Best Alan Sims Podcasts (2025)

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Road To Redemption, by Tom Fitzgerald 56:07

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10d ago56:07

56:07

Send us a text For today's episode we got to read another fictional running story. These are rare but we've enjoyed every single one we read so far and this one was no exception. Toeing the start line of the 1983 Boston Marathon, Cooper McKenzie (the main character) finds himself in a race to make meaning of his troubled, unimpressive life. Cooper …

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Alan and Liz's Running Chatter and Rundown on Books 111-120 1:40:31

24d ago1:40:31

1:40:31

Send us a text Here we are again with another recap episode. Alan and Liz chat about their last ten reads and we've also linked the full episode for each book in case you want to hear more! If you're behind in your listening then this episode is for you. You can get a feel for each of the last 10 books, before going back to the episodes in order of…

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Ultra Women, by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson 58:30

1M ago58:30

58:30

Send us a text Recently, a trend has captured public attention: female athletes have been beating the strongest male contenders, in the toughest races in the world, races designed for men. In Ultra Women, the authors (who are themselves endurance athletes) delve into the surprising science of sporting performance to explore the physiological and ps…

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Fuel For Thought, by Renee McGregor 1:06:55

2M ago1:06:55

1:06:55

Send us a text Link for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkout Support the show Any feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social…

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Chasing the Grid, by Kenneth Posner 1:23:21

2M ago1:23:21

1:23:21

Send us a text Chasing The Grid is the story of the authors physical and spiritual journey running in the Catskill Mountains. Originally wanting to beat the record for climbing all 35 peaks in one outing, Kenneth Posner got injured on his second attempt and needed to find a new goal for his running. His new goal came from a chance encounter while i…

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Stroke of Luck, by Steven Kelly 1:40:58

3M ago1:40:58

1:40:58

Send us a text Stroke of Luck: My Life in Amateur Athletics is a chronicle of passion and rediscovery—the emotional story of a dedicated competitive runner, Steven Kelly, whose participation in the sport spans fifty years. As a teenager, Steve searches for his niche while dealing with challenges that will be familiar to many families. After he disc…

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Marathon Mindset, by Erica Rasmussen 1:25:17

3M ago1:25:17

1:25:17

Send us a text Marathon Mindset is Erica’s story of becoming a runner while on a 100 pound weight loss journey. She also talks about her past struggles with an eating disorder, anxiety and depression which started in high school. Through her running journey, Erica learned 5 lessons which she brings to the rest of her life: Grit, Grind, Grace, Growt…

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How To Run, by Scott F. Parker 1:11:46

4M ago1:11:46

1:11:46

Send us a text Giving an overview of this book is complicated. It’s like giving an overview of what running is… where do you start? What kind of running are we talking about? Trail? Road? Ultrarunning? This book is also misnamed because it won’t teach you how to run. You likely need to already be a runner and have opinions about running for it to s…

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Feet In The Clouds, by Richard Askwith 1:07:35

4M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

Send us a text Feet in the Clouds is a deep dive into the world of fell running. It talks about the history of the sport, some of its GOATs like Bill Teasdale and Kenny Stuart, and professional vs amateur races. At the same time, the author tells the story of his own journey in fell running and his quest to complete the Bob Graham Round in under 24…

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Mud, Sweat and Bears, by Harriet Gaywood 1:18:14

5M ago1:18:14

1:18:14

Send us a text Mud, Sweat and Bears is mostly about the author, Harriet Gaywood’s, ultra racing experience in 2024. Before you think the book is going to be about conquering a hundred-miler or any other single race distance, I’ll let you know that Harriet’s 2024 race season had 1850k of official race kilometers with many races of 100k or more. Harr…

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Chasing Mastery, by Matt Fitzgerald 1:34:58

5M ago1:34:58

1:34:58

Send us a text If this author's name sounds familiar it's because we've had him on 7 times before... and we haven't even covered half of the books he's written about endurance sport. As always, Matt is a great speaker and talks to us about the concept of mastery and mastering what it means to master your sport, which is the subject of his latest bo…

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Believe Training Journal, by Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas 1:01:41

6M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Send us a text Believe is primarily a tool to help runners log details of their training so they can find patterns that will help them identify what is and isn’t working in their training, but it is more than that. The Believe Training Journal also has examples of how pro runners Lauren and Ro fill in their journal, information that can help you br…

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What If?, by Ashley Varley 1:41:56

6M ago1:41:56

1:41:56

Send us a text What If? Is the story of author Ash Varley’s running journey between 2016 and 2023. At 43, with years of running experience behind him, he wondered if dedication, patience, and a willingness to break free from the comfort zone could lead to the realisation of long-held running dreams. In this book he explores how he ended up running …

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Run Less Run Faster, by Bill Pierce and Scott Murr 1:38:20

7M ago1:38:20

1:38:20

Send us a text Run Less Run Faster is a book explaining the 3plus2 training program developed by the Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training, FIRST... and don't worry, RUN LESS doesn't mean TRAIN LESS! The book is divided into 5 sections which cover everything from the training program, why it works and the science behind it, all the diff…

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BONUS TRACK: Alan at the 2025 London Marathon 31:13

7M ago31:13

31:13

Send us a text We haven't done one of these in a while and Alan just got back from his time in the UK for the London Marathon! ...he may have also seen some family and stuff, but you probably don't want to hear about that. If you've been following us for a while, you know that Alan has been applying every year to try and get into the London Maratho…

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Alan and Liz's Running Chatter and Rundown on Books 101-110 1:17:25

7M ago1:17:25

1:17:25

Send us a text Here we are again with another recap episode. Alan and Liz chat about their last ten reads: Running From Tragedy by Michael Salsbury Running Through the Dark, by Jen Scotney Built To Run, by Matthew Silver The Ultimate Guide to Parkrun, by Lucy Waterlow There Is No Finish, by Stephen Parker To The Limit, by Michael Crawley The Frontr…

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Unbound, by Bill Donahue 1:33:04

8M ago1:33:04

1:33:04

Send us a text In this episode of Running Book Reviews, we had the pleasure of speaking with author Bill Donahue about his recent book, Unbound. Unbound is a collection of some of the best stories Bill has written about endurance sport for Runner’s World, Outside, Backpacker, Washington Post Magazine and others. The stories are divided into 5 subca…

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A Few More Laps, by David Chalfen 1:45:10

9M ago1:45:10

1:45:10

Send us a text A Few More Laps is a compilation of stories and thoughts about high level distance running and training. A Few More Laps is a compilation of stories and thoughts about high level distance running and training . The book starts with a little about David and how he started running and his experience in the club environment in the UK, a…

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Running Past 50, by Caolan MacMahon 1:56:00

9M ago1:56:00

1:56:00

Send us a text In today’s episode we have the pleasure of interviewing athlete and coach Caolan MacMahon about her new book, Running Past 50. As you move past the age of 50, the physiological demands of running require adjustments in training intensity, recovery, goal setting, and mental outlook. Running Past 50 is your guide to addressing those de…

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Built To Run, by Matt Silver - Episode 2 1:39:03

10M ago1:39:03

1:39:03

Send us a text When we had Matt on the podcast at the end of 2024 there were several topics we never got a chance to talk about. Two of them, running form and breathing, are things that Matt is passionate about because he believes they can make a big difference for runners. We obviously had to have Matt on again to talk about these topics, and he a…

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The Ultimate Ultra Running Handbook, by Claire Maxted 1:02:30

10M ago1:02:30

1:02:30

Send us a text In this episode we have a repeat guest, Claire Maxted, and she talks to us about her new book, The Ultimate Ultra Running Handbook. The Ultimate Ultra Running Handbook is not called “ultimate” for no reason. It goes through many topics in a beginner friendly way with lots of lists and pictures. If you have Claires previous book, The …

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The Frontrunner, by Brad Fawley 1:30:44

10M ago1:30:44

1:30:44

Send us a text The Frontrunner is a fictional coming of age story about a boy named Russ who grows up without a mother, and loses his father to cancer when he's barely an adult. He grows up running everywhere, and later finds out that running can bring much more to his life. On the other side of the world in Russia, twin brothers are taken from the…

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To The Limit, by Michael Crawley 1:33:28

11M ago1:33:28

1:33:28

Send us a text To the Limit sets out to explore why we voluntarily do exhausting things, like running ultra distances in the mountains and climbing mount Everest, and rediscover the joy of moving together as a group – whether it's running the length of the Lake District in a day, or navigating the descents of the Sindhupalchok International Trail R…

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There Is No Finish, by Stephen Parker 1:36:13

12M ago1:36:13

1:36:13

Send us a text In this episode, we have the pleasure of chatting with author Stephen Parker about his new book There Is No Finish; The Backyard Ultra Story. This book is all about the backyard ultra; how it started, who started it, and how it’s grown over the years (especially since the pandemic). There are 8 chapters. The book starts by introducin…

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Alan and Liz's Running Chatter and Rundown on Books 91-100 1:22:13

12M ago1:22:13

1:22:13

Send us a text Here we are again! ...and AGAIN it's been more than 10 books since the last recap episode! Here are the books we chat about in this episode: Run Through, by SB Stone The Race To Be Myself, by Caster Semenya The Examined Run, by Sabrina Little Smart Running, by Jen and Sim Benson Running Rewired 2nd Ed., by Jay Dicharry LOST: The Work…

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The Ultimate Guide to Parkrun, by Lucy Waterlow 1:07:10

1y ago1:07:10

1:07:10

Send us a text This book is everything you’d want to know about parkrun. How it started, what countries it spread to, how it benefits mental and physical health, and why participants keep coming back to both run and volunteer. The book has 9 chapters: How it started… and how it’s going Meet the parkrunners The high-viz heros A day in the life of a …

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BONUS TRACK: Alan and Liz's Fall Marathon Recap 41:34

1y ago41:34

41:34

Send us a text For those who wanted to hear about it, we decided to tell you about our most recent sub-3-hour marathon attempt in this bonus episode. For our listeners we explain what plan we were using and the history we have with following the same plan in the past, but most of this episode is about the result of our marathons. The race we did wa…

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Built To Run, by Matthew Silver 57:42

1y ago57:42

57:42

Send us a text Built to Run is a book to help runners improve form, mobility and strength so that they can run injury free more often… because we all know we’ll eventually get some kind of niggle, but the idea is that we’re not sidelined for months at a time. The book has 8 chapters, starting with an explanation of your body as a system, moving on …

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Running Through the Dark, by Jen Scotney 1:26:06

1y ago1:26:06

1:26:06

Send us a text Ultrarunner Jen Scotney has achieved podium finishes in some of the UK’s toughest races and now has her sights firmly set on the Pennine Way. In Running Through the Dark, Jen talks about her ambitions, not just to run the 268-mile Pennine Way but to take the record as the fastest woman to do so. But that didn’t happen. Nothing went a…

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Running From Tragedy by Michael Salsbury 1:46:10

1y ago1:46:10

1:46:10

Send us a text Running From Tragedy is Michael Salsbury’s family story and how running, in the end, helped lessen the burden of three life changing events. Michael met the love of his life when he decided to take a break from his career in the financial industry to work at Club Med for a few months. Little did they know that they were both carriers…

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Good for a Girl, by Lauren Fleshman 1:10:12

1y ago1:10:12

1:10:12

Send us a text Good For A Girl by Lauren Fleshman is the story of Lauren's life and experience in professional running. Running seemed straight forward when she was growing up, you work hard and you get the reward, but women don't have the same performance trajectory as men when going through puberty. Women often plateau as they get used to their "…

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Running Challenges, by Keri Wallace 1:21:03

1y ago1:21:03

1:21:03

Send us a text Running Challenges, by Keri Wallace, is like a tour guide for Trail running in the UK. It features 100 of the best trail, fell and mountain runs in England, Scotland and Wales, and those three countries make up the three sections of the book. There is something for everyone with the shortest challenges being 5k parkruns and the longe…

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Trails and Tribulations, by Susie Chan 1:30:00

1+ y ago1:30:00

1:30:00

Send us a text Trails and Tribulations is Susie Chan's memoire. She tells us a little about her life before running, including some pretty big life events, how she started running, and some of her very very long runs. A few of the races that Susie did and talks about include: Marathon de Sables (which she ran more than once!): A self-supported, mul…

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How to Run the Perfect Race, by Matt Fitzgerald 1:28:00

1+ y ago1:28:00

1:28:00

Send us a text How To Run The Perfect Race is a book all about pacing. The book is divided into two sections: Section 1: All about how to master pacing Section 2: RPE based training plans for your next 5k, 10k, half-marathon and marathon. Pacing isn’t about having an even pace on your Garmin. It’s about having an even effort which takes into accoun…

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LOST: The Work That Goes Unseen, published by Ciele 1:15:37

1+ y ago1:15:37

1:15:37

Send us a text In this episode of Running Book Reviews, we had the pleasure of chatting with Tim Rossi, founder of The Lost Boys running club in New York, about a book he helped bring to life in collaboration with Ciele and Maurten. We talk about the book, the Lost Boys Club, and how long it took to finish the book. Despite there not being a lot of…

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Running Rewired 2nd Edition, by Jay Dicharry 1:29:42

1+ y ago1:29:42

1:29:42

Send us a text If you're thinking that you've heard us talk about Running Rewired, it's because we read the original version which came out in 2017 and it was featured in one of the first episodes we did in 2020. Well the second edition is out now and we had the pleasure of speaking with authir Jay Dicharry in this episode! Running Rewired is about…

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BONUS TRACK: Alan and Liz's Summer Training Plans 1:12:26

1+ y ago1:12:26

1:12:26

Send us a text So we know it's a bonus episode and not our usual book dedicated episode, but we need more time to line up our guests and didn't want to leave our listeners without anything to listen to. We hope that we can earn your forgiveness with some of the episodes that are coming in the future. In this bonus episode we talk about our plan for…

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Smart Running, by Jen and Sim Benson 1:47:13

1+ y ago1:47:13

1:47:13

Send us a text Join us for this wonderful conversation with Jen and Sim about all things running! Their fantastic book, Smart Running, is packed with useful information about a diverse range of topics and we only covered a few of them in our chat. The 19 chapters of this book are divided into 6 parts: Our bodies and Systems Becoming a resilient run…

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Alan and Liz's Running Chatter and Rundown on the Last 10 Books 1:46:32

1+ y ago1:46:32

1:46:32

Send us a text Here we are again! We can't believe we've read another 10 books already... and actually it's been more than 10 books... This might be a long episode (unless Alan did some aggressive editing) because when we start talking about books, we just can't stop. You don't know it, but you're lucky that this episode wasn't 3 hours long! Good t…

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The Examined Run, by Sabrina Little 1:23:58

1+ y ago1:23:58

1:23:58

Send us a text We have a fantastic conversation with author Sabrina Little, about her new book, The Examined Run. In this chat we talk about ethics and role of virtues and vices in running. The Examined Run discusses the ethics of sport, specifically the sport of running, through the lens of virtue ethics. As with any discussion of ethics, this one…

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The Race To Be Myself, by Caster Semenya 1:03:15

1+ y ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Send us a text The Race to Be Myself is a 4 part memoire where Caster talks about: The beginning: how she grew up, how she liked to hang out with boys and play sports, and what happened in puberty. The rise: How she got into running and eventually decided to be more serious about training. She also talks about getting more serious about school beca…

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Run Through, by SB Stone 1:17:13

1+ y ago1:17:13

1:17:13

Send us a text Running Through; my journey through moments of flight, is Steven’s journey into Running via a series of tiny moments of flight. This book is divided into short stories describing some of the moments in his personal running journey and how they ended up influencing his life. Some stories are funny anecdotes and others are not funny at…

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BONUS TRACK: Boston Marathon Experience 1:11:03

1+ y ago1:11:03

1:11:03

Send us a text If you've been following our social media accounts (mainly FB and Instagram... we're not as good about posting to X or Threads...) then you'll have seen that Alan went to Boston this year. Before the Boston Marathon, we reviewed The Boston Marathon Handbook buy Marc Pollina, and it turned out that Alan and Marc ran very similar finis…

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All In Stride, by Johanna Garton 1:20:16

1+ y ago1:20:16

1:20:16

Send us a text All In Stride is the story of two Kenyan born athletes who have competed at the highest levels in running, and one US athlete and Olympian in the modern pentathlon. The bond that the three characters share is that they have all been in the Army’s world class athlete program (WCAP). The book is divided into two parts: Part 1: Kenya – …

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The Boston Marathon Handbook, by Marc W. Pollina 1:41:10

1+ y ago1:41:10

1:41:10

Send us a text The Boston Marathon Handbook is part of the Falcon Guides series, which cover the entire spectrum of outdoor activities. This book covers everything about Boston from what makes Boston so special, to getting in and training, and even what to do after the race and more! There are 12 chapters that make up the book: Chapter 1 - Why Is T…

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In The Spell Of The Barkley, by Michiel Panhuysen 1:34:23

2y ago1:34:23

1:34:23

Send us a text In The Spell Of The Barkley tells the story of the Barkley race in Tennessee with its history and traditions, how the author discovered it and became determined to finish the “fun run”, and explores the reasons why participants keep coming back despite being almost guaranteed to fail. The book is a mix of the authors experience and s…

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There Is No Wall, by Allie Bailey 1:42:00

2y ago1:42:00

1:42:00

Send us a text There Is No Wall is ultrarunner Allie Bailey’s brutally honest and sometimes shocking account of alcoholism, depression and severe mental breakdowns which almost cost her her life. Told with disarming vulnerability, heartbreaking depth of feeling and dark humour, this isn’t a story about how running saved her – she was already runnin…

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Becoming A Sustainable Runner, by Tina Muir and Zoe Rom 1:37:11

2y ago1:37:11

1:37:11

Send us a text Becoming a Sustainable Runner is a guide written by two environmental advocates, Tina Muir and Zoe Rom, who love running. This book teaches us about the impact running has on the environment, but also how to be a lifelong runner and how to contribute to the running community in a way that is positive and inclusive. The book has 3 par…

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Pain and Performance, by Ryan Whited and Matt Fitzgerald 1:24:32

2y ago1:24:32

1:24:32

Send us a text In this episode we get to chat with author, Ryan Whited, about his book (co-authored with Matt Fitzgerald) Pain + Performance. Pain + Performance is a book that aims to explain how pain is a normal human experience and not something that we need to try and get rid of… at least not completely. Pain also doesn’t always mean tissue dama…

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The Psychology of Running, by Noel Brick and Stuart Holliday 1:36:25

2y ago1:36:25

1:36:25

Send us a text The Psychology of Running is part of The Psychology of Everything series which also includes: The Psychology of Art The Psychology of Wellness The Psychology of Comedy The Psychology of Democracy The Psychology of Counselling The Psychology of Travel The Psychology of Attachment This book dives into the science of running to answer s…