Are You a “Struggle Runner”? With Mrs. Space Cadet (aka Erin Azar)

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: Outside Podcast
Host: Patty O'Connell ("Patty O.")
Episode: Are You a “Struggle Runner”? With Mrs. Space Cadet (aka Erin Azar)
Date: June 17, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the world of so-called "struggle running" with Erin Azar, also known online as “Mrs. Space Cadet.” Renowned for her honest, humorous, and unfiltered depiction of running as a beginner and “struggle runner,” Erin has garnered a vast online following by showcasing the real (and often hilarious) challenges of being slow, sweaty, and imperfect in a sport often associated with elite performance and polished online influencers. Through laughter and sincerity, Erin advocates for participation, consistency, and fun over perfection in running—delivering an uplifting counter-narrative to the highly curated fitness culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Beginnings of Struggle Running (04:40–14:23)

• Erin’s Running Origins

  • Erin began running after the birth of her third child, looking for a manageable way to move her body (10:57).
  • Running was chosen out of convenience due to lack of time and proximity to trails. (“I do have a pair of sneakers… I can run to the end of the road and back.” – Erin, 11:00)
  • Her first runs felt awkward and foreign—“my joints were weeble wobbly”—but produced mental and emotional benefits that outweighed the discomfort (13:12).

• Motivation and Mental Health

  • Erin found post-run endorphins especially valuable as a parent of young kids, describing runs as “a great addition to your mental health toolkit.” (07:14)
  • Consistency, not speed or performance, became her primary metric for success.

2. Redefining What It Means to Be a Runner (16:19–21:53)

• Cultural Pressures and Ego

  • Erin initially believed she didn’t “qualify” as a runner because she didn’t meet elite standards: speed, body type, or gear.
  • She describes how fitness culture is deeply rooted in ego and competition. (“You enter the running world and… they are training for xyz. Oh, for what purpose? To beat my time.” – Erin, 22:04)
  • Erin deliberately chose a different focus: showing up, not quitting, and being curious about her progress rather than obsessing over numbers.

• Changing Her Definition of Success

  • Erin’s evolution: From seeing her worth in speed/performance to valuing showing up and learning small things, like what kind of shoes fit her feet (19:34).
  • She rejects external criticism and gatekeeping (“There are still people that would look at me and be like, ‘well, no, she’s not a runner. I could walk that pace.’ To that I say, that person is not for me.” – Erin, 21:22).

3. Humor as a Coping Strategy and Community Builder (05:24, 24:43–33:33)

• The Role of Laughter

  • Erin used humor as a way to process embarrassment and difficulties, both in childhood and as an adult runner.
  • Turning vulnerabilities into content helped her and others laugh through discomfort. (“When you edit it together in a funny way… you see the humor in that. So in those stressful moments, you can kind of laugh about it in a way.” – Erin, 17:10)

• Viral Authenticity

  • The authenticity and relatability of her struggle running videos quickly found an audience. Rather than the hostility she feared, viewers resonated with her honesty and humor (18:46).
  • Her approach became inadvertently groundbreaking in a social media culture of polish and perfection.
  • Notable: Her account fills a void in running spaces, which are often devoid of humor and overly serious (31:45).

4. Documenting the Struggle: Making Comedy from Running (24:43–33:33)

• Becoming Mrs. Space Cadet

  • The name comes from a childhood nickname, re-appropriated with pride (25:22).
  • Her content aims to lower the barrier of entry, making it okay to “look bad” or laugh at yourself.
  • Notable Moment: Erin stresses, “The thing that keeps me going is meeting people in real life and them saying, ‘I started running because of you. I signed up for this race because of you.’” (28:26)

• Behind the Scenes of Content Creation

  • She films most content on her phone, capturing the real struggles for authenticity’s sake. “People aren’t coming here for a curated, high-quality experience. They’re coming for red-faced, huffing, puffing glasses fall, sweaty monologue in the middle of a run.” (29:50)

5. Permission to Be Bad—Redefining Fitness Spaces (35:54–40:09)

• Changing Brand Attitudes

  • Brands initially resisted working with her because she didn’t fit the “model runner” mold (34:45). Now, diverse runners are finally being recognized by brands.
  • Erin observes that people need “permission to be bad at something” (35:54), and by sharing her vulnerabilities, she inspires others to try without fear of judgment.

• Vulnerability and Embarrassment

  • Erin calls herself “born without the embarrassment gene,” but notes this is about refusing to let embarrassment stop her, rather than lacking the feeling entirely (37:18).
  • “What they think about you is none of your business.” (38:57)

6. Humor as a Tool for Resilience and Growth (38:23–41:29)

• Facing Discomfort with Humor

  • Humor makes hard things less scary and is liberating. It permits mistakes and imperfect beginnings (38:23).
  • Erin encourages experimenting, staying playful, and starting “imperfectly”—“it doesn't have to look pretty to count” (40:14).

• Advice for Listeners

  • On why to try something new or revive an old passion: “Time will pass either way. So imagine if you did that thing… the experimentation is so fun to get started, and before you know it, you're in the thing that you were scared to try in the first place.” (40:51)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fitness Ego:
  “If that's ego driven, I think that's fine. Outdoing someone else or outdoing your past self, that's okay. I think it's healthy. As long as you don't direct it at me.” – Erin Azar, (01:13, 22:04, 22:54)
• On Chafing:
  “I can just say one word: chafing. That's all.” – Erin Azar, (07:55)
• On Accepting Imperfection:
  “Permission to be bad at something. … My content is kind of like an analogy of that. It's kind of like, hey, I'm out here airing all of this. My slow paces, my shorts, riding up… I'll be my true self so much that people are going to be like, how does she even share that?” – Erin Azar, (35:54–37:10)
• On Consistency:
  “The consistency thing was also, like, I need to prove myself wrong, that I actually can stick with something. So my metric of success, and still to this day, is consistency.” – Erin Azar, (20:29)
• On Vulnerability:
  “Sharing a vulnerability makes other people be vulnerable and comfortable in that way.” – Erin Azar, (36:14)
• On Humor and Hard Things:
  “Anytime I'm having a hard time, I have to laugh at it. I should probably go to therapy for that.” – Erin Azar, (28:32)
• On Starting:
  “Starting imperfectly is more important than waiting to be ready. It doesn't have to look pretty to count.” – Erin Azar, (40:14)
• On Self-Talk:
  “What they think about you is none of your business. … I want for my kids… to not let what someone says about them become their truth.” (38:57)

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Highlighted Timestamps

• [05:41] – Erin's most humbling running moment: being left behind at a shakeout run.
• [07:14] – Elevator pitch for running as therapy and a mental health tool.
• [07:55] – Elevator pitch for hating running: chafing.
• [10:57] – Starting running after her third child out of convenience, not passion.
• [13:12] – First run: body felt foreign, but the mental boost was huge.
• [16:19–21:53] – Redefining success, escaping competitive culture, choosing consistency.
• [22:04, 22:54] – On ego and fitness culture.
• [27:13–28:26] – Going viral, building a community, and real people telling Erin they started running because of her.
• [29:50–30:16] – Behind the scenes: using her phone, keeping it real.
• [35:54] – Brands' initial reluctance, the need for permission to be “bad” at things.
• [40:14, 40:51] – On starting imperfectly, experimenting, and using humor to tackle fear.

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Quickfire: The Final Ramble Highlights (41:41–44:13)

• Gear Erin Can’t Live Without:
  Shokz bone-conduction headphones—waterproof, sweatproof, and let you hear your surroundings (41:46).
• Favorite Outdoor Snack:
  A sandwich and a Coca Cola Classic (can) at the top of a hike (42:55).
• Best Running Fuel:
  Nerds Gummy Clusters—“Like you've chomped down on a miniature pinata” (43:11).
• Outdoor Hot Take:
  “I struggle with hot takes because… I don’t care about anything that just hit me now.” (43:35–44:05)

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Takeaways

• Running isn’t just for elites or people who fit a stereotype.
• Humor and authenticity can build powerful, supportive communities online.
• Failure, imperfection, and vulnerability are not only acceptable—they’re inspiring.
• Consistency and self-acceptance matter more than finish times.
• Try new things even if you aren't ready—"It doesn't have to look pretty to count."

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For more of Mrs. Space Cadet’s hilarity and honesty, check out her Instagram and TikTok (@mrsspacecadet) and her podcast, Non Members Only.

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[All timestamps are MM:SS into the episode.]

Transcript

[A]

This episode of the Outside Podcast is brought to you by Arkansas the Natural State. The thing that separates an adventure from just a standard issue outing outside is surprise. And there may not be a more surprising outdoor locale than Arkansas. A temperate climate means playing outside year round. And let me tell you, can you ever play from kayaking at Two Rivers park in Little Rock to the famed mountain biking in Bentonville, or afloat on the Caddo river or the Buffalo National River. Oh, by the way, was America's first national river, to tromping around Mount Nebo State park for unbelievable views of the Arkansas River Valley. In the natural State, you're never far away from fun. Lakes, rivers, mountains, woods, trails, canoeing, boating, mountain biking, hiking, fishing. Whatever you want, whatever your skill level. Your next surprise outside is in Arkansas. Plan your next [e-mail]. This is the Outside Podcast with Patty O.

[B]

You enter the running world and the people that you enter that running world with, they are training for xyz. Oh, for what purpose? To beat my time. And to that I say, that's awesome. The only important thing is, is you have a purpose of why you do it and what will make you keep doing it. If that's ego driven, I think that's fine. Outdoing someone else or outdoing your past self, that's okay. I think it's healthy.

[A]

Are you kind of saying it's like, well, it's okay if you want to do the ego driven, like improve until you're elite. It's like, okay, fine, you can be a dick, but like be a dick in a silo over there. Don't direct it at me. Don't be like, don't direct it.

[B]

As long as you don't direct it at me, then that, yeah, that's fine. Don't come into my comment section.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And say that you can walk my running pace. I. I've heard it all. You're just wasting your time.

[A]

Even occasional listeners of this show know that I like to laugh a lot. This is not some podcasters affectation. I've been like this since I was a wee lad growing up in a big, loud, hilarious family. Our dinner table was like a comedy club. Which served me well in my very awkward and very low self esteem pubescent years when humor was my armor. And if I could make you laugh before you laughed at me, well then I was going to be safe. What works for squeaky voiced social situations also works well when you're trying new stuff outside. Think about it. How seriously can you take yourself when you're wearing a spandex bikini singlet for the first time. Anyone who has ever tried snowboarding knows you better. Bring a lot of laughter and also a big bottle of ibuprofen. Fly fishing? Great way to stand in beautiful rivers and say the F word a lot. And mountain biking is like eating an entire chocolate cake in one sitting. It's the best way I know how to feel awesome and awful about myself all at once. The outdoors requires a lot of gear, but the one thing you can't get away without is a sense of humor. Just ask Aaron Azar Erin is a runner and social media personality better known by her online Persona misses Space Cadet. A self proclaimed struggle runner, Erin has amassed nearly 2 million followers by posting hilarious, unfiltered videos documenting her life as a beginner runner. This whole thing started a few months after giving birth to her third child. Her first goal was to simply make it to the end of the road and back, one mile round trip without keeling over and leaving the kids without a mom. She pulled it off, but it was harder and felt weirder than she'd anticipated. At that point, Erin was already documenting the insanity of parenting the hour diaper changes, the meal chaos, the tantrums, the laundry, and editing them into short videos that she sent to her mom. As she realized that the harder things got, the funnier she got, Erin decided to apply the same approach to videos about running. Once she'd knocked end of the road and back off her bucket list, she set out to run for 30 days in a row and document her progress, or hilarious lack thereof on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. In the process, she inadvertently created an antidote to the nauseatingly formulaic, overly manicured, highly produced and typical running influencer who took up so much of our feeds. Erin will be the first to tell you that she's not a great runner. She's slow, she tires quickly, and hills are no easier to climb today than when she started 7ish years ago. But her version of running clearly resonates with all those followers who must see more of themselves in her than all those five minute milers who get paid to run. As funny as she is, Erin is entirely sincere in her goal of getting more people out there running. But I don't think she needs to worry. If running makes you laugh this much, why wouldn't you want to do more of it? First things first, Burnt Toast. What's your last humbling and or hilarious moment outside?

[B]

The thing is, with this question, there's so many.

[A]

For me, it's like a traffic jam in your mind.

[B]

Right, right. That's really what my content is all about, is humbling and embarrassing moments. One that really honestly was probably slightly traumatizing, but now is really funny to me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Was when I got left behind at a shakeout run. And it was. Yeah, it was in Central Park.

[A]

Oh, that's me.

[B]

And I was left with a pregnant woman and a man that had recently had heart surgery. Yeah. So I turned around. I didn't know where we were going. We turned around.

[A]

I'm done here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And for those listeners who aren't runners, tell everybody what a shakeout run is.

[B]

A shakeout run is supposed to be a really light, easy run. Maybe like two to three miles that you do before a big race. So the day before, however, a shakeout run has now turned into kind of like a brand activation moment, A creator meet and greet moment or a feel

[A]

bad moment for you.

[B]

It turns out a feel bad moment for me. I will say I think it's still does what it's supposed to do. It's supposed to just shake you out, get you ready for your race.

[A]

Did it also shake those humans out of your life because you were like, I'm never going to be friends with you guys again. You just dusted me on what is supposed to be like an easy like 10 to 12 minute mile pace.

[B]

I will say that I went on a press tour of kind of shaming them openly. And you know what? They don't do that anymore.

[A]

Nice. Good for them. They learn.

[B]

It was, it was definitely all in good fun. You just be aware. That's all. Just be aware and make sure everyone knows where, where you're going.

[A]

Stay with your friends.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Don't be a bunch of jerks.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Oh, I'm excited for this. All right, let's get into it. Can you give me the 30 second elevator pitch for loving to run?

[B]

Okay. I would say therapy is very expensive. Running is not a substitute for therapy. However, if you can't get it, it's pretty good. Running is pretty good. And also it's a great addition to your mental health toolkit. People are surprised. Why? I don't know my marathon finish times or anything because I don't care. But I do care about not feeling crazy, which right now in the world is very important.

[A]

Yeah. Like I don't know my marathon finish time, but I do completely understand my relationship with my parents now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So there you go.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Give me the 30 second elevator pitch for hating to run.

[B]

I can just say one Word chafing. That's all. It's like. That's a one second pitch. But it plagues me to the point of, you know, I don't know if I want to run a marathon again unless I cover myself with KT tape.

[A]

Yeah, KT tape or a body glide. I have to use body glide. Listen, we're going to get personal pretty quick here. I guess on this, in this chat, I feel like head to toe. Like I look like a salamander when I go out for a run. Head to toe, body glide.

[B]

I'm gonna be anti body.

[A]

Really?

[B]

And say, no, not anti. I'm sorry, I shouldn't say that. For me, I sweat so much that I sweat. It goes right through the body glide and then I chafe. It is. I'm telling you, if you want. If anyone out there listening would like to make an anti chafing product, send it to me. I will stress test it.

[A]

I always joke that, like one of the two of my dogs should test all chew toys that are like indestructible. I feel like you're the person to send all types of runner's lube to. To you sweat through the lube.

[B]

Yes, I. So it's the combination of the sweat and then the clothing continuously rubbing. So it's kind of like it's rubbing it off. Yes, that I. That's my theory. I don't know. I live a hard life.

[A]

I did see that. Like your series, your very hilarious series of like shorts that ride up like toad. I get that. I too have like.

[B]

Oh, how would I just hungry thighs.

[A]

Hungry thighs. Yes. Like. Yeah, that boy. That boy thick. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, you know when the old school blinds, when you pull them to too hard and they like shoot up.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I feel like that's what my shorts do.

[B]

Yeah, that's a good analogy.

[A]

I try to be good with words.

[B]

Yeah, you are. That's why you do what you do.

[A]

I try. Okay, big chafe. We are here trying to get product to Aaron to be the tester of all testers.

[B]

I'll challenge it.

[A]

This could be very lucrative for you. You could revolutionize the running world.

[B]

Yeah. When brands send me shorts to try, I do send them a message and say, just so you know, just because you sent to me, I will be talking very negatively about them.

[A]

If because you just hate all shorts, I would.

[B]

I want to love shorts. That's my, my thing is running. For running, I wear only bike shorts. Like, that's just how it's going to Be. But after I run, I don't also want to wear spandex on me. I want to have the cute flowy shorts.

[A]

Yes, totally. I get it. I get it.

[B]

That's all I'm asking for.

[A]

Listen, folks, we're just thick thighed humans trying to look cute. Help us.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Help us out.

[B]

Is that so much to ask?

[A]

Seriously, it shouldn't be. Is great. I love it here. You know what?

[B]

Me too.

[A]

To quote my sister, I'm already missing this conversation.

[B]

Oh, wait, I love that.

[A]

Yeah, Isn't that great?

[B]

That's so cute.

[A]

It is. Do I have this correct? You started running first, like after the birth of your third child, kind of on a whim, right?

[B]

Yeah. My thing with running is very different, I feel like, than a lot of runners and running influencers because a lot of people were just into running like in their youth, you know what I mean? Maybe they were on the track team or cross country. The only time I ran was for punishment, as I think is relatable to a lot of people. Even when I played some sports it was if you're late or talking too much, you're running laps. I don't know, I just never thought I could run. But the thing with being in this very rural area that I live in and having three little kids, like freshly postpartum, is you start to become desperate for just like any type of movement. So instead of being like, oh, I don't really like running or I don't think I can run, I think I might try something else. It's like, well, I don't have time for anything. I don't have time to drive somewhere. So I do have a pair of sneakers. Granted they had holes in them, but I'm like, I can run to the end of the road and back. That first run, it felt like, not good. My body felt like someone else's body. But yeah, I mentally, there was a little thing in there. I'm like, I think I'm going to explore this.

[A]

I mean, of all of the outdoorsy things that you could do, was running just the easiest and that's why you picked it up. Just in terms of time, equipment, and like learning even?

[B]

Yeah, time and equipment learning was a big curve for me. I felt like the information out there was so overwhelming and a lot of times conflicting. So I didn't think that, that it's like, oh, I don't really need to have a lot to figure out. Totally. It was more like just like you said, the time. Because I love hiking and I have always Loved hiking. And we took all three of our kids. Like, we threw them in the packs and everything.

[A]

Yeah, sure.

[B]

But even that to get to the nearest hiking spot, we live near the Appalachian Trail, actually, the Rocksylvania part. But to get there, it is, you know, like 15 minutes. And when you only have 15 minutes, you know, it's. But I would have. If. If I could walk out of my house and hike, I probably would have done that. And I don't know if I would have started running.

[A]

Describe first run. How did it feel physically? But how did it feel like mentally and emotionally?

[B]

Physically was. It almost felt like my joints were weeble wobbly. Like, I don't really know how to explain it. Like, it felt like something might fall

[A]

off and I absolutely understand.

[B]

Yeah, it was like. Yeah, it was like my legs didn't really know what to do. And then, you know, things postpartum things are moving that weren't moving before was weird. And then you're realizing, like, oh, I think I need a sports bra because this nursing bra is not going to hold up. So a lot of it was just like figuring out what I need to even do this again. But the reason I was thinking about doing it again is because. So I ran to the end of my road and back, and it's about a mile round trip, so it wasn't a very long run, but within, I would say, 10 minutes, I felt like. I don't know if it's endorphins or what it was, but I came back from that run more patient, less emotional. Like, I'm just gonna bawl my eyes out over nothing. Like, I felt more in control mentally and emotionally. And I think that was really the motivation that kept me going.

[A]

Well, a moment ago you said that your body didn't feel like it was your own body.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Describe that feeling. Like, what exactly do you mean? And then how or did that feeling shift during the run?

[B]

The feeling didn't shift during the run because why it felt like someone else's body, I think is because before kids or just before being pregnant, I would be active in, like, certain ways. You could kind of like play around. You could go, like, chase someone or up and do something active where this. I was like, whoa, this feels like I'm a car in, like, negative 10 degree Fahrenheit winter. And you start it up and it's like it needs a while to, you know, get warmed up and even know what it's supposed to do. So I never had that feeling. I was always able to just, like, Spring into something. And it was very foreign in that sense. And also, like I said, just like body parts being all different, being a completely different size.

[A]

Well, even despite the, like, physical discomfort or even just like the what is this weird new feeling Feeling. Despite all that, though, like, you came back like, oh, it's like all the fun chemicals that your brain selfishly keeps locked up that you have to like, exert yourself to get. Like you're getting those and you're like, oh, I feel great. So even despite the physical discomfort and the emotional, like, wondering of really what's happening with my body, you decide, like, this, I like this, I'm gonna keep doing this. How?

[B]

Despite the discomforts during the run, I would say the positive effect of how I felt afterward mentally far exceeded the negative, weird kind of not good feelings that I had during the run. And I think it had been so long since I felt those good feelings in my brain that it was like I didn't really care about the negatives. I'm like, I'll figure those out.

[A]

Our sweet, lovely producer Micah believes that the idea that fitness can be fun is a lie created by Big Jim. And I want to tug on this thread a bit with you. When you first started running, how did you define or understand what a successful runner looked like? Was it performance based? Like being a good runner or a capital R runner meant being fast.

[B]

Oh, this is such a big, heavy topic. I'll try and be like, concise about it because when I, when I started running, that was like a huge thing for me. I didn't want to call myself a runner. I thought you had to have like a single digit mile pace to be a runner. You had to look like a runner. You had to be skinny and just wear a sports bra. I had all these. I mean, this was like, this was literally my definition.

[A]

Yeah, I get it.

[B]

So I kept it to myself for a while. And then I had been making videos. When I say making videos, I mean, I was having a really hard day, but I took clips on my phone and edited it into a funny video and I would like send it to my mom. And so I was like, wait, what if I did that to my running? Because this is really hard and stressful, but when you edit it together in a funny way and you rewatch it, you see the humor in that. So in those stressful moments, you can kind of laugh about it in a way. It conditioned my mind to do that. So I thought, why don't I do that with these short runs that I'm doing? I could show my red face, my fogged up glasses, my shorts riding up and instead of being frustrated, maybe edit it so that it's funny and other people can kind of laugh at it and feel better about themselves. And in my head I'm thinking there has to be one other person out there that does not fit the bill of what I was thinking. A runner in. And we could kind of. That content could kind of like help them. Maybe we could be like Internet friends. But what happened from that is I ended up posting to TikTok, which at the time I think it was like maybe Gary V. One of those people that says they know things.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And they said that if you want to find your people.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You should just post on TikTok.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So I, I thought, oh, you'd like find a friend. But one of those early run videos went viral and I realized from the comments, which I was scared to look up by the way, because I'm like, these are going to be 12 year old boys making fun of me. That's why it went viral.

[A]

Yeah, totally.

[B]

That's what was scary. But when I looked at them, they were all tagging friends and saying like, LOL us or LOL me or why don't more people post stuff like this? This was in 2019, so it was very different. There were no videos on Instagram. This was, was the Instagram perfect looking era.

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[B]

And then here, here I come.

[A]

And I know that you've said that like your definition of success evolved from like performance metrics just simply completing a run or even just going on a run. So how exactly did that evolution occur? Did you start tracking your runs, kind of like being a stat queen, and then decided like, I'm going to toss the watch out, I am going to get rid of all of the tracking apps on my phone.

[B]

I think what happened was those ideas of perfection were never in my future, period. Maybe if I dedicated my entire life and got like plastic surgery. Absolutely. But I didn't, I just didn't care to attain those things. So to me, what am I really working toward became, okay, I'm doing this for mental health, therefore it does not matter how fast I run. What matters is consistency and showing up. When you think about it, that is the hardest part out of any like healthy habit that you're trying to do is consistency.

[A]

Th percent Right.

[B]

I was the quitting queen before that. Like I quit Girl Scouts after a week. Like every single thing in my life, I don't even remember. I just, I just know I've always. I never stuck with anything. Yeah.

[A]

Like, I've been. I've been getting my own supply. Like, I'm sorry, but these cookies are really good. Like, I can't.

[B]

Like, I've seen.

[A]

I gotta quit.

[B]

I gotta out of here. Yeah. I was probably a weird kid. I don't know. But I never stuck with anything. And honestly, I think the consistency thing was also, like, I need to prove myself wrong, that I actually can stick with something. So my metric of success, and still to this day is consistency.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Over time, a success to me meant, let's learn what an interval run is. Let's learn what splits are not banana splits, not splits with your legs. You know, learning these little things bit by bit. Going to a running shoe store, getting fitted and understanding for my specific feet, what shoes I should be trying. All those things made me feel like a runner. The thing is, we're in 2026. There are still people that would look at me and be like, well, no, she's not a runner. I could walk that pace.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

To that I say, that person is not for me. The cliche of what they think about me is none of my business.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The Nike sign that said runners welcome, Walker's tolerated.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Did not care.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I know. That was a huge controversy. It's just not for me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And not everything needs to be marketed to me and people don't need to accept me. But what really matters is what was in my mind. Yes, I'm a runner. I have runner friends. I run, I pick up. My one foot is on the ground at the same time, only one foot, and that's running.

[A]

Well, why do you think then that the culture of improve until your elite has been so entrenched in endurance sports or running in general and even for beginners?

[B]

I'm not saying this in a mean way, but it is ego.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And not in like, oh, you're so egotistical. That's all you care about. That's just how our brains work. You enter the running world and the people that you enter that running world with, they are training for xyz. Oh, for what purpose? To beat my time. And to that I say, that's awesome. The only important thing is you have a purpose of why you do it and what will make you keep doing it. If that's ego driven, I think that's fine. Outdoing someone else or outdoing your past self, that's okay. I think it's healthy.

[A]

So it's like, I hope.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Are you Kind of saying, it's like, well, it's okay if you want to do the ego driven, like, improve until you're elite. It's like, okay, fine, you can be a dick, but, like, be a dick in a silo over there. Don't direct it at me. Don't be like, I'm impressing you.

[B]

As long as you don't direct it at me, then that, yeah, that's fine. Don't come into my comment section and say that you can walk. Book my running pace. Yeah, I've heard it all. You're just wasting your time.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Because it's like you don't care.

[B]

I genuinely don't. And I, in fact, have tried to care.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I started this series. It lasted for two videos of me trying to get faster. I started, like, this specific program to improve. I think it was 5k pace. The fact that it lasted two videos, what does that tell you? Yeah, I can't force myself to care. For me, it's the curiosity of what happens if I keep doing it.

[A]

Oh, yeah. I like that.

[B]

Trying not to quit was enough at first, but at some point I'm like, okay, but what happens if I don't quit? What happens if I run 0.1 miles further than I ran yesterday? Or what happens if I can run this marathon? There was always that experimentation and that curiosity that kept me going. Like, long term, I'm still, like, playing around and, oh, what happens if I strength train? Right now, I'm training to do one pull up. What happens to my running if I can be strong enough to do one pull up. So for me, it's just that, like, oh, I wonder what'll happen. Not this needs to happen and I have to meet this goal.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

But just like, what if I meet that goal? The nice thing about it is you get eventually a very clear answer. It's not like a hypothetical type of thing. And it's this hill used to wreck me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And now, wow. My legs didn't start to burn until like, just after the hill.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Kind of caught up to me, you

[A]

know, you're like, it still wrecks me, but not in a terrible, terrible way. It's just terrible.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

Yeah. More from professional struggle runner Aaron Azar after the break. It's one thing to start going for runs and enjoying it and, you know, working it into your life. It's. It's a whole, whole different deal. Right. A whole different ball game to, like, start humorously documenting the very goofy trials and tribulations of getting into running and then keeping it a part of your life. So what really prompted the. Let's call it Ms. Space Cadet Movement or, I'm sorry, Mrs. Space Cadet.

[B]

Mrs. Yeah.

[A]

Mrs. Space Cadet Movement.

[B]

A married space cadet.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

That name, by the way, came about because when I was little, I was very spacey as I am now, and a friend of mine, her mom was like, oh, my gosh, you're such a space cadet. Because I would, like, lose things, I would forget things. And it, like, honestly, it hurt my feelings when I was little. And so in my adulthood, I'm like, you know what? I'm owning it. Because apparently I can't fix that. So I'm. That's just going to be my personality online also. But in terms of deciding, okay, I can now see the humor in all of these struggles. I want other people to be able to recognize them in their own struggles. And that was really why I started posting them online. Like, try to find a friend and be like, hey, look at this. See, we can laugh. We don't have to be so hard on ourselves. Especially the phase that I was in that postpartum, you have other little kids at home. It can be very difficult. I was also working from home. This was, like, before COVID So it was a lot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I. I felt like I wasn't represented in any content that I could watch, so why not just make the content that I would want to see?

[A]

Now you have this huge social media footprint. When it started to blow up, though, were you like, hell, yeah. Like, I. I knew it. Like, there were people out there like me, or were you like, oh, holy sh. Nikes.

[B]

It was definitely fun. However, it was so unexpectedly big.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think that's why. What scared me a bit because I didn't know anything about social media other than, like, following my friends.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I didn't understand. Are there privacy concerns here? And also there's, like, this thing that you want to pull the cord and be like, actually, this is too much. I. I wanted a friend, and now I'm scared because there's a. A lot of people.

[A]

All these strangers are, like, out in front of my house looking in the window.

[B]

Yes, I know. That's what it felt like. And my whole thing was, I'm going to keep doing it. It clearly resonated with people. It's helping me. Because in my job at the time, I was in medical devices, it was like, zero creativity allowed. Don't be funny. Don't try and word things differently. We will sue You? Yeah. So I valued that creativity. I valued sharing it and how it was making other people feel. And I thought, I can just do this until I don't like it anymore or something doesn't feel right about it. I mean, fast forward six years. Yeah, I'm still enjoying it. I think if people were like, you're making no difference. We hate your content. This is, you know, I would be like, oh, okay. That's exit for me by. The thing that keeps me going is meeting people in real life and then saying, I started running because of you. I signed up for this race because of you. And also DMs of just like somehow helping people through something difficult. I never thought I would have an impact like that.

[A]

What was it about running that made you more comfortable in front of the camera and also brought your comedy out?

[B]

Anytime I'm having a hard time, I have to laugh at it. I should probably go to therapy for that.

[A]

Is it something about the seriousness of running that you're like, I have to take the piss out of this a bit for my own, like, well being, but also because I got to believe that not every single person who laces up some roadrunners or trail runners is like, this is a serious activity and we need to be serious about it. Was it that too?

[B]

Yeah, the seriousness is funny. But also, you know when you're insecure about something and you joke about it first.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

To like beat people to it.

[A]

Oh my God. You're describing my childhood.

[B]

Right. So how that fits into what I was doing is I felt insecure with not being fast, not being serious. I'm just like, what are people gonna come at me in the comments for? Well, then I'm just gonna be so overtly that. Because I don't care. I'm not gonna hide.

[A]

You think that mile time was slow. Well, wait until next week.

[B]

Yeah, I'm not gonna hide that. I don't care about my time. I'm just gonna outright say I don't care.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I just don't.

[A]

So then how do you do something? Like the experience of actually doing the thing and then documenting it to make a funny video.

[B]

So I dabbled in using maybe a better camera and microphone and all this stuff. And I quickly, I was like, it's phone or nothing. I'm not. Yeah, people aren't coming here for a curated, high quality experience. Yeah, they're coming for red faced, huffing, puffing glasses fall, sweaty monologue in the middle of a run. Like, that's what they're here for.

[A]

Is the plan always just like, I'm gonna go for a run and then at some point I'm gonna get inspired and turn the camera on myself? Or do you plan out, you know, gags and skits and things like that?

[B]

95 of the time I would say I just go and I'm like, I'll figure something out. Because another reason I like running is it. It helps me problem solve it. It also helps me think of ideas that I wouldn't get just sitting still. So that's where a lot of the, if you see like a run vlog kind of style video of mine, none of that is planned. And that's why half the time I'm like saying the wrong word and who knows what. But if I have like a clear message that I have to say, I probably won't be running when I say it. It'll be maybe like in my house and I need to tell you about these shorts or I need to give you a warning about these shoes or something. I'm probably not going to do that while I'm running.

[A]

I think something like, very important to point out is that most of those like very huge running influencer accounts are the very polished videos. It seems like a full like Hollywood setup, filming, lighting, everything.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And those are very not funny accounts. Was part of your online presence with Mrs. Space Cadet? Like, oh, I'm going to fill a need here. Like, nobody is being funny in this space, but I can be funny because. Because this is inherently ridiculous and goofy and I want to fill this non funny space.

[B]

Yeah. As I made it and I put these videos out there, I realized, wow, this space is actually even more serious than I thought it was. Yeah, it was interesting.

[A]

Do you think that running has made you funnier because of the documenting?

[B]

Hmm.

[A]

Were you like. No, I've always been this hilarious. I can never be more funny. I was just born this way.

[B]

A lot of it. Honestly, growing up, I would talk and people would laugh and it took me a long time to realize, oh, that's funny. Yeah, like the thing that I said is funny. So I think that a lot of it is in my adulthood. I know that this is funny.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I think I've always talked this way. I just didn't know that it was funny, if that makes sense.

[A]

Even. Even though you were getting like the feedback loop of like people are laughing in front of you and like they want to hear more.

[B]

It took me a while. I used to be very self conscious and very shy. So I think that took me a long Time to be like, they're laughing and that is good. And that what I'm saying is making them feel good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's funny. I don't know why that took me so long to get that in my head. Then I'm like, oh, I can make people laugh. Not by accident. Like, say, for example, when I started posting videos, you would think like, oh, she thinks she's funny. She must know that she's funny. I was still not like that. I was, it was, it's so weird. And then Covid hit and I didn't meet anyone in person, so I was just like, I don't even know if these people are real. Like these comments, they're just, these are all like faces, right? And so it took me probably a couple years and meeting a lot of people in person to realize like, oh, okay, they do think the videos are funny.

[A]

I think it's also like very worth pointing out that the wellness economy is worth nearly $7 trillion and brands are spending billions of dollars on wellness content. Like, this is some serious big business. And it's remarkable. It is remarkable. And I'm not condemning elite athletes or those striving to be, you know, the best athlete that they can be. But there is definitely a formula here. You know, when it comes to online fitness Personas. Like you've said, you know the model pretty people who are super jacked and they're posting, oh, just like super chill run today, but it's like a five minute mile pace or something. Then they'll shoot half naked, get ready with me and impossibly manicured what I ate in a day videos in their mansion. Now, okay, listen, like, that is the formula. But the formula works. These folks have huge social media footprints. They are surely making tons and tons of loot. But formulas, right? They're also rogue and tired and repetitive and very unoriginal. How have you managed to create a career in this truth telling, funny video space and avoid formulaic repetition and becoming like a cog in the algorithm machine?

[B]

Yeah, it's been such an interesting experience to me because when I first started making content, I was the opposite of what brands wanted. They did not want their shoes on a runner like me. Which to say in 2026 is like, O, are you serious? Like, but it really was, it was very new. That type of like, oh, we're for everyday runners. Yeah, in 2019, this is for a five minute miler. Everyone else shut up. Go find shoes somewhere else.

[A]

Yeah, totally. And that's, that's just an internal, like, Memo. That is like the marketing. That is the advertising. You know, like, get lost, nerd. We want the sinewy, beautiful be people running in these shoes.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes. And now I think, you know, over the past, like, six years, you can see brands finally come around to like, oh, wait, those people like her wear our shoes, too. She has hundreds of thousands of people watching her. That is missing capital that you guys were not getting. Like, you were isolating a huge portion of the running economy. I don't know what else to call it.

[A]

Well, well, something interesting here that goes a little bit beyond the financial side of it and gets to maybe more of the emotional side of it is that you have said of your content creation, I think people needed permission to be bad at something. How did you recognize that and why do you think that's true?

[B]

I think I just recognized it because what I saw missing in people's content and what they were willing to share. And then. And it's kind of like when you're having a conversation and you're like, ugh, I'm having this hard time, but I don't want to tell this person. They're going to judge me. But then you're like, you know what? I'm just going to tell. I'm going to say, I'm having a hard time with this. And before you know it, that person is like, wait, me too. Or I actually just had a hard time with that, and this is how I got through it. Sharing a vulnerability makes other people be vulnerable and comfortable in that way. And my content is kind of like an analogy of that. It's kind of like, hey, I'm out here airing all of this. My slow paces, my shorts, writing up to the point where you could just share, like, a little bit of this thing that you're.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, embarrassed about. But you're. Trust me, I have this big high bar up here. I'm making myself look so bad.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That what you share, you're still going to look good. Don't worry.

[A]

It's like, don't worry about looking silly or looking dumb or looking stupid, whatever. Like, I'll do it for you.

[B]

Yes. I'll make it look so bad. I'll be my true self so much that people are going to be like, how does she even share that? My husband says that I was born without the embarrassment gene. It's very true. I think if I have the gift of no embarrassment, I should share that with the world.

[A]

I think it's something almost, maybe stronger than the gift of no Embarrassment. It's the fact that, like, no, you get embarrassed. You're human. But it's. It's just. You're not gonna let that stop you from doing the thing. And that, to me, seems like what a frigging powerful muscle to have.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So how do you grow that muscle? Do you just continue to tell the voice in your head, like, they're all gonna laugh at you. Like, shut up. I don't care. Like, I'm just gonna do it. Do you do that?

[B]

I know that those negative things are going on somewhere over here, but I'm here in this shell. In this shell as the one that matters and that I care about. And I just. I could keep that completely separate. So it's. It's almost like it's not happening.

[A]

That's so wild and cool that you're able to do that.

[B]

I don't know if it's healthy or not, but that's how it happens.

[A]

Your use of humor seems, of course, in service of entertainment, but personally, do you think that it also makes doing hard things easier?

[B]

Yeah. Especially if you're going into it with a sense of humor. It's less scary because you're not putting this really serious blanket on it. It's very freeing to be like, I'm going to try this, and I don't care if I'm horrible. I'm going to try skiing, and I don't care if I slide down the hill on my butt. Like, that's life, and it's fine.

[A]

Do you think it's a tool that allows you to face discomfort without fear or shame?

[B]

Oh, yeah, for sure. Doing it over and over again until you really don't think about those things that were holding you back. Also, you know, I have three little kids, like I said, so I'm. I'm on repeat of what they think about you is none of your business. And one thing that I think is I want for my kids so badly is to not let what someone says about them become their truth and then change who they are as an adult. And then as an adult, you're looking back like, man, I used to really enjoy doing that or being in that way or being playful, and. And that was killed because of this person. And that's really hard to get back.

[A]

And sometimes that person is you.

[B]

Oh, yes.

[A]

The way that you talk to yourself when no one's around.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah. So I think I'm so aware of that, and I'm also very aware of it in myself. I'm, like, so protective of my piece in that way of like, I'm enjoying this so much. I'm enjoying sharing, I'm enjoying making people laugh. And it's a roundabout way, like motivating or inspiring people. So much so that like, I know all that's going on over here. But if I let that get to me, my content will change. I will change. It's going to become a chore.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

To make content. And I won't. I won't be myself.

[A]

You know, your platform has been deemed a space where expectations are intentionally lowered. And you've said that starting imperfectly is more important than waiting to be ready. Quote, it doesn't have to look pretty to count is something that you've said about running, which I like, love. So to me, you really preach the gospel of not taking yourself seriously and being consistently inconsistent. So if someone listening right now is wrestling with that voice in our heads, it tells us to not try something new or to not reignite an old passion because of the thousand different forms of fear. Can you tell them why they should?

[B]

Because think about what will happen if you don't. Time will pass either way. So imagine if you did that thing and if you're playful with it, like when you're a kid, you're not serious about playing this game with your friends or something. You're like goofy and crazy and oh, well, what happens if we throw the ball like this and then you go over there? That experimentation is so fun to get started. And before you know it, you're in the thing that you were scared to try in the first place.

[A]

And no little kid is like, oh, check out my mile time. Yeah. They're like, look at my yellow sneakers. They make me jump like a superhero.

[B]

Yeah. Look how fast I could run to this tree. Totally.

[A]

It is now time for the final ramble. One piece of gear you cannot live without.

[B]

Shocks, headphones. There are times, like, I head out for a run and it says low battery. I'm going back. I love it.

[A]

Do you like the shocks? Because I'm currently in the market for a new pair of running slash like workout headphones. Cuz here's the thing. I am such a sweaty, disgusting, wild beast of a human. I have broken numerous earbuds because I just sweat too much, Right?

[B]

Yes, I am also that.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

And I've been wearing them for five years at least.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

They are waterproof. They are sweatproof.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

I've gotten in the shower with them. I have run through rainstorms. I have sweated to the point of just like Dripping.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And that's me.

[B]

And the sound quality is great. And you can hear your surroundings. That's so important.

[A]

Oh, because they're like. They're like on the ear but off the. The ear situation.

[B]

Yeah, they, they. The sound travels through your bones. Actually their bone conduction.

[A]

So you terrify.

[B]

I know. Sorry. It sounds weird. It sounds weird.

[A]

You can hear a three year molar

[B]

but other people can't hear what you're listening to.

[A]

Okay. I like that because I don't want people to know how much lady pop that I consume while I am trying to run down the block. Best outdoor snack.

[B]

Oh, you know what? I like going on a hike and then getting to the top of a lookout or something and having a sandwich and a Coca Cola classic.

[A]

Can or bottle?

[B]

Can.

[A]

Gotta go. Can. Okay.

[B]

Yeah, okay.

[A]

Yeah, I hear you. I hear ya. What about on a run?

[B]

I've been having fun lately. Fueling with nerds. Gummy clusters because.

[A]

So good, right? The candy scientist behind those things. You geniuses, right?

[B]

And you look forward to it.

[A]

It's like you've chomped down on a miniature pinata. It is the best. God, I love it. Oh, good call. What is your hottest outdoor hot take?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Really?

[B]

I struggle with hot takes because I think this is why I have difficulty with this. I don't care about anything that just hit me now.

[A]

So your hottest outdoor hot take is don't give a. About anything?

[B]

Yeah, I just, I. Because I always wondered why can't I have one of those hot takes that people always do?

[A]

That's why there's nothing about running around, the tech or the. Or the clothing or the attitudes. Nothing. You're just like, whatever.

[B]

No, it doesn't affect me, you know,

[A]

wow, this is remarkable. The shell that you have, the deflection shell that you have around you.

[B]

I guess so. Yeah.

[A]

So sweet. Oh my gosh. I love it. Erin Azar is a social media creator and professional struggle runner. Best known by her online personality Persona, Mrs. Space Cadet. She became popular by posting humorous and unfiltered videos documenting her struggles as a beginner runner. Her content challenges traditional fitness culture by celebrating imperfection, consistency, and humor versus a perfect performance. If you've ever felt excluded from running or like it is absurdly difficult, but you still kind of like it, then you will love Aaron's videos. Check them out on instagram I'm Mrs. Spacekin cadet on TikTok Mrs. Space cadet and check out her podcast, non members only for casual and hilarious discussions on everyday events, pop culture, sports and science. And remember, this podcast ain't just flapping gums, it's also a picture show. Watch video episodes of the show and follow us on YouTube @Outside Podcast 1. Also, remember that we want to hear from you, so email your podcast, pod reactions, guest nominations, why you love runner's lube, and anything else you'd like to tell and or ask us to outside [e-mail] the Outside Podcast is hosted and produced by me, Patty o', Connell, but you can call me Patty O. The show is also produced by the storytelling wizard Micah When I jog, I cover myself from grill to girdle in Vaseline Abrams music and sound design by Robbie Carver and booking and research by Jeanette Carter Courts. The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside plus members. Learn about all the extra rad benefits and become a member [e-mail] podplus.