When Running Stops Feeling Safe

What happens when the thing you love most starts hurting you?

In this episode of Enduring Minds, Evan Birch and I sit down with former NCAA national record holder and ultra-runner Parley Hannan for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had with an everyday athlete navigating mental health, identity, and self-worth through endurance sports.

Parley opens up about depression, disordered eating, and the pressure of believing her value depended on performance. From chasing Olympic Trials standards to running ultramarathons through the Atacama Desert, she shares how she rebuilt her relationship with running and learned that healing matters more than pace.

This conversation is for every everyday athlete who has ever questioned whether they were enough without a workout, a medal, or a finish line photo to prove it.

There’s vulnerability, honesty, a few laughs, and the kind of connection that reminds us we’re not alone in this sport or in life.

There are times when the bravest thing an athlete can do isn’t racing harder.

It’s admitting they’re struggling and showing up anyway.

👇🏼 Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know: Has running ever helped your mental health while also creating pressure?

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