I’m partially embarrassed to share this tip with you because a few die-hard iPhone/iPod lovers out there will question my Apple-loyalty since I’m so late in learning about this feature.

So be it. I will sacrifice my coolness in hopes to teach one of you a new trick.

So here was my problem: Before a run I would gauge how far I wanted to run (say, five miles) and then search through my podcasts for an episode that was approximately fifty minutes long.

This has been sufficient, though not ideal, for the past few years.

As I have caught up on a few of my favorite podcasts and the choices were slimming, I became frustrated that I couldn’t create a playlist of episodes to listen to. I recall one particularly frustrating situation when I had to change episodes while running. (This was not a graceful sight, having to get the arm band off, maneuver the touch-screen through the plastic window, read through the podcasts I have, select one, and replace the arm band on my bicep while trying to keep pace.)

After I got home I determined to find a solution to this problem. A very quick google search revealed to me that Apple had, in fact, solved my dilemma long before I even knew I had one.

Here is how I now create a playlist before every run, to include whatever podcast episodes I want to hear. I love that I can select from a variety of podcasters whereas before, I just had to listen to whatever episode was next within the same podcast.

A Podcast Playlist:

1. Open My Podcasts

2. Click on ((My Stations)) at the bottom. Here is what I see after I do that.

3. Click on “On-The-Go.” If this is your first time here, you might have to follow a few instructions. Eventually you should see this page:

4. Click “Add” and you’ll see a list of the podcasts you have in your Podcast app.

5. Click on one. (For this demo I’m clicking on “Busy Mom’s Survival Guide.”) Here I start at the bottom to get the oldest unlistened-to podcast. For this example it’s “Sometimes It’s Best To Say “No.” If I were wanting to run five miles (approximately 50 minutes) I would likely click on that episode and the next one, titled “The Rewards of Occasional Spon…” Then, click done.

Here they are shown selected:

After I press “Done” I’m taken back to my list of Podcasts.

I’d select “The Dave Ramsey Show,” scroll to the bottom, and select the one that is in progress (as noted by the half-filled in circle). I love that when I’ve listened to the other two podcasts, this one starts in where I left off instead of starting back at the beginning. They thought of everything. I’d most likely go ahead and select the one above that as well, in case I’m really near the end of that episode. And then, “Done” again.

And shown selected:

7. Now in my On-The-Go playlist I have four episodes. I’m not quite done yet… they are going to play top-down and this isn’t the order I want to hear these in.