Hurdle

In April I was in a really bad place. Emotionally and physically. On the 10th of that month, I shared a story on Instagram about going into my kitchen 14 different times in one day. I was using food to cope with my problems, and I wasn't feeling good. I wrote about it some for SHAPE. Stepping on the scale was the final straw, reminding me of a difficult college #hurdlemoment, and thus began a lot of inner work trying to get to a better place. Journaling. Talking. Therapy. Strengthening. Less judgement. More acceptance. Setting boundaries. Better interactions. Now, a couple months later, I'm really proud of my progress. But here's the thing: No one's reaching out to me and commenting about my attitude. What I'm hearing, from friends and complete strangers alike, are comments on my appearance. In today's 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, I'm opening up about how that makes me feel.  PROMPT: What is something you're working on that no one knows about? SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEKLY HURDLE NEWSLETTER! HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK WATCH: Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man, Episode 3 with Emmanuel Acho BUY: Under Armour Mid sports bra ($28), Lululemon Energy sports bra ($52), Nike Swoosh sports bra ($30) TRY: Pickup Please Free Donation Pickup DONATE: 1 Million Miles for Justice with Black Girls Run READ: Nicole Cardoza’s Anti-Racism Daily Newsletter ... and lastly, Happy Father's Day!

There's a whole lot going on right now. On top of the global pandemic and the fight for racial justice, there's also the everyday hardships that go hand-in-hand with your "regular" routine. It's not easy to have difficult talks with your friends, family members, coworkers, and (especially) complete strangers. But, if there's one thing I do know, it's that a hard discussion is always worth having. So, today for #hurdlemoment I'm offering up six steps to opening and executing tough dialogues. Keep in mind: these tips are coming from a place of love, all strategies that have helped me in the past to get to a better place with the people that I care about. I want to know: What would you add to the list? Reach out to me on social media, and as always — stay kind. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate Join team "Hurdlers" for One Million Miles for Justice brought to you by Black Girls Run Sign up for the Weekly Hurdle newsletter!

Kerri Walsh Jennings is probably one of the best female athletes of all time. Bold statement, I know, but I grew up watching this beach volleyball player dominate year after year. As 5-time Olympian, Walsh Jennings has come back time and time again, showcasing her tenacity and strength not only in her sport — but as a human. In episode 117, I chat with Walsh Jennings about her journey, growing up in Santa Clara, California, and going on to play a number of sports before settling on volleyball in college. We chat about the hurdles she overcame in her professional career, and how the bronze medal in Rio played a huge role in who she is today. She also tells me what it’s like to work with professional performance psychologist Michael Gervais and shares her essential healthy habits for staying sane during this pandemic at home with her three kiddos. SOCIAL @kerrileewalsh @platform1440 @californiaalmonds @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast OFFERS Beam | Head to beamtlc.com to get 15 percent off your purchase using the code “HURDLE” at checkout. Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.

#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in November 2019. Spoiler alert: This Is one of my favorite live episodes to date. When Charlie Dark (@daddydarkrdc) started running, he was in a bad place. Dropped by his record label, the DJ and poet was teaching a poetry and creative writing class in east London and had recently lost a friend of his. It began under the cover of darkness. Between 1 and 3 a.m., he’d leave the recording studio in the early hours of the morning and run home. “I didn’t want anyone to see me. I didn’t need anyone to watch me fail.” Within a year’s time, he had shared his love for the sport with friends. Every Friday night, they’d link up to run a single mile. Soon after this #hurdlemoment, Run Dem Crew was born. Currently at more than 500 strong, Dark says that co-founding the collective gave him new purpose. “We’re changing lives.” In today's episode — recorded live at the Lululemon Re:Pair Lab — we’re chatting everything from how to defeat imposter syndrome to the highs and lows of conquering the marathon distance. Plus, following your true passion and the power of running culture. SOCIAL @daddydarkrdc @run.dem.crew @lululemon @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate NEWSLETTER Sign up for the Weekly Hurdle, here. 

#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in June 2019. If you ask George Foreman III what it’s like to grow up with a two-time heavyweight champion as a dad, he’s pretty humble about it—because that’s all he’s ever known. Graduating with a degree in business administration from Rice University, Foreman went on to preside over his dad’s business, traveling the world meeting celebrities and managing contracts. Amidst all the glamour and chaos, he came face to face with his #hurdlemoment. Standing at 6’5’’ and weighing in at more than 280 pounds, he realized he wasn’t happy in his corner of the world, going as far as to shut himself in a hotel room for three days.  Then, he made the jump into boxing himself. After a year of training, Foreman stepped into the ring for his first fight weighing in at 231 pounds. He’d go on to have an undefeated professional boxing career that ended in 2012, a year before he opened the first EverybodyFights in Boston. In today's episode, we chat about everything from depression and the scary side of entrepreneurship to his goals for expanding EverybodyFights dramatically by 2021. SOCIAL @georgeforman3 @everybodyfights @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE EBF Live!

#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in February of this year. There's nothing easy about the long road to Tokyo for “400M Diva” Natasha Hastings. A two-time Olympian and gold medalist, the sprinter recently celebrated another major, magical milestone: Becoming a mom. For today's episode, I sat down with Natasha at the Under Armour Human Performance Summit at their Baltimore headquarters. To say that I’m in awe of her strength, determination, and power would be a total understatement. She talks to me about a few #hurdlemoments in her career that made her realize that she had to squash negative thoughts to reach her full potential, and how working with a sports psychologist helped her drastically. She also shares what it was like to stand on the podium at the Games in 2016 and — fast forward to now — hit the track for the first time post-baby. Bonus: 5-month-old Liam joined in on our interview (fun fact: at one point she was both podcasting AND breastfeeding, because she’s a champ). This one’s full of inspiration you won’t want to miss. SOCIAL @natashahastings @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 400M Diva Collection

#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in December of 2019. I could listen to Knox Robinson (better known to his 28K+ IG followers as @firstrun) talk for a while, which is no wonder why this is my longest Hurdle to date. The Brooklyn resident writer and runner has his fair share of how-did-that-even-happen stories, from his days logging miles in Ethiopia with Mo Farah and running with Eliud Kipchoge in Kenya to heading up Fader Magazine and writing Kanye West’s first cover article. Upon sitting down with the father-of-two and run coach, I saw a whole other side of him that perhaps his 27.6K Instagram followers don’t often catch. In today's episode, the Nike+ Run Club founding coach talks to me about his beginnings as a runner growing up in San Diego, and how his passions landed him running at a collegiate level at Wake Forest. He gets really honest about the #hurdlemoment that made him quit the sport for 10+ years, and the life-changing event that reunited him with his biggest passion. We talk about everything from impossible training tactics and what it felt like to be one of the top 100 male finishers in the NYC Marathon (twice) to his best advice for anyone new to lacing up. SOCIAL @firstrun @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast

#REPOST: Showcasing guests of all races and backgrounds has always been important to me as a creator. I value every single person that gives me their time and energy, from the individuals I sit down with to the listeners tuning in on the regular. This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. First up, my conversation with Ally Love, originally recorded in September 2019. To describe Ally Love with the word “boss” would be an understatement. She is a do-it-all kind of woman: The in-arena host for the Brooklyn Nets, founder of Love Squad, Adidas global ambassador, and Peloton instructor (among other talents). In today’s episode, she tells me all about the #hurdlemoment which framed her “I can” mindset: A horrifying car accident at age nine which landed her in critical condition with a broken femur. We talk about how she came back from the unthinkable, rising up as a dancer and making her mark on New York City. She tells me about how she discovered her voice with the help of hosting classes, the three books she read that helped to guide her in her career, and the unexpected text message that landed her in the saddle at Peloton. If you’re looking for a little motivation to go after you passions, look no further — Ally is a ball of energy and she wants to empower you to be everything you dream of and more. SOCIAL @allymisslove @lovesquad @onepeloton @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE LoveSquad | LoveSquad is hiring a social and e-commerce intern! Interested? Email Hi@LoveSquad.com with the subject “intern. LaSette  | A transitional, Black-owned lingerie brand based in Brooklyn New York. Intended to empower you in your body to create the narrative of how transitional lingerie that takes you from day to night fits into your world. Head on over to LaSette.shop/ and grab yourself something fun today. FREE AD READS  |  I am offering free ad reads to black-owned businesses over the next few weeks, so please, if you’re listening and you have a company that I should know about, I’m all ears! Alex Elle’s podcast Hey, Girl OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. Four Sigmatic | Go to foursigmatic.com/HURDLE or enter code “HURDLE” at checkout to receive 15% off your order.

Aliphine Tuliamuk almost quit running in 2014. Fast forward about 6 years, and in February 2020, she made the U.S. Olympic team. Coming in first place at the Olympic marathon trials in Atlanta, she broke the tape with an outstanding time of 2:27:23. In episode 111, we chat about everything from her upbringing in rural Kenya, running to and from school (as well as just about everywhere else), and her uncle’s suggestion that she come to the United States and go to university on an athletic scholarship. She talks to me about the difficult transition of attending college here, arriving in Iowa at Iowa State not knowing when she’d see her family again, then transferring to Wichita State where she had a ton of success in her sport. We talk about her aspirations to one day be a nurse, and the moment that inspired her to start crocheting and ultimately start an Etsy shop. And of course, she tells me all about that big Atlanta win, how she felt going into the day after a great training cycle with the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite, her strategy, and how she feels now that the games have been pushed back. SOCIAL @aliphine @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE 93. Wendy Yang, President Hoka One One OFFERS PowerDot | Go to powerdot.com and use the code “HURDLE” at checkout for 20% off. Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary.

My 32nd birthday’s next week. With June 2 on the horizon, I’ve been doing a decent amount of reflection. I’ve stopped to think about the past 365 days. I’ve thought about my hopes for the next 365 days. I’ve reflected on all of my years as a whole. The other day I was standing in my bathroom, when I had a really unexpected, emotional moment thinking about where I'm at in my life. In today's episode, I chat about flipping the script, and instead of focusing on the things I don't have, thinking about all of the blessings that I do.  --- PROMPT: What’s one thing you’ve done in the past two weeks that makes you proud? SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Perfect Mile 1110. Matt Taylor, Tracksmith Co-Founder & CEO Dear Sunday #SaveRowgatta Custom Performance’s “Pay What You Like” sessions “We’re In This Together” sweater from Ellsworth + Ivey Running for Real podcast with Tina Muir Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor OFFERS Reebok | Go to reebok.com for 40% off sale and full price items with code “HURDLE” Note: global exclusions apply, including but not limited to Nano X, Zig, and Club C. Items will be marked as excluded on the product description page. Beam | New product alert! Obsessing over Beam’s newest release this week: Dream capsules, with nano CBD, melatonin, magnesium, reishi, and L-theanine. Head to beamtlc.com to get 15 percent off your purchase using the code “HURDLE” at checkout. Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. Daily Harvest | Go to dailyharvest.com and enter promo code “HURDLE25” at checkout to get $25 dollars off your first box. Power Dot | Go to powerdot.com and use the code “HURDLE” at checkout for 20% off. WHOOP | Head to whoop.com to get a free WHOOP strap plus 15 percent off any membership by entering the code "HURDLE" at checkout. Four Sigmatic | Head to foursigmatic.com/hurdle and use the code “HURDLE” at checkout for 15 percent off your purchase today.