Hurdle

“The relationship you have with yourself is the longest relationship you’ll ever have; make it a good one.” To say this episode with runner Dorothy Beal is special would be a total understatement. With more than 75,000 people following along with her day-to-day body positive insights on Instagram as @mileposts, it’s difficult for the Virginia-born RRCA and USATF-certified run coach to remember a time when the sport wasn’t a part of her everyday life. In episode 82, the mother of three talks to me about the #hurdlemoment she went through during her junior year of college, where she realized that social anxiety and an affinity for drinking were contributing to weight gain and a negative self-image. After braving the scale and seeing a number that frightened her, she had a heart-to-heart with her parents who offered to help her get healthy and foot the bill on some essentials, like a nice pair of shoes and fees for a local road race.  After that? In 2003 she ran her first marathon, and now at 44 total — the sport has forever changed her for the better. We talk about the moment she started blogging about her journey at mile-posts.com, the rise of @ihavearunnersbody and #irunthisbody, and how her community impacts her on the regular. Beal gets super honest about her toughest days, and offers up helpful advice for running newbies and veterans alike. SOCIAL @mileposts @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. WHOOP | Head to whoop.com to get a free WHOOP band plus 15 percent off any membership by entering the code "hurdle" at checkout.

Well this was pretty fun! Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down live with three other female rockstar podcasters, including Tina Muir (Running for Real), Angie Spencer (Marathon Training Academy), and Carrie Tollefson (C Tolle Run). We shared a slew of laughs and chatted all things podcasting and marathoning, how we got in to both, and the myriad of lessons we've picked up along the way on everything from racing nutrition to how to handle total "failures." Huge thanks to UCAN for bringing us together in honor of the New York City Marathon. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @tinamuir88 @marathonacademy @carrie_tollefson @genucan OFFERS UCAN | Hurdlers save 15% on your order with code "HURDLE" at generationucan.com/shop; Check out the starter packs if you've never tried UCAN!

Spoiler alert: This may be one of my favorite 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 episode 81 — 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 OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. WHOOP | Head to whoop.com to get a free WHOOP band plus 15 percent off any membership by entering the code "hurdle" at checkout.

Let's. GO! Would you expect anything else from me this week? I've run it four times, after all. In today's #hurdlemoment, I'm offering up some tricks to tackling the November 3 #NYCMarathon. From how to handle the starting village to whether or not runners should really be freaking out about the hills — this is the rundown you've been waiting for.  SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate

“Call me G,” was the first thing Gilad Jacobs told me when I met him, and that’s pretty indicative of the kind of guy he is. Personable. Friendly. Also — hardworking. For almost eight years now, Jacobs has been the CEO of Boston-based recovery favorite NormaTec — best known for their Pulse 2.0 Recovery system, which hooks up to the big compression boots you see everywhere from NFL sidelines to the local physical therapist’s office. In episode 80, he talks to me about his late mother — an MD and bio engineer who started the company — and the special relationship they had. He gets honest about the #hurdlemoment of losing her, and how that changed his life forever both personally and professionally. We also touch on things like navigating being “not-so popular,” and — of course — the benefits of compression. SOCIAL @ntrecovery @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. WHOOP | Head to whoop.com to get a free WHOOP band plus 15 percent off any membership by entering the code "hurdle" at checkout. EVENTS Live Hurdle with Charlie Dark, October 30, 2019 [link] UCAN Marathon Stories, November 1, 2019 [link]

Now what? It’s the inevitable question we all ask ourselves after we complete any race — whether it’s a 5K or a marathon. Often times, crossing that finish line is a gateway to all sorts of feelings, many of them difficult to handle. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I talk about what I call the “post-marathon blues” (PMB). Those hard-to-handle emotions that come once you’ve tackled your big crazy goal, often associated sentences like “I can’t stop eating” and “I feel like I have no purpose now.” I touch on different strategies you can use to manage PMB, and the best way to proceed to come out on the other side a more productive, happier person. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate

Lisa Hayim, MS, RD, is a breath of fresh air. The registered dietician and founder of The Well Necessities shoots it straight and isn’t afraid to speak candidly about the journey that’s brought her to where she is today. In episode 79, she opens up about dealing with disordered eating herself when she was younger, and the jarring #hurdlemoment that had her questioning the way she speaks to her audience as a professional. We also chat easy strategies to implement into your regular routine that can clean up your diet, and she offers up essential advice for anyone who’s willing to be open to the masses on social media. SOCIAL @thewellnecessities @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. WHOOP | Head to whoop.com to get a free WHOOP band plus 15 percent off any membership by entering the code "hurdle" at checkout. EVENTS Live Hurdle with Charlie Dark, October 30, 2019 [link] UCAN Marathon Stories, November 1, 2019 [link]

I am a 3:28:08 marathoner. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be saying that sentence. In today’s #hurdlemoment — a recap of last weekend’s Chicago Marathon — I give the rundown on how the 21:08 PR happened, from the prep and what I did differently for my eight marathon to how I got my mind right walking to the starting line. I get emotional (surprise) reflecting on the highs and lows of the race, and talk about what’s next for me (plus, what’s not). SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE @mypowerdot @theragun

The CrossFit Open is here, which means now is the perfect time to bring you my conversation with Katrin Davidsdottir. The Iceland native got into CrossFit because her mom thought that she’d be good at it. Fast forward two years, and she was already competing on an international stage at the CrossFit Games in 2012. Now, she’s a 2x Games champion, but she’s also had her fair share of hardships along the way. In episode 78, we talk about the single event that changed the course of her career as an athlete — a #hurdlemoment that some may see as a failure, but she viewed otherwise. I praise her for her optimistic, opportunistic attitude, and we talk about how identifying your values is the first step to success in any endeavor. She also shares what she eats in a typical day, as well as the motivational tool she uses to get her through the hardest rep. Huge thanks to Ascent Protein for the connect. SOCIAL @katrintanja @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS Athletic Greens | Head to athleticgreens.com/hurdle to get 20 free travel packs ($79 value) with your first purchase, no code necessary. WHOOP | Head to whoop.com to get a free WHOOP band plus 15 percent off any membership by entering the code "hurdle" at checkout. HEARD IN THIS EPISODE  Music And Strategy is a creative music company for brands and agencies.

What should I eat when I’m training? What about the night before a race? What about DURING? Plain and simple: This episode has been a long time coming. In this week’s #hurdlemoment, I sit down with registered dietitian and nutritionist Keri Glassman. She gives us the lowdown on all the things runners need to know about fuel, touching on topics from carbo-loading to energy gels. Plus: What’s up with people giving up alcohol during training and is that post-race burger and a beer OK? Take a breath; we’ve got you covered. SOCIAL @nutritiouslifeofficial @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate