Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. Most runners toe the line with headphones. But ultrarunner Jeff Browning, known on trails as Bronco, has a different strategy: music as his pacer and he saves it for the second half of races. And Bronco’s deep knowledge of running and music gets put to a creative challenge – DJ’ing the aid stations of Cocodona 250. From the climb up Lane Mountain to the finish line in Heritage Square he’s bringing the beats and matching the vibes. But first, how music took root in Jeff’s life long before the trails. Giddyup!

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. This reflection episode explores the notion of motivation in the context of running. Laura Green starts the conversation asking what motivation has to do with running versus dedication. But motivation isn’t a monolith and dedication is more than showing up; in fact, understanding the different flavors of motivation and dedication may be the key to a sustainable long term enjoyment of the sport. To better understand these nuances, we’re going back to Laura’s 7th grade dance for a seemingly disparate and absurd story about that boy is mine.

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. In this episode Laura Green takes us on a journey of the tracks that comprise the mixed CD that is her running career. We chase the Third Eye Blind line "I've never been so alone and I've never been so alive" from Motorcycle Drive By through her different running seasons– from the "colonial times" of smeared MapQuest routes and Discmans to the runfluencing of social media today.

Up first, the family busines…of running.

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. In this episode Steven Garrett takes us on a tour of his pain cave. In this land, his philosophy is simple: “pain is temporary, but finishing first is permanent.” But as Steven found out, sometimes when you push hard, the next destination after the podium is the ER. Steven explores the necessity of returning to a foundational love for the sport that humbles and teaches. He discusses how he reconnects and returns to running reinvigorated. His pain cave is more than a one dimensional place of suffering. Steven’s journeys into the pain cave have taught him how to understand mind over matter, what it means, and what he’s made of–most importantly, it’s been a place of love. He shares how his relationship with pain has evolved, and how a specific blend of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and "Eye of the Tiger" helps him finish strong.

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. Anna Kohler shares how a brewery that started in an attic–not a garage– inspired the Hills Run Club, now in its third season, and how some affectionately joke “that this is a beer club that has a running habit first. We explore the connection between a 'geeky' high school secret and an optimized stride. Anna shares some bands that fuel rage runs as well as how the music on a run can get you raging. And how sometimes the best music for running is no music at all. Stay tuned to find out what fuels the Hills Run Club as well as an epic full circle moment during a race.

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. In this episode Miguel “Mike” Guerrero shares his version of public radio running. He tells us the magic of public radio–how there’s no dearth of new songs or ones outside the mainstream vibes–like the band “King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard” and “Pigeons Playing Ping Pong”--the kind of band that you’ll only find on public radio. Mike is a music lover and music fanatic, but usually doesn't listen to music when he exercises. Stay tuned to find out what powers his run as well as the first radio station he discovered.

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. Perhaps you’ve met the runner or runners where you work. You arrive in the morning, exchange greetings, only to hear how they've already got their 12 in. Or maybe you know a person who comes in on Monday reporting on what their weekend looked like and says, “I did 18 miles and I got back, and I was just like that felt great." That's Steven Schrems and in this episode we walk through how these distances got normalized–it’s a unique blend of ChatGPT, a good friend, and a dash of Chappell Roan. Up first, how he started his first training block .

Welcome to Bonus Smiles! A music and interview show that’s fueled by runners and their playlists! I’m Public Radio Runner. In this episode we reflect on the conversations from previous episodes. The roads and trails are certainly interesting teachers– often times the lesson is some iteration of common knowledge, commonly applied. We look back at the nutrition and fueling choices from Fireball shots to shotgunning soy sauce. As well as the lessons we can learn from it. We also revisit how guests got into running, how their relationship with the pain cave evolved, and how true friends ask you to suffer together. Up first, what people listen to when they lace their shoes and head outside.