Totally Booked with Zibby – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Nicholas Thompson Runs Publications, Runs Competitively, and Never Runs Out of Insights
Date: February 5, 2026
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Nicholas Thompson (CEO of The Atlantic, author of Running: A Father, A Son, and the Simplest of Sports)

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Zibby Owens interviews Nicholas Thompson about his multifaceted memoir Running: A Father, A Son, and the Simplest of Sports. The conversation explores Thompson's dual life as a media executive and an elite runner, the profound relationship with his father, resilience through adversity, career pivots, fatherhood, and decision-making. The discussion weaves together stories of endurance—from the marathon course to the corporate world—offering inspiration and practical wisdom for listeners interested in sports, family, and how to navigate life's unexpected challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis and Purpose of the Book

• Motivation for writing:
  • Thompson frames the book not as a traditional memoir, but as an exploration of running, relationships (especially with his father), and the deeper psychological and spiritual dimensions of improvement.
  • "The reason to write the memoir was to explain a really interesting question about running... It's deep. It's spiritual. It's hard. And so I decided to write this story about my life running, my father's crazy life, his life running, and then other runners who teach you about pain, who teach you about life through the sport." (05:29)

2. The Science and Psychology of Running

• Physical optimization & control:
  • Thompson describes obsessive attention to detail—e.g., cutting toenails, scraping shoes—to reduce weight and increase speed, and explains the physics of running efficiency.
    • “...weight at your center of mass, right around your hips, kind of matters the least... extra weight either on your head or on your feet, which move like these little pendulums while you run, can actually have a big impact.” (07:18)
• Overcoming physical and mental barriers:
  • After being stuck at a 2:43 marathon time, Thompson broke through mental blocks to eventually achieve an elite 2:29, challenging the belief that younger self equated to faster self.

3. Surviving Cancer and Finding Meaning

• Health crisis and resilience:
  • Diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 30, Thompson shares the trauma, uncertainty, and slow path back to health and running.
    • “For a guy who probably six months earlier had finished 110th place in the New York City Marathon, it was like, God, what on earth?... if I could run another marathon, I would feel like I was alive.” (08:37)
  • Triumphantly ran the New York City Marathon two years later, 13 seconds faster than before diagnosis—an emblematic victory.
• Family and unresolved support:
  • His father, deeply complicated and supportive in some ways, was emotionally absent during this time—a major emotional thread in the book.

4. The Complicated Father-Son Relationship

• Writing as therapy and discovery:
  • Thompson discusses the evolution of his feelings about his father through multiple manuscript drafts—arriving at a more forgiving acceptance.
    • “If you... read the first draft... it wasn't as forgiving. And, you know, there was something about the writing process, the editing process, the documents I discovered... more of the reflections that I have of how I try to be as a father that made me accept him more.” (11:44)
• Father’s life journey:
  • His father's story—from brilliance and promise to addiction, coming out, family implosion, and ultimate reversal of roles—paints a deeply human, messy portrait that influenced Thompson as both son and parent.
    • “We have a reverse father, son relationship. I'm like, dad, do your damn homework, and here's $100... but he did a lot for me. He loved me all the way through...” (12:35)

5. Career Landmarks & Lessons Learned

• Persistence in achieving career goals:
  • Notable story of repeated failure and eventual success securing a job at The New Yorker, catalyzed by a bold, late-night email.
    • “At 3:00 that morning, I wrote to Pam McCarthy... you should hire me now, please… probably the most important email I ever sent.” (13:36)
• Boston Marathon Bombing reporting:
  • Assigned by David Remnick, Thompson penned a key article under pressure, marking a pivotal moment for him and The New Yorker website.
    • “...Remnick comes in my office... here's what's going to happen, Nick. You're going to put down your phone and you're going to start typing. And in one hour, I'm going to come back and… you are going to hand me your story.” (15:36)

6. Decision-Making Frameworks

• Parenthood as the guiding light:
  • Faced with attractive competing job offers from Facebook and Wired, Thompson weighed every aspect but found clarity by prioritizing one value—being the best father possible.
    • “...let's just choose the most important thing. Like, what is the job that will make me a better father to my kids?... and then make the decision based on that variable.” (20:39)
  • Zibby found this especially helpful for her own life, underscoring the universal relevance.

7. Parenting, Humility, and Real Talk

• Children as reality-checkers:
  • Shares humorous anecdotes about kids’ blunt honesty after races—tempering parental or runner's ego.
    • “My son walks in the door right after me, my middle son, and he goes, dad, what was that?... Do not post that on Strava. Do not tell anybody you ran. Go enter another marathon immediately and bury that garbage.” (25:10)

8. Preparation Versus Life’s Surprises

• Expecting (and accepting) the unexpected:
  • Recalls a race derailed by snow and inadequate gear—an allegory for life’s inevitabilities.
    • “You can do what you can to prepare, and then you open the door and, gosh, you just don't even know what's waiting for you.” (26:49)
  • “Life is this constant balance of, like, try to identify the things you can do, optimize as much as you can on those things, and then be prepared for the nonsense that comes at you.” (27:18)

Notable Quotes

• On the book’s core:
  • “It’s not this math equation about your cardiovascular output.... It’s deep. It’s spiritual. It’s hard.” — Nicholas Thompson (05:29)
• On recovering from cancer:
  • “If I could run another marathon, I would feel like I was alive.” — Nicholas Thompson (09:25)
• On fatherhood:
  • “We have a reverse father, son relationship... but he did a lot for me. You know, he loved me all the way through. He supported me. He believed in me like no one else.” — Nicholas Thompson (12:35)
• On decision-making:
  • “Boil it down to one variable, find the most important variable... and then make the decision based on that variable.” — Nicholas Thompson (20:39)
• On children’s humility:
  • “My son... goes, dad, what was that?... Do not post that on Strava. Do not tell anybody you ran. Go enter another marathon immediately and bury that garbage.” — Nicholas Thompson (25:10)
• On expectations and surprises:
  • “Try to identify the things you can do, optimize as much as you can on those things, and then be prepared for the nonsense that comes at you.” — Nicholas Thompson (27:18)

Important Timestamps

• 05:29 — Thompson’s reasoning for writing the book and its non-traditional memoir structure
• 07:18 — Details on running’s physics and psychology
• 08:37 — Recounting his cancer diagnosis and recovery through running
• 11:44 — Evolution of his relationship with his father through writing
• 13:36 — The pivotal decision to pursue a job at The New Yorker
• 15:36 — The Boston Marathon bombing coverage and its impact
• 20:39 — Decision-making by prioritizing fatherhood
• 24:26 — Humorous, humbling exchanges with his children on marathon times
• 26:49 — Life lessons from unexpected race-day challenges
• 27:18 — The balance of preparation and acceptance of life’s unpredictability

Memorable Moments

• The near-miss and eventual triumph in getting hired by The New Yorker after a 3am email.
• Thompson’s children humorously (and accurately) predicting his future marathon times, keeping him humble.
• The raw portrayal of cancer recovery: from exhaustion and doubt to small, meaningful victories.
• The Father-Son dynamic: reversed roles, complicated love, and ultimate acceptance.
• The lesson of holding tightly to what you can control, and letting go of the rest.

Overall Tone & Style

The episode is reflective, candid, and lightly humorous, blending personal stories with practical wisdom. Zibby Owens’ genuine enthusiasm and careful reading of Thompson’s book foster a warm, insightful conversation packed with inspiration for runners, readers, parents, and anyone navigating life’s marathons.

For more information:
Visit zibbymedia.com

Follow the show:
Instagram @totallybookedwithzibby

Recommended Reading:
Running: A Father, A Son, and the Simplest of Sports by Nicholas Thompson