
Hurdle
Join veteran journalist and wellness coach Emily Abbate, on Hurdle — a wellness-focused podcast where she talks to inspirational people about everything from their highest highs and toughest moments to essential tips on how to live a healthier, happier, more motivated life. We all go through our fair share of hurdles. Emily's goal through these discussions is to empower you to better navigate yours and move with intention so that you can stride toward your own big potential and of course — have some fun along the way. Tell us: What's your #hurdlemoment?
Latest episodes

Mar 17, 2025 • 55min
247. The Mountain Is You: Author Brianna Wiest On The Power Of Self-Belief & Her Journey To Topping Best Seller Lists
Some amazing things can happen when you believe in yourself, and that's what Brianna Wiest — author of the new book The Life That's Waiting — is here to talk about today. Brianna's perspective on personal betterment and the power of self-belief is so valuable, providing helpful tips in this week's episode on how to conquer the hurdle of self-doubt and embrace your flaws to get to the next level. Plus: Brianna talks about how writing saved her life, the biggest challenges about working with a smaller publishing company, and how it feels to share her inner-most thoughts and work with millions.SOCIAL@briannawiest@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSLMNT | Head to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack.BROOKS | Head to BrooksRunning.com to check out the Glycerin 22JOIN: THE *Secret* FACEBOOK GROUPSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, ask me a question, and it could be featured in an upcoming episode!

Mar 14, 2025 • 8min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: When All You've Got Is 50%, Give 100% Of That
When things feel heavy, there's an opportunity there to do the best you can considering the circumstances. Talking about how to recharge your own battery today, plus answering a listener question about my favorite tights and shorts to run in. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODElululemon fast and free tight, 25”lululemon Wunder train high-rise shortMy Favorite Target $20 Run ShortNike Universa TightAthleta Salutation Stash ShortSOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastCHECK OUTLMNT | Head to drinklmnt.com/hurdle to get a free sample pack with any purchaseJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, or emailhello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!

Mar 10, 2025 • 1h 1min
246. The Greatness Equation: 4x Olympian Katie Ledecky Shares Her Recipe For Gold, Goal Setting Tactics & Feelings On Inspiring The Next Generation
Katie Ledecky, welcome to Hurdle. (That's a sentence I've wanted to write for 7+ years now.) To be able to have this conversation during Women’s History Month, coming out shortly after International Women's Day, is a dream come true. In today's episode, Ledecky brings us back: Talking about her first-ever goals in swimming and how she got into the sport in the first place. The 4-time Olympian shares her perspective on the work that’s been required of her to get to where she is today, spending 20+ hours in the water a week not to mention time out of the pool. Plus: Family impact, what it’s like to drop into a pool and swim during open swim for an Olympian, and what balance looks like. She also touches on what it means for her to be a role model, and how that got a lot more meaningful when she joined Athleta's Power of She collective.IN THIS EPISODE(6:42) How does Katie Ledecky befriend pain(9:55) Katie talks about how she feels about what she’s achieved in her 22-year career in sport(10:55) What is Katie Ledecky’s why in swimming (22:50) How Katie Ledecky fuels to train and perform(22:51) How much sleep does Katie Ledecky get and what she does when she doesn’t get as much as she’d like (25:00) What it was like for Katie to follow in her brothers footsteps in the pool(25:28) Katie Ledecky confesses she didn’t get her drivers license until college (35:52) What Katie Ledecky’s relationship is with goal setting and how that has evolved since she started swimming (37:00) What are Katie Ledecky’s current goals (39:15) How does Katie Ledecky reframe negative self talk(42:40) How Katie Ledecky shifted her mindset after she got to a point where she realized that she can’t break a world record every single race(44:21) What does self talk look like for Katie Ledecky (52:00) Katie talks about the most difficult hurdle of her professional career SOCIAL@katieledecky@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSSEQUEL | Head to trysequel.com/ and use code HURDLE at checkout for 15% BROOKS | Head to BrooksRunning.com to check out the Glycerin 22JOIN: THE *Secret* FACEBOOK GROUPSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, ask me a question, and it could be featured in an upcoming episode!

Mar 7, 2025 • 10min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: How To Trust Your Gut & Make Difficult Decisions
This week's 5-MINUTE FRIDAY covers joy and the tough stuff. Offering up a few actionable tips that can help you through making your next difficult decision, hinging on a listener question that came in this week. SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastCHECK OUTLMNT | Head to drinklmnt.com/hurdle to get a free sample pack with any purchaseJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, or emailhello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!

Mar 3, 2025 • 1h 4min
245. Learning True Balance: Jess McClain On Finding The Fun In Running & The Power Of The Reframe
Welcoming Jess McClain to the show! Jess is a pro runner for Brooks, and she made big waves last year when she came in fourth in both the Olympic Marathon Trials and the 10K at the Olympic Track and Field Trials. In this week's episode, she talks so beautifully about rediscovering the fun in running by involving herself in other activities and pursuits. Jess shares what it’s like to work full-time for a non-profit while also following her passions within sport, and she gives some really beautiful advice on the importance of listening to your body. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODELoveUp FoundationIN THIS EPISODE(8:00) How pressure got the best of Jess early in her career.(10:13) Jess reflects on her 20+ years of running.(12:50) How Jess finds the joy on the days that don’t feel so exciting and easy.(14:55) Jess talks about walking away from professional running for a bit during the pandemic. (18:00) How Jess found the fun in running again.(20:18) Jess shares what it was like to run her first marathon.(24:09) Jess talks about her new coach David Roche.(39:15) What changed for Jess McClain in 2023 that unlocked her potential in 2024.(42:47) How Jess felt about coming in fourth at the Marathon Olympic Trials.(44:30) How Jess re-imagined her relationship with failure.(50:10) How Jess felt about flying to the Olympics in Paris as an alternate and not racing.(55:49) What Jess sees when she looks in the mirror.SOCIAL@jesstonn@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSLMNT | Head to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack, and click HERE to nominate a family in LA to recieve a pack, too.BROOKS | Head to BrooksRunning.com to check out the Glycerin 22JOIN: THE *Secret* FACEBOOK GROUPSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, ask me a question, and it could be featured in an upcoming episode!

Feb 28, 2025 • 8min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: A Love Letter To Bagels & My Younger Self
Kind of weird that this fixation meal is actually me giving my younger self a hug? Maybe? Anyone else? Also: Answering a listener question on how long it took for me to start running races once I picked up running.SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastCHECK OUTReceipts | Join me on Receipts, a new app that helps you earn gift cards simply by working outLMNT | Head to drinklmnt.com/hurdle to get a free sample pack with any purchaseJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, or emailhello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!

Feb 24, 2025 • 1h 4min
244. Taking Back Control: Cross Country Skier Jessie Diggins Talks Befriending Pain, Conquering Her Eating Disorder & Embracing Imperfection
Jessie Diggins knows that perfection isn’t reality. But as the most decorated cross country skier in U.S. history, her record’s pretty close. In this week’s episode of Hurdle, Emily sits down with the 3-time Olympic medalist to talk about her journey to the top of her sport, what it’s like to embrace the pressure of competition and push close to her physical breaking point (blurry vision and all). She also gets candid about her experience with an eating disorder, including a relapse in 2024, and what support looks like for her in her day to day. Plus: How she feels with under a year left until the Winter Olympics, and what it’s like training regularly in Italy leading up to World Championships after her recent World Cup win.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEThe Emily Program: Eating Disorder Treatment SOCIAL@jessiediggins@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSLMNT | Head to DrinkLMNT.com/Hurdle to get a free sample pack, and click HERE to nominate a family in LA to recieve a pack, too.AG1 | Head to drinkag1.com/hurdle to get 5 free travel packs and a year’s supply of vitamin D3 + k2 drops JOIN: THE *Secret* FACEBOOK GROUPSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, ask me a question, and it could be featured in an upcoming episode!

Feb 21, 2025 • 9min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: Are You Letting The Small Details Keep You From Starting?
The starting line is right in front of you, but are you standing in your own way? Talking about how this regularly plays out, and answering a listener question about how to nail a pull-up (or three). MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE194. Nneka Ogwumike, WNBA PlayerSOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastCHECK OUTReceipts | Join me on Receipts, a new app that helps you earn gift cards simply by working outLMNT | Head to drinklmnt.com/hurdle to get a free sample pack with any purchaseJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, or emailhello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!

Feb 17, 2025 • 52min
243. How To Practice Self-Love: The Power Of Affirmations & Benefits Of Positive Self-Talk With Dr. Nina Polyné
The way that you talk to yourself (and treat yourself) is important; as you've likely heard before — self-love isn't selfish. Put this one in the love file: Finishing off a couple weeks of loving here on Hurdle with Dr. Nina Polyné, a licensed clinical psychologist. We cover:- Why is self-love important?- What are self-love habits?- Can affirmations be helpful in the adoption of a positive self-love practice?- Can you have a positive association with self but still experience negative self-talk? How do you shake that?- What is self celebration and why is it important?- How to rid yourself of the shame that comes with prioritizing selfHow To Love Better: On Finding Grace, Healing & Motivation In Your Relationships With Diego 'Yung Pueblo' Perez@drninapolyne@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastOFFERSReceipts | Join me on Receipts, a new app that helps you earn gift cards simply by working outSEQUEL | Head to trysequel.com/ and use HURDLE at checkout for 15% off a box of superJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelSIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle NewsletterASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, or email hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!

Feb 14, 2025 • 8min
5-MINUTE FRIDAY: What Do You Love About Yourself?
It's not lame to answer this question, btw. I love Valentine's Day, and not because I'm in love with someone else. Talking about what this day looks like for me, and answering a listener question about navigating rest days. SOCIAL@emilyabbate@hurdlepodcastCHECK OUTReceipts | Join me on Receipts, a new app that helps you earn gift cards simply by working outLMNT | Head todrinklmnt.com/hurdle to get a free sample pack with any purchaseJOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG ChannelASK ME A QUESTION: Leave me a voice message, or emailhello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!
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