistently able to get interesting guests on the show.

The problem was that it became a running podcast.

There are SO MANY great running podcasts out there. And while I was desperately trying to get a new perspective on each guest, it was hard when fifteen other podcasters were doing the same.

I loved podcasting but felt like I was back in the box.

So I took a break—one that I didn't intend to take but one that just happened. I wanted to keep this project alive, so I pitched ideas to Carson and other podcasters. Still, I couldn't find something that I thought was genuinely me.

One day, I was looking through our numbers. It struck me that the episodes Carson and I recorded together were some of the most listened-to episodes, second only to those we recorded with universal stars like Laird Hamilton and Des Linden. They were some of my favorites to record, too.

So I pitched it to Carson, who was excited after I swore we would hire someone to help with production. BeRad The Podcast is back with Carson and Cat.

The first episode will be dropped next week on Wednesday, February 19th, and released every other week after that. The first episode, or the 36th, depending on how you look at it, is our 2024 in review, with some fun life updates and in-depth looks at what went wrong and what went right at my races last year. I will still sometimes host guests when I am feeling inspired, but Carson and I live an interesting life, and we can come up with exciting topics throughout the week that apply to both runners and nonrunners.

I also want to have a few of my athletes on! In my ten years of coaching, I've found that some of the most inspiring stories are the ones off the podium.

Truthfully, this will always be a running podcast. But I hope it's also a life podcast, where the interviews we do are meaningful, and the conversations Carson and I have together are insightful. And I hope it's an opportunity to satisfy that creative craving while learning more about myself and each other.

If you made it this far, I appreciate you, but I must ask one more thing. Comment on this post or let me know in my DMs what you want to hear on BeRad The Pod. So far, we are chatting about navigating competitiveness in our running and other sports as a couple, managing my demanding schedule with his as two people going for big goals, navigating body image issues as athletes and as a couple, and more! Like, subscribe, and interact with the podcast in any way. The simple click of a button is what keeps creative dreams alive.

Tata for now. Thanks for tuning into my musings. <3