2000s Music Fuels Endurance Athletes | What’s In Your Earbuds?
Running With Music: Fueling Endurance and Smiles
For many endurance athletes, music isn’t just background noise, it’s the secret ingredient that turns training and racing into something magical. Whether you’re pounding the pavement, grinding through a long ride, or pushing through the final miles of a marathon, the right song at the right time can change everything.
On What’s In Your Earbuds?, the podcast hosted by Jason Bahamundi and Joe Hardin, the focus is on exactly that. The way music shapes our lives, lifts our spirits, and fuels our endurance. In one particularly fun episode, Jason and Joe dove into the unforgettable music of the 2000s, exploring the tracks that defined a generation while also fueling miles on the road, trails, and beyond.
The Soundtrack of the 2000s
Think about the first beat of Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” the pulsing angst of Linkin Park, the anthems from Usher or Britney Spears…these weren’t just songs. For many of us, they were part of training soundtracks that carried us through tough sessions, late-night treadmill runs, or even our first race morning jitters.
Music from the 2000s didn’t just dominate radio, it became woven into the fabric of endurance training. Each track had a role to play: hip-hop beats for intervals, pop hooks for tempo runs, and alternative rock for those endless long runs where mental toughness mattered most.
More Than Nostalgia
While the podcast episode was filled with laughter and stories, What’s In Your Earbuds? also digs into why music matters so much to athletes. Jason and Joe shared personal anecdotes—like the training session that fell apart without the right playlist, or the marathon morning made better by a perfectly-timed pump-up jam.
The conversation highlights what many endurance athletes know: music isn’t just entertainment. It’s motivation as well as distraction when the miles feel heavy. It’s a bridge between our bodies and our emotions, reminding us that joy is as much a part of endurance sports as grit.
ADVERTISEMENT
.png)
Community Through Song
One of the podcast’s unique touches is audience participation. Jason and Joe invite listeners to share their own stories and favorite tracks, weaving them into the show. The result is a shared soundtrack, one where finish lines, long training runs, and even bonks come with a beat.
It’s not just about what’s in their earbuds, it’s about what’s in yours. That sense of inclusion mirrors endurance sports themselves: we may run our own races, but we’re part of a larger community, connected by the rhythms that move us.
Laughter Keeps the Miles Light
The banter between Jason and Joe is what makes What’s In Your Earbuds? feel like a group run with friends. Jokes about which boy band belongs on a hill-repeat playlist, debates over whether emo belongs in marathon training, and playful digs at each other’s guilty pleasures keep the tone light and fun.
For endurance athletes, laughter is as essential as a well-stocked aid station. Training is hard, racing is harder—but finding humor in the journey makes it all worthwhile.
Music, Mental Health, and Motivation
Episodes like this one often take unexpected turns. A conversation that begins with 2000s pop might end with reflections on how music supports mental health, helps athletes cope with training stress, or even provides a form of meditation during long solo runs.
This is the heart of What’s In Your Earbuds?, the reminder that music isn’t just a playlist, it’s a partner in the endurance journey. It lifts us when we’re low, amplifies our highs, and helps us keep moving when quitting feels easier.
The Invitation
So, what’s in your earbuds? The Run Tri Mag community thrives on connection, and music is one of the most universal ways to build it. Maybe your pump-up song is a 2000s classic. Maybe it’s a track no one expects. Either way, your music matters and it might inspire someone else’s next run.
Tune into What’s In Your Earbuds? with Jason and Joe for nostalgia, laughter, and reminders of why we do what we do. Endurance sports are about pushing limits, but they’re also about joy, connection, and those little things, like a perfect song, that make the journey unforgettable.
ADVERTISEMENT
