Podcast Summary: Apple News Today – “Rebroadcast: The Secret to Finding Joy in Running”

Original Airdate: January 3, 2026
Host: Shamita Basu
Guest: Martinez Evans, author of Slow AF Run Club

Episode Overview

This episode returns to a favorite Apple News In Conversation from the archives, exploring how to genuinely love running—regardless of your starting point, body size, or history with exercise. Host Shamita Basu interviews Martinez Evans, author, marathoner, and founder of the Slow AF Run Club, about his personal journey from non-runner to marathon finisher. Together, they discuss reframing exercise as a source of joy, overcoming internal and external critics, and cultivating sustainable, joyful habits in running (and beyond).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Martinez’s Origin Story: Running Against the Odds

• Doctor’s Dismissal as a Catalyst
  Martinez’s running journey began after a doctor dismissed his hip pain and bluntly attributed it to his weight:

  “You’re fat and you need to lose weight or you’re gonna die.” (Martinez, 01:16)

• In anger and partly out of spite, Martinez sarcastically declared he would run a marathon—then surprised himself by following through.

• First Steps and Embarrassment

  • Martinez’s first attempt at running led to him falling off a treadmill, surrounded by seasoned runners (“gazelles”)—an experience both mortifying and formative.
  • He drew inspiration from his “no struggle, no progress” tattoo (Frederick Douglass reference, 03:21).

2. Accessible Beginnings and Facing Exclusion

• Martinez found initial running guidance through “Couch to 5K” apps, but even beginner plans assumed a level of fitness many lack.
• Multiple coaches refused to train Martinez due to his size:

  “Most of the time, these individuals will say, well, I think you should lose some more weight first... I’m not comfortable with coaching you.” (Martinez, 05:30)

3. Motivation: Spite, Progress, and Unexpected Joy

• Martinez’s early motivation was a mix of proving doubters wrong and weight loss, but crossing the finish line of his first 5K revealed a deeper source of satisfaction:

  “That’s when it hit me: like, oh wow. I’m really a runner. I’m doing this running thing.” (Martinez, 07:07)

4. Building Up: From 5K to Marathon

• Martinez’s methodical approach: gradually tackled 5Ks, 10Ks, then half marathons before signing up for the Detroit Marathon.
• Training plans were adapted for personal needs—more grace, manageable mileage, and room for setbacks.

5. Confronting External Judgment on Race Day

• During his first marathon, staff in support vehicles repeatedly urged him to quit:

  “Hey, big man, do you want a ride to the finish line?” (Martinez, 09:48)

  • The bus driver eventually told him, “I can’t help that you slow and fat. I’m just trying to help you out.” (Martinez, 11:01)
  • This external judgment fueled Martinez to finish and reflect on the emotional highs and lows of the experience.

6. Setbacks, Mental Health, and Refocusing on Joy

• A major car accident left Martinez out of running for eight months, regaining lost weight and facing depression.
• In therapy, he realized that his happiness stemmed not from weight loss, but from the process and joy of running itself:

  “I’ve lost over 90 pounds. Right. But I wasn’t 90 pounds happier.” (Martinez, 11:38)

• Coming back to running, he made a promise: to run for happiness, regardless of body size.

7. The Mental Game: Inner and Outer Critics

• Concept of ‘You vs. Your Mind vs. Everyone Else’ (14:22)
  • The primary challenge for new or lapsed runners is not physical, but psychological: overcoming self-doubt and perceived (or real) judgment from others.
• Naming and Managing the Inner Critic

  “One of the things that I learned was, well, if you give this inner critic a persona… For me, my inner critic is named Otis. I named him Otis. And he’s a drunk uncle… you’re old enough to stand up to this drunk uncle.” (Martinez, 16:15)

  • Key Quote:

    “Not everything you think is true and not everything you feel about yourself is real.” (Martinez, 17:23)

• Facing External Judgment
  • Practice “delusional self-belief”—the willingness to believe in yourself even when others find it unreasonable.

    “Sometimes you have to be delusional with yourself to say, I’m going to do this, even if no one else believes in me.” (Martinez, 18:46)

8. Radical Joy: Redefining the Purpose of Running

• The idea that running can—and should—be about joy is, as Shamita notes, “radical” (21:51), given the focus on weight loss and performance in popular culture.
• Martinez advocates decoupling exercise from weight loss, highlighting the numerous health benefits and the importance of finding enjoyment in movement:

  “What if the world just took weight loss out of regular physical activity, period, and just made it about… Joy?” (Martinez, 22:15)

9. Advice for Listeners: How to Start Loving Running

• Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison, he says,

  “is the thief of joy. And if you want to have joy, you can’t have comparison.” (Martinez, 23:56)

• Focus on moving for the sake of being, not for perfection, competition, or progress against others.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of spite:

  “I had dreams and aspirations of, like, shoving that medal in that doctor’s face and be like, in your face.” (Martinez, 06:13)

• On internal struggle:

  “It was that commitment that I made to myself… there might be some obstacles along the way and that's okay because I… I'm doing the thing that I really want to do.” (Martinez, 13:55)

• On delusional self-belief:

  “Sometimes you have to be delusional with yourself to say, I’m going to do this, even if no one else believes in me.” (Martinez, 18:46)

• On ‘beginner’s mindset’:

  “What would happen if we took the beginner’s mindset and took the joy in going through the process versus… I have to do this. These are the milestones that I need to get…” (Martinez, 20:49)

• On separating self-worth from running performance:

  “What if running was about joy?” (Shamita, 21:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 01:26: Introduction and Martinez’s motivation to start running
• 02:41 – 04:06: Martinez’s first gym experience and his “no struggle, no progress” mindset
• 04:22 – 06:13: Building momentum, discovering “Couch to 5K,” and difficulties finding a coach
• 07:46 – 09:32: From first 5K to first marathon, custom training approaches
• 09:36 – 11:28: The Detroit Marathon and confronting external judgment
• 11:38 – 13:55: The car accident, mental health struggles, rediscovering joy
• 14:22 – 17:50: How to combat the inner critic and societal expectations
• 18:01 – 20:49: “Delusional self-belief” and the importance of resilience
• 21:10 – 23:31: Shifting the focus of running (and exercise) to joy
• 23:56 – 24:35: Final advice: end comparison, pursue joy

Conclusion

Key Takeaway:
Running—and exercise more generally—doesn’t have to be about suffering, measurement, or external validation. Martinez Evans’s journey illustrates that joy, self-acceptance, and a willingness to defy expectations (both internal and external) are not only possible, but transformative. His approach offers encouragement to anyone starting, restarting, or struggling with exercise.

Book Mentioned:
Slow AF Run Club: The Ultimate Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Run by Martinez Evans

For further listening and resources, check the episode’s show notes or follow Apple News In Conversation.