Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Why Trust Us? Ryan Thrower 9 min read BEN GIBBARD EMERGES from the elevator bank at precisely 8 a.m., because he is never late. The Death Cab for Cutie front man is wearing gray running shorts and Wayfarers because, you see, Ben Gibbard is a runner . Has been for two decades. Gibbard is known for pushing himself to the absolute limit as a songwriter—recently telling The New Yorker that one of his biggest fears is “losing my edge,” that “if I stop writing…I’ll die, you know?” And running might actually fit into this equation. “If I push myself physically, that will benefit how I push myself mentally,” he says, while looking directly into my eyes. We shake hands. “It sounds kind of like a cheesy woo-woo thing, but the mind-body connection…it’s true.” ( Soul Meets Body , perhaps?) We’re in the lobby of The Bowery Hotel in Lower Manhattan. I let him know the truth: I am not a runner.…