Podcasts: Learn While Running

If you've never listened to a Podcast while running, you might want to try it. Most runners listen to music on their MP3 player or iPod, and of course, I do that as well. But, I listen to some fascinating, illuminating podcasts as well.
I download mine into iTunes, but you can also download podcasts directly from the web sites using various tools. I subscribe to quite a few podcasts in a wide variety of topic areas including several NPR programs. My favorite is Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. This is a wonderful weekly comedy/news quiz program. Weekly guests over the last few months have included Barack Obama, Paula Dean, Mavis Staples, and Burt Bacharach. Host Peter Sagal and program regulars Mo Rocca, Paula Poundstone, Roy Blount, Jr., and Tom Bodett keep me laughing out loud, even when I am trudging through Tampa's thickest summer humidity.
Also on NPR is Will Shortz's Sunday Puzzle. Being an English teacher, I love any and all word games. A good word puzzle really does distract me from the heat. Another wonderful NPR show is Ira Glass's This American Life.
Then there are plenty of running and triathlon podcasts. Lately I've been listening to TriTalk.com, TriathletesCoffeeShop.com and LiveandEatBetter.com. That last one is the site/podcast of Christine, the Holistic Guru. I learned so much from listening to her yesterday  for just 30 minutes. She answered so many questions, discussing what to eat the day before a race, glycemic index, cravings, and so much more. I discovered her when listening to The Triathlete's Coffee Shop.
Last week I listened to half a dozen episodes of David Warden's TriTalk during my long run. He interviewed Friel, author of the Triathlete's Bible. They clarified the whole hydration issue very well. I also learned about a frequently overlooked muscle, the gluteus medius, and Warden explained lots of data that proves water running is a valid exercise for runners.
I could go on and on. There are thousands of podcasts to choose from. I enjoy some of these podcasts so much that I find myself running longer so that I can keep listening. And, podcasts, at least most of them, are free . . . yes, free.