Salt and Flickers

Raziq Rauf is the voice behind Running Sucks, a fast-growing newsletter and Instagram account that explores modern run culture with honesty, humor, and curiosity. A former music journalist, Raziq’s storytelling captures what running really feels like for most of us — messy, meditative, and profoundly human.

In this episode, he and Howie dig into the parallels between writing, recovery, and running; how the “just do it” ethos still carries real weight; and why the best thing you can do for others is to take care of yourself first. From his days discovering Coldplay and Muse to posting his slow runs on Strava to help others feel seen, Raziq reminds us that running doesn’t have to be about winning — it’s about showing up, staying curious, and keeping the door open for everyone else to join.

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Matt Wisner has lived the full arc of the sport — from the high-stakes oval of NCAA and professional track to the freer, wider world of creative expression and longer distances. A former Duke and University of Oregon runner turned Oregon Track Club pro, Matt has since pivoted into storytelling, producing Alexi Pappas’s Mentor Buffet podcast and writing about the culture and meaning of running with rare honesty.

Now based in Los Angeles, Matt is exploring the shift from chasing PRs to chasing perspective: why track once felt like running against time itself, how ultras and longer distances open up an entirely new way of experiencing the sport, and what happens when you stop holding on so tightly to metrics. We also talk about writing, coaching, and why running — at its best — is about lightness, freedom, and finding lessons that echo far beyond the course.

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Filmmaker and podcaster Chris Winterbauer has spent his life chasing structure, discipline, and flow — first through competitive tennis, then corporate finance, and eventually through the uncharted waters of film school at USC. Along the way, running became both a release and a teacher: a way to process, to reset, and to understand that progress comes not from racing every mile but from learning to love the process.

In this episode, Chris talks about his journey from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, the parallels between marathon training and screenwriting, and how running helps him break down scripts, solve creative problems, and protect his focus. We explore how athletic family roots instilled an obsession with training, the challenges of dramatizing sports on screen, and the lessons of patience, consistency, and resilience that running keeps teaching him.

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John Freeman’s story is one of movement in every sense of the word. Born in Australia and drawn to landscapes that shaped his identity, John’s journey took him through bike racing in New York, years of undocumented life in the U.S., and the hard-earned clarity of sobriety. Along the way, running became more than a sport, it became a practice of presence, self-love, and spiritual grounding.

In this conversation, John opens up about navigating recovery, the empowering edge of unsanctioned races, and the ways running and farming reconnect him with both family and land. We talk about the rebellious spirit of high school teams, the meditative calm of start lines, and how creating a DIY running zine is helping him reclaim his artistic voice. This is an honest, layered look at resilience, creativity, and the power of putting one foot in front of the other.

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Charlie Dark has spent his life creating space. From the dance floors of London to the streets of Hackney, he’s always been in tune with rhythm — first through music, and now through miles. As the founder of Run Dem Crew, Charlie helped spark a global movement of running collectives rooted in creativity, inclusivity, and personal growth.

In this episode, Howie joins Charlie in London to reflect on the culture of running, the power of ritual, and the deep responsibility of leadership. He shares his beginnings as a DJ, why he sees running as a form of meditation, and how he’s working to protect the joy and accessibility of the sport. Whether you’re chasing a finish line or just trying to stay grounded in an overstimulated world, Charlie offers a grounded, generous perspective on what it means to move with purpose.

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What if the runner’s high wasn’t a myth — and what if it could be bottled? In this episode, Howie sits down with Tony Fur and Todd Hunter, co-founders of OFFFIELD, a company that’s reshaping how we think about cannabis, creativity, and movement. After nearly two decades building brands and navigating the high-pressure world of sports marketing, they found themselves burned out, banged up, and disconnected from their own well-being.

What followed was something unexpected: a pivot toward exercise, a deeper curiosity about the science of movement, and a bold new business blending cannabinoids with performance. We get into the early failures, the cultural taboos, the science behind the "exercise high," and how OFFFIELD’s mission is less about weed — and more about getting people to move their bodies, feel better, and reconnect with joy. This one’s about the body, the brain, and the boldness it takes to start again.

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Brian Aubert, frontman of the beloved alt-rock band Silversun Pickups, joins Howie for a conversation that spans the physical and the metaphysical. From crafting songs that come to him fully formed in his head to the disorientation of a poorly timed playlist mid-run, Brian shares how movement — whether on stage, in the studio, or on the streets of LA — plays a pivotal role in his creative life.

We talk about tour life, the influence of his sister’s love for running, meditation before shows, David Lynch, ancestral motion, and why finding the right pace — in running, music, or even just adulthood — is everything.

This is a raw and honest look at what it means to keep showing up, even when the payoff isn’t immediate. A reminder that sometimes the point isn’t to feel good — it’s just to feel something.

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In this week's episode, Kam Casey opens up about the journey from steeplechase to studio life, from agency work to founding Capri Collective — a run club and creative hub born from a desire to make running beautiful again. With a groin injury behind him and a short film ahead, Kam reflects on his mom’s coaching, his own obsessive training habits, and how he’s learned to balance the grind with grace.

We talk about the intimacy of running, the quiet power of community, and why LA should be claiming its place as one of the world’s great running cities. Kam’s vision is clear: this isn’t about perfection — it’s about effort, evolution, and showing up.

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Writer and runner Gordon Clark joins Howie for a wide-ranging conversation on movement, mindset, and the art of making something real. From his early days with Nike Run Club to his short-lived boxing career in Downtown LA, Gordon shares how sport became his medium and how ritual became his map. We dive into his screenwriting process, the spiritual logic of unsanctioned races, and why The Speed Project is so beautiful in its chaos.

He talks Kaizen, Mayweather, basketball, and why LA is still missing its trail-running renaissance. More than anything, Gordon reminds us that the work isn’t just in the art — it’s in the miles, the rituals, and the remix.

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Lesley Suter is a longtime journalist and creative force in the food media world, currently serving as Special Projects Director at Eater. She’s used to working in the realm of pixels, packaging stories, and feeding the insatiable digital algorithm, but out on the run, something different happens. The noise quiets. The thoughts drop. And something deeper begins to speak.

In this episode, Lesley opens up about the tension between a life lived in words and a body that craves movement. We talk about the unexpected path that led her from music journalism to marathon training, the imposter syndrome she still feels around running, and the complicated relationship many women have with food and performance. She shares how running evolved from a calorie-burn mindset into a tool for joy, balance, and presence — and how lately, it’s started whispering something more.

From “feeding the robot” to coaching Girls on the Run, this conversation explores what it means to follow the creative nudge, even when you don’t yet know where it leads.

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