Hurdle

In Los Angeles last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Nike master trainer Kirsty Godso and model Catherine Li to chat all about the ins and outs of being a runner. The good stuff. The tough stuff. The parts that make us excited to lace up day after day, and our reasons for why we started in the first place. Huge thanks to Nike for hosting us at their first-ever store, Blue Ribbon Sports, in honor of the global launch of their newest Joyride sneaker on August 15.  SOCIAL @kirstygodso @catieli @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate

For this week’s #hurdlemoment, I’m answering 10 listener questions off-the-cuff. No script. No planning. Just genuine honesty. From what I eat before a long run and my favorite Hurdle guests to the hardest part about putting out a podcast every week and how to get through a break-up. Have something else you want to ask? DM or email me, emily@hurdle.us.  SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate OFFERS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WOLACO | New women’s line is live, and I’m obsessed with their Walker Crop (but really, I have it in three colors). NYC local? Click to be kept in the loop on WOLACO Wednesday, their weekly free workout series.

There was a time in Matthew Morton’s life when he was smoking three packs of cigarettes and downing up to 10 Red Bulls a day. That’s when his friend and NYU classmate Conrad Sandelman challenged him to give up the energy drink for 30 days, swapping in matcha—a finely ground green tea powder—instead. Little did the duo know that experiment would change both of their lives forever. In episode 66, the founders behind NYC-born café Cha Cha Matcha tell me about the journey they took to Japan to create their own unique ceremonial-grade blend of the green powder, and what it’s like to be entrepreneurs at such a young age. We also chat funny hiring stories, the INSANE amount of money Matt’s saved by quitting smoking, and their big goals for the brand coming down the line. SOCIAL @chachamatcha @matthewmorton @conradsandelman @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.

Teaming up with trainer Betina Gozo in Los Angeles for this week’s #hurdlemoment, where we’re dishing on our top healthy travel suggestions. From how to avoid germs on the plane to strategies for smarter eating, there’s no reason your next vacation (or work trip!) has to completely derail positive progress. Plus: We offer up our favorite in-the-air skincare suggestions and rap about the best way to beat jet lag.  SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate @betinagozo MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WOLACO | WOLACO was named the go-to brand for exercising on the road by Travel and Leisure. They focus on the basics creating fashionable and fuss-free gear that actually makes your life and workouts that much easier. Check them out at WOLACO.com and on Instagram @wolacowomen.

Nicole Centeno has always loved food. Even when she was working as a media buyer at Condé Nast and other big companies, she longed to turn her love for food into a full-time career. In episode 65, we chat about how she came to start Splendid Spoon, a ready-to-eat, plant-based meal delivery service that boasts an impressive menu of soups and smoothies. We talk about the eating disorder she had in college, a #hurdlemoment that briefly shifted her relationship with what she put in her body. We also rap about how she leaned into the grind of start-up life the most when she was going through a divorce, and the best way to handle someone who approaches a situation with anger. SOCIAL @splendidspoon @niccent @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.

No. No. No. No. No. Feels good, doesn't it? There's so much power of owning your no. Fact: Saying "no" more means that you accept that you are in the driver's seat of your own life. But why is it so hard to use this little, two-letter word? In today's #hurdlemoment, I'm talking about how to get comfortable with turning things down—and even how to make using it a little bit easier.  SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate

The moment you start talking with Don Saladino, you’ll feel as though you’ve known him for years. It’s no wonder why big-name celebrities like Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, and Scarlett Johansson have turned to him to get in stellar shape leading up to major movie roles. Owner of New York gym Drive 495, the trainer may be known now for his A-list clientele as well as his stellar physique, but the frequent magazine cover model hasn’t always been in high demand. In episode 64, we chat about how he got his start fresh out of college by walking into big box gyms and asking for jobs, as well as the numerous #hurdlemoments he faced building his brand. He tells me about when he had to completely pivot his business model after the 2008 financial crisis and the complications of losing his apartment to Hurricane Sandy in 2012. We also chat about the attention he pays to his diet, what it’s like to have a no. 1 selling app in Apple's App Store, and how he helped his good friend get “upper abs” in only two weeks. SOCIAL @donsaladino @drive_clubs @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.

Man, is it hot out there. This week, I’m bringing Nike+ Run coach and ultramarathoner Jes Woods to hang with me for #hurdlemoment and chat about safe summer running. We offer up the tips you need to stay safe on even the most humid days, ranging from hydration best-practices to smarter pacing strategies. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate @jeslynnyc MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WOLACO | New women’s line is live, and I’m obsessed with their Walker Crop (but really, I have it in three colors). NYC local? Click to be kept in the loop on WOLACO Wednesday, their weekly free workout series. 

On any given day, you might find Jes Woods running 100+ miles in one fell swoop. But not all that long ago the Nike running coach and ultra marathoner was working full time at NBC as a project engineer. In episode 63, we talk about the opportunity that came her way to turn her passion for running into more of a full-time gig, her big goals as a coach for the years to come, and what it’s really like to run for 27 hours straight. Yup … 27 hours! She also offers up some must-hear advice for new runners on how to start and stay with the sport, and the biggest tip she’d offer anyone who wants to make a major career pivot. SOCIAL @jeslynnyc @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.

Happiness is how you feel about yourself when you’re by yourself. It’s not something that should hinge on how someone else shows up for you or likes on social media. You have the opportunity every day to do things that make you a better you, a happier you, a person that you are proud of. I’m talking all about this on today’s #hurdlemoment, and I’m offering up an essential, list-making exercise that will help you get out of your own way on the path toward a happier, healthier self.  SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WOLACO | New women’s line is live, and I’m obsessed with their Walker Crop (but really, I have it in three colors). NYC local? Click to be kept in the loop on WOLACO Wednesday, their weekly free workout series.