What Sid Thinks
Episodes
WST 213: The Gout Solution
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gout, Bone Density, Colorectal Cancer, Novels, YouTube. You can NOT define me. SID HILLMAN – OXYGEN (VINYL & DIGITAL) Ultrarunning fo...
WST 212: The Record Player Solves All
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The WAR ON PROTEIN IS OVER! Oh my, I can’t believe how relieved I am. And does listening to a full album – rather than singles and sound ...
WST 211: Feeding the Now
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the actual purpose of accomplishment, experience, and the past in general? And..the longevity grift. Follow the money. SID HILLMAN –...
WST 210: To Dream or Not to Dream
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’re making me a victim because you are forcing me to talk about protein and food in general, and I don’t like it. The Hemingway Trick,...
WST 209: The Beet Goes On
24 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wow, physicals have really taken a turn and I’m eating lots more beets. SID HILLMAN – OXYGEN (VINYL & DIGITAL) Ultrarunning for...
WST 208: The One About the Thing
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Suspenders v Suits. The plain cabbage win. The futility of talking about beliefs. And finally…A special announcement. ORDER YOUR COPY: Ultrarunn...
WST 207: The Challenge Reveal
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Short-term challenges, especially creative pursuits, if challenging enough, will reveal a ton. Insecurities, fears, perceived limitations. And so, go...
WST 206: Seize the Carpe
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some cliches put too much pressure on us. Seize the Day is a great example, although I’m a fan of this one BUT only because of how I see it. Al...
WST 205: The Humor Imperative
30 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A shocking (not) overlap between heart health and mental health, a downside of a healthy sleep habit for kids, and why humor is increasingly a necess...
WST 204: Confusing the Easy
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some aspects of getting healthier, happier, and stronger are hard. But some are SUPER easy. Confuse the easy stuff with the hard stuff and you’...
WST 203: The Detox Sneak
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A 62 cucumber grocery visit, apparently oils are destroying the planet, do you know what you truly care about, and…one, possibly last, unexpected d...
WST 202: What’s On Your Radar
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
My recent music picks, a “normal person” ultrarunning movement, a dead racist’s town name conundrum, and how do you put and keep im...
WST 201: The Learning Return
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn things and keep learning things. But know when it’s time to put the book down and get moving. Learning can quickly become a distraction f...
WST 200: Oh the Pressure
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 200! A milestone kinda? Anyways…Gifted and Grifted in this episode, and hey, lots of people: Stop trying to show us how tough you are. We s...
WST 199: All Jokes Aside
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Modern world stress is no joke. People are dying young from addiction, inluding to junk food. The hard work of health and happiness isn’t just ...
WST 198: As Luck Would Have It
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Being in the right place at the right time is a long shot at best. Stop caring about getting the ‘lucky break’ and instead divert energy ...
WST 197: Oxygen
11 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thankfully we can compartmentalize the pain in our lives, but let’s admit it’s best to minimize that pain whenever we can. Is NOT having social m...
WST 196: Going Dark
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We should ALL listen to what George Clooney has to say. The odd battle in my brain, and finally, the inevitable and periodic descent into darkness, a...
WST 195: Once You Know
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t know, and then we know. Once we know we either gotta do something about it, or waste a bunch energy pretending the knowledge isn’...
WST 194: The Mediated Immediate
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What stands between you and your actions, between you and your life. Nick Cave, a cold tubber? And a novel in the works? Oh, yes. Ultrarunning for...
WST 193: Who Has the Time
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who has the time to wade through intentionally misleading info? What can we do about it? Why is an auto parts store the BEST place to get fitness and...
WST 192: Past Pain
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A bad parenting incident, an all-meat diet gag, fleeting feelings and past pain. Wow. A veritable smorgasbord of things I think about. Ultrarunnin...
WST 191: The Perfectionism Falsehood
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Van life? Love it. All meat diets? Funny. Perfectionism? The opposite of perfect. Never delivers what we think (or hope) it will. Ultrarunning for...
WST 190: Little
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Not everything has to get bigger, grow, evolve. Sometimes applying the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach is the best...
WST 189: A Practice in Simplicity
13 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Confusion causes stress. Too much detail is often unnecessary. Live by simple truths and we’re all better for it. Also, meditation can suck. ...
WST 188: The Senior Bus
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A senior bus gave me a moment of pause. And speaking of pauses, my favorite stolen moment of late. And, functional medicine? Don’t let the door...
WST 187: The Social Media Conundrum
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode may surprise you. Do I actually defend social media? More than a little bit, but I also discuss the virtues of running so slow that peop...
WST 186: Data Heads Beware
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you gather data? Upload your workouts, track your calories, meals, and so on? Do you enjoy it or think you HAVE to do it. Well, you got another th...
WST 185: I Don’t Care
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do you care about and what do you not care about. That is the question. And a question best answered independent of how you might feel one way o...
WST 184: Fruit
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fruit. I’m having to talk about fruit. You’re making me talk about fruit. I shouldn’t have to talk about it, but here I go. Fruit. ...
WST 183: Life is Sweet
18 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Life is sweet… Ultrarunning for Normal People AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER! WORK WITH ME! Stress management & habit change (+nutrition, fi...
WST 182: The Pain of Intention
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Intentional discomfort, intentional pain, intentional fear, intentional stress. Sound miserable? It can be. It is also 100% necessary for living the ...
WST 181: The Tech Limit
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Technology is making things easier and easier for us. We are getting less healthy and happy. When, O’ when will we wake up to this reality? I (...
WST 180: The Fault Lines
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It never feels good to hear something is our fault, but it is a position of power to be accountable. When it comes to disease and health in general, ...
WST 179: Playing the Numbers
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We can shoot for perfection AND acknowledge that perfection is unattainable. We can learn to play the numbers–judge how we’re doing by how we...
WST 178: Time Permitting in Three Acts
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift Concert. New Breast Implant Technology. Purposeful eating of junk food. And…you have time. You do. BECOME a Patreoner TWO SPECIA...
WST 177: Signs of Failure, Signs of Freedom
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We can wallow in whatever is amiss in our lives or we can look at these as signs that there is work to do. And. My dog peed for 41 seconds, Buddhism ...
WST 176: The Hack Conundrum
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The world is full of hacks. Ways to get from A to Z while avoiding B to Y. Can hacks make us happy and healthy? Can avoiding hard work deliver us the...
WST 175: Choice Cut
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The more choices the better, right? Not always. In fact the sheer insane amount of choices most of us have on a day-to-day bases can pop us into over...
WST 174: Jane Says
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think you’re gonna “Kick” so-called bad habits tomorrow? Chances are you, you’re not. No more kicking the can down the road, ...
WST 173: The Result Orientation
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bacon in Pancakes. BECOME a Patreoner My stress management and habit change courses (includes nutrition, breath work and more!): TWO SPECIAL...
WST 172: The Fiber of our Lives
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A brief ultramarathon recap, a 7 up disaster, and well, fiber. It’s what’s for dinner. BECOME a Patreoner My stress management and ...
WST 171: The Ol’ Round and Round
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Ol’ Round and Round. Round and round about the same nutrition BS. And shame on the New York Times for being whey off the mark. BECOME a ...
WST 170: The Bowie Formulation
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A David Bowie quote, a mind battle, a slip of the tongue. These are a few of my favorite things. BECOME a Patreoner My stress management and ha...
WST 169: On the Shoulders of Giants
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Those little, under-the-radar things that weigh on us add up over time. The subtle weight on our shoulders of things we want to do but aren’t d...
WST 168: The Societal Word
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A fair amount of what dominates the health/wellness arena is out-of-date and just plain old wrong. And yet, it persists and gets handed down from one...
WST 167: Always the Easy Way Out
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The forbidden menopause conversation, egg alternatives, “ultra” processed foods, school lunches, and “mom” v “My mom.&#...
WST 166: Passion and Miscellany
29 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The role of passion in our lives – how to find it, use it, and what it can do for virtually everything else we do. I also use the word “zeitg...
WST 165: Title is Forthcoming
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kinda about resolutions, kinda about a weed-inspired smile, kinda about self-care, kinda about my new book and new publisher. Kinda about thanks for ...
WST 164: Ride on the Over Train
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Data gathering and micromanagement. Both are often put into place the moment we decide to either train for something or improve our health/fitness. F...
WST 163: FIGHT or FIGHT
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bad things happen. But how do we respond when they do? Do we retreat or do we fight, and what happens when we realize we really don’t have a ch...
WST 162: Shock Therapy
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having something fear-inducing floating in our future, the periodic thought of which shocks us into awareness, helps us stay engaged and never numb. ...
WST 161: The Conflict of Potential
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
That we can do better than we’re doing creates a conflict. Fact is, we’re not bad, we’re not too old, we do have time. How to resol...
WST 160: The Puberty Predicament
25 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is normal for our species is often abnormal for society. This can be stress inducing – eating, moving, maturing in “species normal”...
WST 159: Fat Suit
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Art, acting, writing, Brendan Fraser’s comeback drama, the state of our current education system, and…Slimming World–the UK’s ans...
WST 158: Brutal
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Letting go. Doing what’s best for someone else that is simultaneously the best for you? It can be brutal and right at the same time. Plus, the ...
WST 157: LESS
14 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Over consumption of physical and mental nutrition, too much of almost everything is taking us down. Less may be the name of the happiness game. A lit...
WST 156: ABD (Always Be Doing)
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Always Be Doing. Embodying a mindset of action, of being an active participant in your life. Most of the time in control of what you want to do and n...
WST 155: At All Other Times
16 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to focus on our mistakes. Give them too much weight and beat ourselves up over them. But…what if we use them, learn from them, and ALSO giv...
WST 154: The Fear of Fear
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The final installment of my unplanned three-part series on fear. Oh, how much stress we pile on ourselves to avoid stress, but ALSO, how often we liv...
WST 153: The Fear of Change
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Change can be scary. But rigidity, monotony, and militancy are worse. The modern world makes it way too easy to fall into an unchanging, unexciting l...
WST 152: The Fear of Politics
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t discuss politics or religion? Apples and oranges – one is absolutely worth discussing, the other, no need. Also, an update on my choles...
WST 151: The Throughlines
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everything we DON’T have in common is brought to and kept at the surface of our lives. It’s what we focus on, read about, hear about, are...
WST 150: Multivariate
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 150! So much fanfare, so exciting. But alas. Let’s talk about my ultramarathon, how a strong baseline of fitness and health is multivar...
WST 149: Exist Outside
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What we do for ourselves that exists outside of our relationships carries immense power in our lives. What do you have and do that is ONLY yours? Als...
WST 148: Grin and Bare it
27 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A mindset discussion. A milkshake discussion. All with a dash of tuberculosis sprinkled on top. Not my fault you hit play on this episode. Become ...
WST 147: Normal but not NORMAL
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the health and happiness arena, normal for society can be at odds with normal for humanity. When you’re ready to do the hard work of living ...
WST 146: Defenders of the State
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An earned state of health and happiness is something to behold and something to defend. And, I had an analysis-worthy dream. Listen up. Become a ...
WST 145: Life Through Orange Colored Lenses
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wow. I come out of the chute on fire in this episode. Buckle in. Hippy hugs to fiber to sleep. Ground breaking? Your words, not mine. Join my Smal...
WST 144: Goal Paralysis
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Go ahead. Set big goals. Get excited, but then…almost immediately it’s about how it get there. The hard, hard work and becoming mentally toug...
WST 143: Productivity and Nothingness
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Athletes focus on recovery. If they don’t recover well, they don’t train as well. But what about proper recovery in non-exercise life? Ho...
WST 142: My Three Day Water Fast Report
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just what the title says. I did a three day water fast a few days ago. Miserable and wonderful. Loud and silent. Uncomfortable and cleansing. Challen...
WST 141: The Discipline of Less Discipline
04 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Being disciplined in a single area (e.g., healthy eating) can be a tough business. Holding on so tight that your quality of life is negatively affect...
WST 140: Musician NOT in Name Only
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How we define ourselves, how others define us. The labels versus the work we do. THIS is the question of this episode. Are we not allowed to pursue a...
WST 139: Too Tired to Relate
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I compare relationships to healthy eating, and get away with it. Also, a contest to win the best damn coffee roast I’ve ever done. And, a littl...
WST 138: The Piano Lesson Lesson
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there something you really want to do but aren’t getting it done? Listen in. Also, Facebook and sex talks. I know, I know. Just trust me.. ...
WST 137: Breaking Good
02 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Breaking Good? My sincere effort to relate Breaking Bad to the goal of this podcast. A lofty goal, I might add. The tough work of changing the way yo...
WST 136: The Feeling Question
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can we automatically trust our feelings? Spoiler alert: no. But we can learn from them. Also, I sing the praises of Keto Magazine and my new very, ve...
WST 135: Gone is the Cowboy
29 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The traditional ‘cowboy’ ethic is disappearing. Honor, dignity, acting on principle. Ideally when we make a mistake and are called on it,...
WST 134: The Lines We Draw
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We have all drawn lines. Lines we don’t cross. The questions are: where are the lines, are we aware of them, and do they need to move so that w...
WST 133: Addiction is stronger than compassion
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just what the title says. Addiction is stronger than compassion. You might want to care for others but if you don’t fix your ‘stuff’...
WST 132: The Creation Myth
02 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How necessary are feedback and comments in order to create something? In this episode I tackle comment culture, creation, and seriously question how ...
WST 131: Life. It’s every day.
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Improving your life and living a good life is hard frickin’ work. Can it get easier? Also, I’m really, really relieved that JK Rowlings i...
WST 130: Matt Frazier and Robert Cheeke on “The Plant-Based Athlete”
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
No Meat Athlete’s Matt Frazier and competitive weight-lifter/author Robert Cheeke join me on the very first WST podcast interview to discuss th...
WST 129: The Inexplicable 3 am
29 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Waking up at 3 am and can’t get back to sleep? Well, I am. But…there’s a solution and it can’t be explained with language. Also, ...
WST 128: The Power of Not Knowing
15 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s face it. There are some things we just don’t know and can’t know. And when we still try to find out about these things we rob...
WST 127: The One About Hunger and Boredom
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It’s ok to feel hungry if you know where your next meal is coming from. It’s ok to feel boredom if entertainment is at your fingertips. N...
WST 126: Change your Mind
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When did it become a bad thing to change your mind, to adjust your behavior when new facts present? Don’t know, don’t care. But when you ...
WST 125: Credit Where Credit is Due
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One obstacle to living a healthier and happier life? Not noticing the wins along the way. Seriously. Learning to give yourself credit where credit is...
WST 124: Time and Place
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Healthy eating? There’s a time and place. Same for unhealthy eating. Try to control things so much in an effort to avoid any irregularities or ...
WST 123: At Any Other Time
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So much of our wellness/health desires are framed in what we want to STOP doing. “I want to stop overeating” “I want to stop eating...
WST 122: To Repair is to Renew
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My thoughts on reparations (I reference Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “A Case for Reparations”) and the ethic behind breaking unhealthy cycles ...
WST 121: Opposite Day
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes doing the opposite of what you feel like doing is the way to break up tension that comes from “holding on tight” to a day-to-da...
WST 120: What Happens in Vagus Stays in Vagus
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A return to proper breathing is like a return to proper eating and proper running. But breathing is especially interesting as it relates to the vagus...
WST 119: The Tragedy of Indecisiveness
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Being indecisive is tragic. So it waiting around to be inspired. You gotta be an active player in that picture. Also, I’m going all in with my ...
WST 118: The Bearable Lightness of Being
17 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Learning something new, and doing it in the beginning is the easy part. Sticking with it long enough until you actually BECOME a person who does it, ...
WST 117: Full Frontal
03 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How we handle and respond to stress is programmed very early in our lives. Can we improve this as adults? Can we become more resilient? And, most imp...
WST 116: Allergic to Food Allergies
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Food allergies are on the rise and I think I have a good explanation as to why. But…this increase has yielded many ‘food allergy folks’...
WST 115: Fiona’s Apples and Oranges
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The more you do the more experience you have doing. There is an intangible (and sometimes tangible) richness to work that has experience built into i...
WST 114: Lactate Conventionally
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The conventional wisdom around lactic acid is wrong. So is what they’re charging for heirloom tomatoes. Plus, bad vegan comedy and more. Mat...