August 27, 2025 • 54 mins
Lucy Bartholomew brings Australian sunshine to this captivating conversation about finding purpose on mountain trails and wisdom in difficult moments. When Lucy was just 15, she discovered her passion for ultra running alongside her father, embarking on a journey that would take her from weekend camping trips to world championship podiums.
What began as quality time with her dad evolved into a career marked by remarkable achievements—winning Ultra Trail Cape Town 100K, placing third at Western States, and becoming one of only two women to complete both UTMB and the Ironman World Championships in a single year. Yet through her success, Lucy maintains a refreshing perspective that prioritizes joy, connection, and process over outcomes.
The conversation takes a profound turn as Lucy reflects on her father's heartbreaking yet transformative Western States experience in 2023. After ten years of trying to gain entry through the lottery, he completed the entire 100-mile course but missed the official cutoff by just two minutes. Through a documentary that captured this emotional journey, her father became an unexpected spokesperson for valuing the experience over the result—a powerful reminder that what matters most isn't the finish time but the courage to begin and the determination to continue.
Lucy shares her practical wisdom for navigating both trail and life challenges: breaking overwhelming distances into manageable segments, recognizing when physical needs like hunger are masquerading as emotional lows, and maintaining unwavering optimism that "maybe it will get better." Her ability to find joy in the process—even when that means hiking up a mountain pass while eating pizza during UTMB—exemplifies why she's beloved in the ultra-running community.
Whether you're a seasoned ultra runner or someone who's never laced up running shoes, Lucy's insights on resilience, community, and finding your own path will inspire you to embrace challenges with curiosity and courage. As she prepares for another UTMB race, her message remains clear: sometimes the most meaningful journeys are the ones where we dare to cut our own trail.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lisa Danylchuk (00:04):
Welcome back to the how we Can Heal podcast.
Today, our guest is LucyBartholomew.
When Lucy was just 15 years old, she stepped into the world of
ultra running as she ran herfirst 100-kilometer race
alongside her dad, ashBartholomew.
At that time, lucy discoveredher love for the sport and has
since traveled the world runningwinning the Ultra Trail Cape
(00:27):
Town 100K and placing third atthe Western States 100 in 2018.
Competed at the Ironman WorldChampionships in Kona, which
made her one of only two womenwho raced UTMB and the Ironman
(00:48):
World Championships in the sameyear.
Based in Australia, lucy runsto connect with nature and
community and is well known forher sunny outlook on life, her
determined attitude and herability to enjoy the process
even when things get tough.
Today, she shares her plans foranother UTMB race and tells us
(01:10):
about what she's learned fromchallenges on the trail, both
her own and her father's.
She brought me a dose ofAustralian sun in the middle of
my day, and I think you'll feelit too.
Please join me in welcomingLucy Bartholomew to the show.
Please join me in welcomingLucy Bartholomew to the show.
The more you learn about trauma,the more you see it everywhere.
(01:30):
It's a superpower to see it,and it's also necessary to see
beyond it.
This fall, I'm offering a newclass Freedom from Trauma.
In it, I'll describe why it'sessential for us to identify
trauma and how we can approachhealing in a way that we don't
end up swimming in it.
You'll learn simple, not alwayseasy, perspective and practices
(01:53):
to help you move out of thetrauma vortex and stand in
something stronger and morepowerful than the impacts of
harm.
I'm looking forward to sharingwhat I know with you in this new
way hacks of harm.
I'm looking forward to sharingwhat I know with you in this new
howwecanhealcom/ freedom fromtrauma to register for the
training.
Welcome, Lucy,
Lucy Bartholomew, to the how weCan Heal podcast.
(02:16):
I'm so excited that you're here.
I'm so eager to talk to you.
I've been following you justonline and you're running in
your journeys for many years andreally excited to share you
with the audience here.
Lucy Bartholomew (02:27):
Oh well, thank you so much.
I'm really excited for it.
Lisa Danylchuk (02:30):
Yeah, so I'd love to start with the beginning
for you.
What got you to fall in love?
I'm assuming you're in lovewith trail running.
Is that a fair assumption?
I am still in love with thissport.
Yeah, when did you first fallin love with it?
What was that?
What were those early momentslike?
Lucy Bartholomew (02:49):
Yeah, I think, going back, you know there's no
doubt that the reason that Ifound this sporting and fell in
love with it was because of mydad.
He's been a huge role model andvery pivotal in this whole
thing.
He was always a runner, a roadrunner.
He ran to commute, to get towork.
I was young, not interested.
Running was pretty uncool.
(03:09):
I wanted to be cool and likedby people, so I didn't like
running either.
But when he signed up for hisfirst ultra, so above the
marathon distance, and went tothe trails, I started to see him
go away for the weekend, sothese really cool places in
nature and see parts ofAustralia that you can only go
(03:30):
on foot, and he'd come back withreally cool stories, really
cool pictures.
And I was just intrigued and Iwas like can I come along?
We can camp together and I canride my bike next to you or just
wait and hang out, and thenwe'd go to a nice cafe and then
road trip home.
That was our weekend.
And so I kind of like I wentand I'd ride with him and as I
(03:52):
was riding I remember thinkinghe says he's going running, but
it's a very loose term for whathe's doing.
You know there's a lot ofwalking.
He stops, looks at waterfalls,birds, animals, whatever.
And so once he started to getonto some more gnarlier trails
that I wasn't able to ride, Ijust left the bike back at the
(04:14):
place and I decided to startrunning with him.
And I think what's those earlymemories and what's really
important is that it was neverabout like how far we went.
I never knew the data and thestats and it wasn't about that.
It was just like dad picked aroute.
We road tripped there.
When I was younger and tryingto get my car license, I would
(04:36):
drive and it was very excitingto me.
We'd then camp and I'd alwaysGoogle like cause I'm a real big
foodie a place for dinner and aplace for brunch after I run.
And yeah, I just felt like itwas so much more than the
running itself and that reallyinstilled in me like, wow, you
know, this sport is cool becauseof the people and the places
(04:59):
and the food and the memories,and running's a vehicle to
experience that at a heightenedway.
Lisa Danylchuk (05:06):
Yeah, definitely , and it is heightened
especially if you are someonewho already loves food and then
you go out on the trail all day.
You come back ravenous and evenmore excited and eager, and
probably sleeping even better ifyou didn't overdose on caffeine
on the trail, right?
So it's so great to think aboutthose times with your dad,
especially when you talk aboutbeing a teenager, because I've
worked with teens for a longtime really in my career and
(05:28):
it's like those adultrelationships can be rough at
that time, Right.
So to be able to have time awayand then to start to notice
like, oh, this isn't reallyabout running.
You know, there might be somerunning involved, but there's
hiking and there's food andthere's community and all these
things, Do you feel like havingthat time together changed your
experience as an adolescent,like as you're becoming an adult
(05:51):
?
Lucy Bartholomew (05:52):
Yeah, definitely.
I feel incredibly grateful thatin those poignant years of 14,
15, 16, I found running andtrail running in a community of
people who are undeniably someof the most accepting people.
You know, it's not about whatyou look like, it's really about
(06:12):
getting out there and takingyourself to these places and
doing things that are incredible.
And running is a sport whereyou are the machine, you are the
movement and you have toperform the act, and so it's
really about looking afteryourself.
These people that I wassurrounded by were just
definitely older-aged peoplethat became like little mums and
(06:34):
dads to me, but just were moretrying to look after their body
and conserve and protect it toallow them to keep running in
their life.
And I think, being so young, Iwas just started to do the same
thing at a very young age.
I was like man, I got to lookafter myself and I want to do
this forever and I want to belike these people in their
(06:56):
fifties and sixties and be ableto do the things that they're
doing.
So I feel really lucky.
And now, you know, I do talks atschools and I see kids and
young especially young girls inthat age bracket and I just it
really hurts my heart because Ithink that there's just social
(07:16):
media and the like, society andthe way that life is.
It's just yeah.
I mean, when I found the sportand I'd come to school, I wasn't
the cool kid because I ran 50kilometers or 100 Ks.
No one really understood it.
But I feel like nowadays to beaccepted there's just a lot more
(07:37):
pressure on it and to look acertain way and to spend your
weekends in a certain social wayas well.
I think it's a reallychallenging thing and I feel so
lucky to have had thosefoundations so early.
Lisa Danylchuk (07:50):
And even to keep connection with adults.
I feel like at that time inlife, right to your parents
sometimes people just reallypush away hard but also to a
wider community of adults, andit sounds like you were
benefiting from that wisdom ofhey, you got to take care of
this body.
If you want to do these typesof things, Like if you enjoy
this, going out on the trail,hiking, running, biking,
whatever there are things youcan do to be able to keep doing
(08:13):
that, and so you were learningthat from a really young age.
And I think also in sport orathletics there can be
exploitation of your body, Likehow can you make it produce the
most results?
You know, and we see athletessometimes go back out on the
court or into a game like hurt,right, Like really injured,
where it's actually not helpful.
(08:33):
But when you're thinking inthis way of how do I nurture
myself through a hundred milerace, right, it's funny because
as I started getting into ultras, people oh, you know you've
probably heard these things toooh, is that that's bad for your
knees or that's not good forthis, Right, that's not good for
you and it's like, well, itreally does also depend on how,
with anything like not just whatare you doing, but how are you
(08:55):
doing it?
Day today is be in nature andtake steps forward at whatever
pace is right in the moment andfeed myself and water myself and
like jump in the river or talkto a person if I want to.
And then there's these otherpeople out cheering and you know
(09:16):
they have snacks and it justseems so ideal for me, Like wow,
I can just find new places too,Like you mentioned, like I can
go somewhere I've never beenbefore, and then there's these
little flags showing me where togo, and every once in a while
those get taken down.
But you know it's an adventureas you go.
So I love that emphasis youhave on caring for yourself.
I'm curious, because now you'vebeen sponsored for a long time
(09:39):
as an athlete and so, movingfrom something that's pure joy
and play into something that'syour profession, how do you feel
like you can keep that caringfor yourself or that play or
exploration alive?
Lucy Bartholomew (09:55):
Yeah, and I was going to say, you know, I
was taught those lessons earlyto look after myself and yet I
found myself doing this orliving this narrative and the
story or similar story of peoplethat I'd heard of before.
You know that kind of you get asniff of success.
You think what you just got todo to be better than that is
(10:16):
just more of everything.
More is more.
More will make you more um,race more, win more, lose more
weight.
You know like you can start toreally unravel.
And you know I had really greatmentor and people in my lives
and a loving family and I was ina really healthy sport and I
still ended up doing the same,repeating those steps, and it's,
(10:39):
you know, it's a narrative thatwill live on forever because
it's just a high level sport andsomeone who wants to do
something because they caredeeply about it and they want to
really sink their teeth intosomething, has the mentality and
the attitude and the ability toapply that not just to the
sport but to their everyday life, and so I think that that's
(11:01):
just like a really importantpart to definitely flag and then
, in terms of like turning apassion into a profession, I
think that that's been somethingthat I've really had to
navigate.
When I joined the sport, no onewas doing it professionally.
You did it for the love of thesport.
Even when I won races I'd win,you know, like an oversized
(11:24):
T-shirt or a piece of wood thatthey'd like nailed on first
place.
You know it was kind of like youdo it because you love it.
Lisa Danylchuk (11:34):
I got a big pine class once and it broke like 10
years later and I was like no,it's first place.
Lucy Bartholomew (11:41):
I remember my dad and I did this race down on
the coastline of Victoria calledthe Wilson's Prom, and the
weather came in and we finishedin the pouring rain and the race
director had gone to the localpub to get dry and he just like
left a laminated piece of paperand was like please write your
finish time, take a chocolatefrog, and like congratulations.
(12:02):
And I was just like we spent 13hours out there and you're
telling me it was for somethingthat I can go to the supermarket
and buy for like a dollar 50.
But it was like pricelessmemories and so that's where I
started in the sport and thenthings started to change and it
was really beautiful.
(12:23):
Solomon was so respectful ofbeing me, being 16 years old,
and was kind of like you know,we'll support you locally, give
you entry to races, shoes towear until you're 18, and then
we can talk about like somethinga little bit more global and a
little bit yeah, definitely morepressure and definitely a
little bit more expectation.
But they have been so nurturingto my growth in the sport and
(12:47):
the ups and downs andunderstanding that I was
evolving not just as an athletebut as a human.
I was a teenager and then I'vebecome an adult and a young
woman and they've really helpedme kind of navigate that.
So I feel so lucky to havebrands that have been with me
for pretty much my whole career.
I've not really shifted aroundmuch because I feel like if you
(13:12):
stay with me for the bad times,then you deserve to be with me
for the good times, and so we'veridden that roller coaster
together and that's reallyreally helpful.
Lisa Danylchuk (13:20):
Yeah, it's a real relationship, right, I
think even I'm thinking of othersports and people shifting
teams all the time, or even thevelocity of technology and
change and information anddistraction and starting over.
Those relationships are sovaluable and, like you said
already today, and I've heardyou and other people say so many
times, like it's not reallyjust about the running, it's
(13:42):
about so much more than that andI think when you have a group
of people and you haverelationships whether it's a
sponsor or it's teammates orwhatever else that are
supporting you, especiallythrough hard times in life, hard
times in sport, it's that's sovaluable and we can I don't know
we can like almost lean awayfrom that in trying to just
(14:06):
maintain right, trying tomaintain or trying to optimize
in the sport, and so I'm so gladyou have that and you've had
that from such a young age andthat they were really respectful
of you, cause that's not thestory you always hear, right.
Lucy Bartholomew (14:18):
No, definitely not.
Lisa Danylchuk (14:20):
Yeah.
So you talked about your dadand how he influenced you.
I want to talk a little bitabout his Western States.
I watched, of course, lucy'sdad and I'm wondering how that
experience sits with you now, afew years later.
And for those listening, lucy'sran Western States 100 miler
(14:41):
very difficult to get into, lotsof energy around it race here
in California.
And then her dad got in, was it?
It was a few years after youhad run it and came in third
place.
Yeah, yeah.
Lucy Bartholomew (14:52):
Yeah, yeah, it was just a couple of years ago.
Lisa Danylchuk (14:54):
Yeah, yeah, it was 2023.
So he came in 2023 and got aticket to Western States which
is like a I don't know the oddsexactly like one in 1000 chance,
and and then he had a reallyhard race right.
It ended up being a really abig challenge and very emotional
, and there's a videodocumentary on YouTube about it
(15:16):
for anyone who hasn't seen it.
How does that whole experiencesitting with you now yeah.
Lucy Bartholomew (15:22):
Yeah, I think you know it's really cool what
that experience kind of openedup for, even for my dad, myself
and my family.
So dad had been trying to getinto this race for 10 years and
our whole family had kind ofgone through the process with
him.
Because every December whenthey draw the lottery, you know
(15:43):
it's kind of like, okay, if dadgets in for Christmas, I'm
getting him, you know, an icebandana or we're getting him
flights to America or like thisis how we're going to celebrate.
And then every year it was kindof like, ok, maybe we get him
some socks because he didn't getinto Western states, so how can
we like he would always bereally down and then he'd have
(16:04):
to look for that qualifying raceto redo.
And he started that process atage, you know, 50.
So it was kind of like 10 yearson, he's 62 when he raced, I'm
61, sorry.
And when he finally got drawn,you know me and my brothers
hadn't been together.
My brothers live in differentplaces for 10 years, pretty much
(16:26):
the whole time.
So we all came together inCalifornia and it was really
beautiful, because one of mybrothers, super not into running
, doesn't really understand thesport or what we do and this was
his first experience of like abig race and my other brother
kind of dabbles in the sport,and then obviously myself, who
has really strong ties to therace and thebles in the sport,
(16:46):
and then obviously myself whohas really strong ties to the
race and the place and thepeople, and so I got to bring my
family to what feels like mybig American family and a place
that feels like home.
But you know, long story shortis that dad, like the cutoff for
the race to be an officialfinisher is 30 hours and dad
finished in 30 hours and twominutes and he went off course.
(17:08):
Um, sometimes those flags thatwe follow are not there yeah and
uh, you know that's part of theprocess of trail running, you
know there's paths in alldirections, and he was tired in
the dark, fatigued, and it'sjust the way it unraveled.
But but I feel like speakingfor myself, I feel just immense
(17:29):
pride in what he kind of.
It was a really hard thingbecause I'd said to Solomon yeah
right, let's do this littlefilm.
Like old man gets into dreamrace, gets it done like clap,
clap, clap.
How incredible.
And then, as we were filming,they were kind of like oh, we
are like this is going to be astory that we're going to want
to tell.
(17:49):
And so, post race, it was kindof like cool, dad, can we just
like do an interview reallyquick?
And like can you process thisin real time with us while we
film it?
And he just took it on so welland he's not a person that wants
to be front of camera and hehad to, yeah, but I think it was
(18:09):
so therapeutic and it made himreally just like under remember
and remind.
I think he reminded me as wellas like it's not about the
finish time, it's not about thebuckle, it's not about you know,
we got tattoos in the endbecause he didn't get a buckle,
we got tattoos and we got this,uh, big panda and tiny dragon.
(18:32):
It's from this book and there'sa page in it that says what's
more important the journey orthe destination?
And uh, then it says thecompany, and I think that that's
something that we all needed tobe reminded, and I feel like
the sport also.
This whole thing blew up becausehe was my dad, everyone knew me
, everyone became like wasfollowing along on the live
(18:56):
stream of the race.
You know, there was just peoplejust streaming and screaming on
the track to get him to thefinish line, and I feel like
everyone needed to be reminded.
And dad became the spokespersonof like I don't care if you're
two minutes over, two hours over.
Yeah, you know, it's thebelieving and the trying and the
(19:17):
process and the family and thelike, all of that.
And you know he says now hewouldn't change a thing and that
wasn't like to see him evolveto that place.
I'm just like, so proud to behis daughter.
Lisa Danylchuk (19:31):
Yes, it's such a reminder that it's never about
the buckle, it's never about thetime on the clock, and I've
been there for Golden Hour somany years.
My daughter was like weeks oldand we brought her up for the
Saturday night and then wewatched golden hour that year on
the on this live stream.
So we were cheering for yourdad too.
We were there with you,watching you come down towards
(19:53):
the track.
We're like, yeah, and everyyear that I'm there and I see
the clock go past, or even ifI'm just watching, I see the
clock go past 30 and inevitablythere's people that come in.
Right, there was once someone,I think a blind runner, came in,
you know, a minute after.
Lucy Bartholomew (20:08):
Following year Yep.
Lisa Danylchuk (20:10):
And and for me as someone who has, who doesn't
care that much about time formyself running and who has, like
, had that experience of likebeing cut from a race when I'm
like, but I can do it, but I'mgood, and it's 30 seconds, like
if I hadn't stopped the time Ishoot, right, I just feel like,
why, why do we do this toourselves?
(20:31):
Like, why do we say official,unofficial?
And so I go on a little soapboxevery time with my partner,
whoever's there.
I'm just like why don't wecelebrate these people even more
?
Why don't they get the goldenbuckle?
Like and I know some races dolike a dead last finisher prize
pack or something like that, andI think, as a sport, ultra
running is better than than somany other sports at celebrating
(20:54):
the entire pack, right, thepeople coming in first, the
front of the pack, the middle ofthe pack, the back of the pack,
the people coming in last.
But I have such a hard time withthat Like, oh, 30 hours and two
minutes, sorry.
Like I just feel like thosepeople deserve such a dopamine
hit finishing, and there'ssomething about I didn't make it
(21:16):
Right, and so I think it's trueand it's great that you have
this visibility and your dadcould kind of be this
spokesperson for like it's not.
It's not about that.
Do you have any thoughts aboutwhat we do with that?
Like, because I get thatespecially with road races
there's a, or even with trailraces there's like a time that
you have permits on the courseand you can't be there forever
and you know you don't wantpeople to just be like oh, it's
(21:39):
fine, I've got time, I couldwalk it in from mile 50 to mile
a hundred.
Like there is something aboutthe structure and the urgency
that can motivate, but thenthere's these two minutes or
this one minute and I just feellike those people deserve so
much more somehow.
Do you have any thoughts aboutthat?
Lucy Bartholomew (21:56):
Yeah, I think it's super interesting because I
know that this year WesternStates, the first non-finisher
I'm saying this in quotationmarks actually gets an entry
back in to the next year.
So this is a new thing, so that30 seconds that two minute
person can be.
My dad was just like rolling inhis chair when he heard.
(22:19):
He was just like, oh, like, ifthat was me I just would have
loved that opportunity.
But I think there is a beautyin having a challenging time
limit because I think it reallythe pride that you feel when you
complete it within is immense.
I think that calling it like aDNF and putting it in kind of
(22:42):
like the same, you go onto thesame list as someone who stopped
at mile 10, you know, and it'skind of like well, I wouldn't
agree with that because that's avery different experience and a
very different.
So I think it's a reallychallenging thing.
There's a race in Australia thatwe have called Bogong to Hotham
and at the halfway pointthere's a very strict cutoff and
(23:06):
my dad the first time was like30 seconds over it.
They cut him off.
He drove around, saw me finishand then he was so determined
and he trained so hard to find30 seconds and you know, the
next year he came in a minuteunder and he kept going and he
finished the race and just tosee him in his own little race
(23:26):
was just really cool.
And I think that there'sdefinitely something.
And races like western states,it's a historical cutoff because
it's the time of the Tevis Cuphorse race cutoff, it's not some
random time that they're likeuh, the volunteer, like the race
director, wants to go home, youknow, um.
So I think there's good to havesome structure.
(23:48):
I think we could do better inlike the wording, and I think
that comes from people who findthemselves in that position to
speak about it in a positive way.
You know, when my dad had hisexperience, that people were
like offering him condolencesand I was like I'd rather you
offer him congratulations, likebecause he still did the race,
(24:12):
he did the course, he finishedup at Auburn Track, he ran to
Pulsar High, and so I think thatjust kind of like there's that
side of things, but that's, youknow it's a really challenging
topic that I don't think there'sa really easy answer to.
Lisa Danylchuk (24:28):
Yeah, I've always thought and I don't even
know if there are races that dothis on ultra signup or other
places that track but like a UFinstead of a DNF, like an
unofficial finish instead of adid not finish, I'm like DNF is
not accurate at that point.
Right Did not finish does notdescribe what happened.
They finished two minutes overthe cutoff, right Totally.
(24:49):
I feel like there are waysforward there and I'm hoping we
can do it in a way that isinclusive and, yeah, maybe still
motivating and challenging, butthat people aren't getting
condolences once they just ran ahundred miles right that
they're still getting great jobright, they're getting some of
that dopamine and some of thatencouragement.
It doesn't have to be a a sadparty totally, I yeah, so well
(25:12):
said there's also somethingabout that vulnerability, right
you said of your dad beingvideoed and interviewing.
There's something about sharinghard times that can be
difficult but people also reallyrelate to, I think yeah, I
think that was one of the.
Lucy Bartholomew (25:28):
I think it was one of the best things about
making the film was that youknow the whole events happened.
And then he did the interview.
Everyone went their separateways.
You know how these racesthey're huge, they matter, and
then suddenly everyone thecircus has moved out of town and
everyone's moved on to the nextrace that's coming up.
And then the film came out acouple of months later and dad
(25:50):
had to sit there and he watchedand I think, watching himself
and seeing what he looked likeand how I was and how the family
and everyone was responding andthe support that was around him
, I think his immediate responsewas thank goodness the world's
moved on, put it to bed, like,let's just like, don't give it
air, suffocate that feeling.
(26:12):
And instead he had to face itbecause I made him go to
premieres with me.
You know, solomon flew himaround a little bit to speak
before some films and answerquestions, and so it kind of you
know it just kept opening upthe box and that kind of you
know what do you call it whenyou're just like, constantly you
(26:37):
have to face it because you'reconstantly shown it and you just
that's your therapy way throughit.
I think that that was reallyhelpful for him and made him
realize that being vulnerableand caring a lot about something
is really cool and reallybeautiful.
And I still, you know, a coupleof years on, have people write
to me and say, like you know,your dad inspired me to start to
(27:00):
try that my non-finish is stilla finish, that there's so many
wins within the process ratherthan like the outcome.
And I'm like dad's not reallyon social media, doesn't see it,
probably doesn't hear it asmuch as I do, and I'm constantly
reminded of the people and theeffect he's had on the sport and
(27:21):
people's lives.
Lisa Danylchuk (27:22):
Yeah, I'm a trauma therapist by trade and I
just think how much this appliesto life and to the way we can
be really excited aboutsomething or on a Right, and a
lot of times when somethingtraumatic happens in our lives,
(27:48):
it's like that.
It's like, well, this was wrong, this was not part of the plan,
this is not supposed to happen.
It's not like, oh, this is ahard time, this is a tough hill.
I'm going to work my way up it.
It really is like a recordscratch moment where you're like
, oh, like things, things justwent south.
(28:10):
This was not the plan, and Ithink that's such a big part of
life, right, like everything'sgreat and I'm so excited and I'm
doing this, and then it getsreally hard, and then sometimes
it gets even more challengingand sometimes things go south
and like, what do we do withthat?
And what do we do if we don'thave the experience that we had
envisioned?
Or if it doesn't look that way,we don't have the experience
that we had envisioned, or if itdoesn't look that way, we don't
get the response from otherpeople that we were wanting all
(28:33):
of that, right, and so I thinkthat that process that he shares
and they share through the filmcaptures that.
I think what a lot of peoplejust feel in life of like, oh,
this wasn't supposed to happen,and then what do I do?
How do I work with it?
Lucy Bartholomew (28:47):
Yeah, and I think there's a saying that says
you know, in an ultra marathonyou live life in a day and you
know, I would dare to say welived a couple of lives out
there and aged a couple of yearsfor sure.
But yeah, I think that that'sso true and also think that you
know dad, and that experiencewas so powerful because of just
(29:15):
so many people could relate todifferent aspects of it.
You know, it was kind of likewhat I found challenging was
that I visualized his day.
You know, this is I wasn't theathlete in this situation, but I
was like, what can I control?
And like, all right, so if he'sdoing well, this is how I'll
pace him and crew him and pushhim through, and if he's on
(29:36):
cutoff time, this is how I'llpace him and this is how I'll
push him through.
And I don't know if he did anyvisualization around it, but I
never really visualized why, inthis whole situation, I hadn't
visualized and so I had noanswer to the real time
questions and experience that Iwas living.
(29:57):
And you can see it in the filmmy response is just to
completely unravel and justunleash tears.
And you know, because I'm ifthat was me at least, I'm in
control, I I'm the athlete I'mso used to being in that
position where it's kind of like, well, this is what I've got
myself into.
But to watch someone and to bekind of powerless was the most
(30:21):
challenging thing.
But I think that it's reallytaught me that going into my
races or going into experiences,there's a point of like okay,
this is like a bad day, mystomach's not good, okay.
But like what if you don't makethe finish line?
What if you know your story issimilar to other people's
(30:42):
stories that have happenedbefore and you don't want to
think about it.
But you should think about itbecause it's a potential and to
be prepared for that gives you apower.
I think that I kind of lacked,I felt in that situation, but
now I harness moving forward andthat's something that I take
away from an event that feelslike it was at the time super
(31:04):
traumatic and emotional.
And now I look back and I justsee beauty in it and so much
strength.
Lisa Danylchuk (31:10):
Yeah, there's a lot of strength in accepting
different outcomes right, andnot being so afraid of well, if
my stomach's off today and thisisn't my race, like that doesn't
define me.
I think there's a lot in sports, especially when we come up
from a young age, of feelingdefined by wins or losses and it
sounds like this contributed tothat for you of just like it's
(31:31):
okay, you know, if it goes thatway, it goes that way, but I'm
going to keep moving forward andproblem solving.
Lucy Bartholomew (31:37):
I think, just yeah, there's that kind of the
impermanence of everything isbeautiful and it's part of what
I love about the sport is thatevery step is different.
In trail running, you can feelon top of the world and then in
the pits, from moment to moment,kilometer to kilometer, and you
know, one of my greateststrengths is my unrelenting
(31:58):
optimism of like, maybe it willget better, maybe it won't, but
maybe it will, and I just wantto hang in there a little longer
and find out.
And I think that that's whatyou know.
Dad did that to the very end,and people that sign up for
ultra runners, for ultramarathons, are signing up for
that.
They need to have that in theirtool belt.
Lisa Danylchuk (32:17):
Yeah, I love that.
Put it on the back of a shirt.
Maybe it will get better.
Maybe not For the personrunning behind you, but maybe
not on the front.
Lucy Bartholomew (32:25):
So after they pass you.
Lisa Danylchuk (32:29):
You know right.
There's all those people you'reback and forth with on the
trail.
Lucy Bartholomew (32:33):
Yeah, I love that.
Lisa Danylchuk (32:35):
So what is a high moment on the trail?
Look and feel like for you,Like when the, when the optimism
is coming true.
What is that experience likefor you?
Lucy Bartholomew (32:44):
I think it's that feeling of low state that
you know we seek, but seeking itkind of takes it away from us.
So it's you never know thatyou're in it until you're out of
it.
It's where time passes and youknow you feel strong and
nutrition's blink and passthrough a day of many kilometers
.
Those are the moments that arejust like you know, wow, I'm
(33:13):
doing something, that I'vecrafted my body to be able to
find such comfort in doingsomething that is really
challenging, in a reallychallenging place, but I was
able to yet transcend all ofthat.
That's the high moments for me.
Lisa Danylchuk (33:29):
Yeah, I had my daughter a couple of years ago
and coming back has beenchallenging.
But there was a moment where Iwas running and my Garmin just
kept beeping off miles in thebackground and I was like, oh
another mile, oh another mile,and I was like that hasn't
happened at all, like in thosemoments where you're so immersed
.
It was the opposite of like, ohmy God, I only went point one.
(33:49):
What's happening next?
Oh, totally.
Lucy Bartholomew (34:00):
What does a low look and feel like for you?
What happens when you go tothat really dark place?
Yeah, oh man, it's when I'mdoing that watch check and I'm
just like you're telling me thatwas only like 30 seconds
between my last watch check, youknow, that felt like an hour, I
think.
When I I mean in those lowmoments I'm just looking for
distractions, I'm looking at,trying to watch, like the
(34:20):
numbers tick up or down or Istart doing really bad math just
to distract myself, and it'salways negative.
It's always really bad mathjust to distract myself, and
it's always negative.
It's always.
If I keep this slow, terriblepace up for the next hundred
miles, I'm going to be out heretill Tuesday morning.
You know they're going to be,you know and and um, yeah, I,
I'm not someone who is normallya numbers driven person and I
(34:42):
know that I'm starting to spiralif I start playing with numbers
out there.
So it's always my two thingsthat I always remain to tell
myself is I have control of myeffort and my attitude, and
those are my pillars of mycrutches when I'm out there.
I'm like effort to eat, to moveforward, to look after yourself
(35:03):
, attitude to just not use thoseenergy exhausting emotions of
anger, frustration, sadness, butjust a really calm, you know,
confident and just kind oftrying to protect that energy
and use that for moving forward.
So I kind of use those in thoselow moments to try and yank
(35:25):
myself out of it.
Lisa Danylchuk (35:27):
Do you ever go to that Like why, why did I do
this, why am I here, why do I dothis sport?
Lucy Bartholomew (35:34):
Oh yeah, I think I do that at least once a
week.
I'm checking in on my, on mywhy, which I think is really
good.
You know, I think we're doingsomething that's really
challenging.
It's normal for us to put somequestion marks and then I feel
like you find the answer whenyou finish that hard run,
thinking that you didn't thinkyou could do, and you come out
the other side and you're likeman, if I didn't think I could
(35:56):
do that, but I did it.
Imagine what else I'm putting aceiling on myself for.
Lisa Danylchuk (36:01):
Yes, yeah, that's the best part where
you're like I actually could dothat.
What else can I do?
Totally, I mean, that's howultra running started for me.
It started with a half marathon.
I was like I don't think I cando that, like I've been running
my whole life just for fun.
I never wear a watch.
I don't know how far I go, Idon't know any stats, but like,
oh, 13 miles is far, right.
And then, like I'm on my way tothe race and I'm like maybe I
(36:21):
could do a 50k, maybe, right,like I feel like that that's a
form of optimism and sort ofhope and reinforcement that can
come from that.
It's like, well, I, maybe I cando these really hard things and
maybe they can even be fun.
Lucy Bartholomew (36:39):
Like, even though there might be those
moments, the lows, like you getthrough them and they're not the
whole story yeah, and I thinkit's like when I I go to schools
and I talk to kids and I'm like, yeah, I run a hundred Ks or a
hundred miles, and they have theimage and memory of their
school cross country that was aweek ago where they're red in
(37:01):
the face, tasting copper fromrunning so hard, and I'm like,
no, no, no, no, it doesn't looklike that.
Like you know, it's a very slowburn, it's a long time, it's a
up and down trails and you'reducking and diving and stopping
and peeing and vomiting and no,like re-emerging and coming back
(37:21):
and you know, it's kind of.
I think that people just like,when you sign up for that half
marathon, you finish that and amarathon is not just double that
.
There is something that goes onin that time, in that space
where you step over what youhave done before and going into
new territory, where it's like,so, not about the fitness and
(37:44):
it's not about being fast, it'sjust about being like, strong
minded, confident and strongbodied and strong in your
character, I think, and youstart to learn about those
things.
The further you go and you know, the more that you start to
care and to try and to yeah, tobring out your best, and to try
and show up on a race day ishard.
Lisa Danylchuk (38:06):
Yeah, In those hard moments it sounds like the
optimism and sort of checkingyour attitude and checking in
with yourself is helpful.
Are there any other go-tothings for you when you're like,
okay, this is one of those hardmoments that you turn to?
Lucy Bartholomew (38:24):
Yeah, I think for me, those moments I
generally need to eat something.
What I have found is that I amusually on starting to bonk.
If I start to get like a poorattitude, it's because I'm
probably hangry and I thinkthat's probably the first thing
I reach for is put some food in,walk and moan as much as you
(38:48):
want, but you might as well walk, moan and eat.
So I think that that's probablylike my biggest tip to anybody
is like sometimes you've justgot to get some calories in and
it can really flick a switch inyou and completely change
everything.
So that's my, that's probablymy number one.
Lisa Danylchuk (39:08):
A hundred percent.
You know, I feel like I learnedthat in my bones through ultra
running too.
Where it's like you, this wholeworld can start being created
in your mind, right when you'relike everything is awful and
this is terrible and this sucks.
And only 10 seconds have passedand then I'll put like a fruit
punch you know, chump block inmy mouth and be like it's fine,
(39:30):
everything's great.
This is wow To watch thattransformation.
It's not always thatstraightforward, but it has been
at times and I take that.
I take that off the trail andinto my life where I'm like
everything sucks and I'm likedid I eat?
And I do this with clients too.
I mean, I've been having thatawareness with clients for years
, where they're coming in andeverything sucks.
I'm like what have you eatentoday?
(39:50):
And they stop and they thinkand they're like coffee.
I'm like it's 2 PM go down andget a sandwich and then let's
keep talking.
Otherwise we're just likewasting your therapy time on
your hangriness.
Lucy Bartholomew (40:03):
Like no, I'm very much related to that.
I feel like I learned it inrunning and I've applied it to
my every day as well, eventraveling here to France.
I was just irritable and so,over the whole process, and then
I was just like sometimes it'snot even like just eating the
right, like something that islike the right thing, you know,
(40:24):
it's just like I don't want toeat like a salad, I don't want,
I just want a fat slab ofchocolate cake, you know.
And I got to Singapore airportand I was just over the whole
trip, was not even halfwaythrough the whole thing from
Australia, and I just sat downat a cafe, had a chai tea and
(40:46):
chocolate cake and I was like,okay, I can do this.
Lisa Danylchuk (40:49):
I got this, I got this, I got this Right and
put that intuition, too, ofknowing what you need right.
It's like, yeah, I need somecalories in, but there's also
some, just like sniffing it out,that looks good.
That's going to help.
Let's go with that.
Lucy Bartholomew (41:01):
Oh yeah, I did a whole lap of the airport, of
the airport, sussing out myoptions, and then lead with my
gut no, no, that's the way to go.
Lisa Danylchuk (41:09):
I mean, you learn that on the trail too,
like if you're just eating whatyou think you should.
It's not going to go as well asif you eat like that thing
right there.
I mean the most random thing.
Sometimes I'm just like I don'tknow why, but that Nutella
wrapped in the tortilla withNutella on it, like that does
not talk to me right now, eventhough I love Nutella.
So it's an race.
You're just like bring it, giveme three more, taking them to
go yeah, I know this feeling soare there other lessons that you
(41:34):
feel like apply off the trail?
I mean, I feel like we probablycould just go on with that
forever, but there's, you know,life is hard, just like trail
running is hard, and we're allhere doing our best.
Are there things that recently,or just in life in general, you
feel like, okay, trail runninghas really helped me get through
other difficulties?
Lucy Bartholomew (41:55):
I think what ultra running and trail running
has really nailed into me andtaught me is that kind of the
distances and the sport is sochallenging and when you look at
it as a whole it's veryoverwhelming.
But when you break it up intokind of that bite-sized
checkpoint to checkpoint,kilometer to kilometer, climb by
(42:16):
climb, you can really start tofind little wins along the way
and very bite-sized things.
And that's something that Itake to, yeah, my every day.
You know, I'm definitely a listrider and they're like my
little checkpoints of my day,the things that I want to
achieve, and I feel like they'relittle wins every time.
And even like the travel, itwas kind of like all right, we
(42:36):
get to Singapore, then we get toLondon, then we get to Geneva,
then we get to Chamonix.
You know like we're in theselittle races, little things,
little moments of the race thatI feel like I can wrap my head
around, because the wholejourney in itself feels really
challenging.
Um, you know, I'm in France totrain for the UTMB, which is 170
(42:57):
kilometers, just over a hundredmiles, with 10,000 meters,
33,000 feet, whatever, and I runI've been running some sections
of the course and I'm just likeman, this little bit feels hard
.
Imagine this in the start orthe middle of the end of this
race.
And I think just rememberingthat like this is a.
(43:20):
It's a small moment in time,it's a small portion of the
course, but you know, it'samazing because every time I've
come here I felt the same way.
And then, come race day, I'vestitched it together and there's
been those flow moments andthose low moments.
But it's just incredible whatyou can do when you're just like
I'm just going to lean in, likeI'm in it and, like you say, my
(43:42):
job for the day is to walk orrun or crawl to eat, to drink.
You know, like what a gift thatmy Friday, saturday,
potentially Sunday, is.
That and this is something thatyou know running adds to my
life.
It doesn't take away from it,it's not.
I'm not doing it to just tocompletely, like, destroy myself
(44:04):
.
I'm doing it to build myself up.
And and yeah, I think that justremembering that and running
continually teaches me thatevery training run, every race
has taught me that and then itjust kind of gives me the
ability to apply that to myeveryday lived life.
Lisa Danylchuk (44:22):
Yeah, so much respect for UTMB.
I did ETC last year and I waslike oh, oh, like that, it's
like it's the shortest race,right, I don't remember it's
like 15 K or something, not 170.
And I was like up, that's likeup, up, up, up and then down,
down, down, down.
I feel like UTMB is just a lotof that.
Lucy Bartholomew (44:41):
It's just a lot of up and down and so much
beauty and so much amazingness,but really hard beauty and so
much amazingness, but reallyhard, like yeah, yeah, it's a
super challenging race and it'sa real journey.
I saw my dad do it in 2014 andhe took.
He was out there for 43 hoursand I was crewing him and felt
exhausted.
(45:01):
I just couldn't believe that hehad.
He was running that race andyou know, this is my third time
returning and I just am in lovewith the journey around the Mont
Blanc.
It's just something that is sospectacular, it's beautiful,
it's brutal, it breaks you downand builds you up and takes you
(45:26):
to these amazing places andshoots you up super quick and
then brings you down into theselittle towns full of very
enthusiastic spectators anddelicious food.
Um, you know, speaking of likehaving food, like in Courmayeur,
which is in Italy, in the race,I always have my crew have a
margarita pizza, because I'mlike that is my, it just fills
any hole or deficit of caloriesand fuel that I need.
(45:50):
And I hike up the next climblike just with a rolled up few
slices of pizza and I'm likethis is the sport for me, man.
Lisa Danylchuk (45:58):
Like I'm in the right place.
That sounds like heaven.
That sounds amazing.
Well, we'll be there.
My whole family will be therecheering my parents, my daughter
, my partner.
So we will be cheering for youon the course with so much love.
So, oh, it'd be so cool to seeyou out there.
Lucy Bartholomew (46:18):
I happen to have a margarita pizza, I'll
toss it.
Lisa Danylchuk (46:22):
So what would you say to somebody listening
who's like not a runner, andit's like these people are nuts.
This sounds crazy, like maybethere's something else in their
life that that is their running.
But what would you say tosomeone who just feels like, oh,
this is not even an option.
This stuff feels so hard.
Lucy Bartholomew (46:38):
Any moments or thoughts of inspiration yeah, I
think, for the running specificside of things, I think start
with where you're at.
You know you're hearing us talkabout full marathons or 100Ks
or 100 miles and that doesn'tneed to be your starting point
and it shouldn't be yourstarting point.
We all started with that runwalk.
(47:00):
You know, I was the schoolcross country and then it was
kind of like doing a 50K, a 100Kand it's been a 12-year journey
.
So I think people, I think feela lot of pressure to like leap
to that ultra category becausethe ultra is the new marathon
and the marathon is now like youknow, it's not even enough for
people.
(47:21):
So I think that, and justrealizing that there's no pace
or distance or way that you needto look to do the sport, for it
to be the sport for you, youmake it look, feel at whatever
pace you want it to, and then Ithink, for just every day,
outside of running and goals, Ireally believe that just because
(47:44):
you don't see it doesn't meanthat you don't believe that it's
not possible.
You know, when I was younger andthere was no one doing this as
a profession, I was just doingwhat made me happy and brought
me a lot of joy.
I never ran to become somethingI wasn't doing it to be noticed
by Solomon, and then to make myjob and to be where I am, and
(48:07):
there's a beauty in that.
And I think if you have a goalor a dream or something that you
want to achieve, sometimes youmight have to be the one to
tread the new trail, and that'sa really cool thing.
It's a really hard thing, butthere's nothing more beautiful
than trying to pave that pathand to be the one that cuts the
vines and, you know, mows thegrass for other people to follow
(48:31):
in your footsteps in the future.
So I think taking that roadless trodden is always my piece
of advice, because if you don'ttry, you'll never know.
Lisa Danylchuk (48:42):
I love it.
I love it so much, I feel it.
Is there anything you want toshare that's coming next for you
?
I know you just started acoffee collaboration.
Lucy Bartholomew (48:51):
Yeah.
So I did a collaboration with acoffee company back in
Australia called Two Roads.
We just had a cold brew canwith some cordyceps mushrooms,
which is a big favorite of mine.
But otherwise I'm here inFrance for the next weeks before
UTMB.
I'm very excited I have mybrother and his wife coming out
to crew me.
I've thrown dad the bone of it.
(49:15):
Could be cool if he made thetrip out as well.
We've just got to look afterthe dog Tani, get her to go on
school camp or sleep over withsomeone else, but it could be
really cool.
So, yeah, that's kind of likemy North Star at the moment is
preparing for that race and toput all these things that I've
learned and all these motivatingexperiences that I've had from
(49:37):
the people I'm around and makethem proud out there.
Lisa Danylchuk (49:40):
Yeah, I always like to close by asking what
brings people hope, but I'm alsocurious what brings you joy?
Lucy Bartholomew (49:47):
Oh, I feel like what brings me hope and joy
is sport.
You know, I think, watching theTour de France that's on, and
seeing the passion that peoplehave and the you know, sometimes
it's not always the prettiest,but I just love what sport does
and what it brings together.
And being in Chamonix, you know, one of the sportiest capitals,
and everyone's riding bikes andgot climbing ropes and I just
(50:11):
feel like it gives me a lot ofhope in humanity and the future.
Seeing these kids out on themountains just running up and
down the trails with complete,sheer joy and I, yeah, I think
that that brings me a lot of joy.
So I'd say sport is the answerto me.
Lisa Danylchuk (50:27):
Yes, I love it.
It makes me think about mydaughter at the kids race.
Lucy Bartholomew (50:31):
Yeah, yeah, that brings, me joy.
Lisa Danylchuk (50:34):
I have the here for the women's race shirt that
I will be wearing in French andGermany, but I also want to hear
for the kids race shirt becausethose are so fun.
Lucy Bartholomew (50:42):
Oh, I didn't know there was one, that's it.
Lisa Danylchuk (50:44):
No, I want to make one, I want to make one.
I know I told her, and Malcolmtoo, I was like I want to make a
hair for the kids race shirt.
She's like do it, like, okay,maybe, maybe I can get that
together before the race.
Lucy Bartholomew (50:56):
Oh yeah, Get me I'll, I will be your first
order.
Oh nice.
Lisa Danylchuk (51:00):
I love it.
I love it.
Well, thank you so much forcoming on the show.
It's been such a pleasure totalk to you.
I'm really looking forward tocheering for you in your race
and to sharing this with otherfolks.
If people want to follow you,where's the best place?
Lucy Bartholomew (51:14):
The best place to follow me would be Instagram
.
So it's Lucy underscoreBartholomew.
I'm on Facebook, but it'spretty much just a copy and
paste of Instagram.
There's nothing new going onthere, but, yeah, I'm always a
message away if anyone needs toreach out or wants anything.
In particular, I always all isto help anybody out Awesome and
(51:36):
you offer coaching too.
Lisa Danylchuk (51:37):
Are you still doing that?
Lucy Bartholomew (51:39):
I am.
I have a very small amount ofpeople and it's been pretty full
for a long time.
So I kind of yeah, I wouldn'tsay I'm open for coaching.
Okay.
Lisa Danylchuk (51:47):
Yeah, good to know.
Thanks again, coaching.
Okay, yeah, good to know.
Thanks again, lucy.
Thanks, lisa.
Thank you so much for listening.
Now I'd really love to hearfrom you what resonated with you
in this episode and what's onyour mind and in your heart as
we bring this conversation to aclose.
Email me at info, at how we canhealcom, or share your answers
(52:11):
and what's been healing for youin the comments on Instagram,
where you'll find me at how wecan heal.
Don't forget to go to how wecan healcom to sign up for email
updates as well.
You'll also find additionaltrainings, tons of free
resources and the fulltranscript of each and every
show.
If you love the show, pleaseleave us a review on Apple,
(52:33):
spotify, audible or wherever.
You're listening to thispodcast right now.
If you're watching on YouTube,be sure to like and subscribe
and keep sharing the shows youlove the most with all your
friends.
Visit howwecanhealcom forwardslash podcast to share your
thoughts and ideas for the show.
I always, always, love hearingfrom you.
(52:53):
Before we wrap up for today, Iwant to be super clear that this
podcast isn't offeringprescriptions.
It's not advice, nor is it anykind of mental health treatment
or diagnosis.
Your decisions are in yourhands and I encourage you to
consult with any healthcareprofessionals you may need to
support you through your uniquepath of healing.
(53:15):
In addition, everyone's opinionhere is their own and opinions
can change.
Guests share their thoughts,not that of the host or sponsors
.
I'd like to thank our gueststoday and everyone who helped
support this podcast, directlyand indirectly.
Alex, thanks for taking care ofthe babe and taking the fur
(53:35):
babies out while I record.
Last and never least, I'd liketo give a special shout out to
my big brother, matt, who passedaway in 2002.
He wrote this music and itmakes my heart so very happy to
share it with you here.
Welcome back to the how we Can Heal podcast.
Today, our guest is LucyBartholomew.
When Lucy was just 15 years old, she stepped into the world of
ultra running as she ran herfirst 100-kilometer race
alongside her dad, ashBartholomew.
At that time, lucy discoveredher love for the sport and has
since traveled the world runningwinning the Ultra Trail Cape
(00:27):
Town 100K and placing third atthe Western States 100 in 2018.
Competed at the Ironman WorldChampionships in Kona, which
made her one of only two womenwho raced UTMB and the Ironman
(00:48):
World Championships in the sameyear.
Based in Australia, lucy runsto connect with nature and
community and is well known forher sunny outlook on life, her
determined attitude and herability to enjoy the process
even when things get tough.
Today, she shares her plans foranother UTMB race and tells us
(01:10):
about what she's learned fromchallenges on the trail, both
her own and her father's.
She brought me a dose ofAustralian sun in the middle of
my day, and I think you'll feelit too.
Please join me in welcomingLucy Bartholomew to the show.
Please join me in welcomingLucy Bartholomew to the show.
The more you learn about trauma,the more you see it everywhere.
(01:30):
It's a superpower to see it,and it's also necessary to see
beyond it.
This fall, I'm offering a newclass Freedom from Trauma.
In it, I'll describe why it'sessential for us to identify
trauma and how we can approachhealing in a way that we don't
end up swimming in it.
You'll learn simple, not alwayseasy, perspective and practices
(01:53):
to help you move out of thetrauma vortex and stand in
something stronger and morepowerful than the impacts of
harm.
I'm looking forward to sharingwhat I know with you in this new
way hacks of harm.
I'm looking forward to sharingwhat I know with you in this new
howwecanhealcom/ freedom fromtrauma to register for the
training.
Welcome, Lucy,
Lucy Bartholomew, to the how weCan Heal podcast.
(02:16):
I'm so excited that you're here.
I'm so eager to talk to you.
I've been following you justonline and you're running in
your journeys for many years andreally excited to share you
with the audience here.
Lucy Bartholomew (02:27):
Oh well, thank you so much.
I'm really excited for it.
Lisa Danylchuk (02:30):
Yeah, so I'd love to start with the beginning
for you.
What got you to fall in love?
I'm assuming you're in lovewith trail running.
Is that a fair assumption?
I am still in love with thissport.
Yeah, when did you first fallin love with it?
What was that?
What were those early momentslike?
Lucy Bartholomew (02:49):
Yeah, I think, going back, you know there's no
doubt that the reason that Ifound this sporting and fell in
love with it was because of mydad.
He's been a huge role model andvery pivotal in this whole
thing.
He was always a runner, a roadrunner.
He ran to commute, to get towork.
I was young, not interested.
Running was pretty uncool.
(03:09):
I wanted to be cool and likedby people, so I didn't like
running either.
But when he signed up for hisfirst ultra, so above the
marathon distance, and went tothe trails, I started to see him
go away for the weekend, sothese really cool places in
nature and see parts ofAustralia that you can only go
(03:30):
on foot, and he'd come back withreally cool stories, really
cool pictures.
And I was just intrigued and Iwas like can I come along?
We can camp together and I canride my bike next to you or just
wait and hang out, and thenwe'd go to a nice cafe and then
road trip home.
That was our weekend.
And so I kind of like I wentand I'd ride with him and as I
(03:52):
was riding I remember thinkinghe says he's going running, but
it's a very loose term for whathe's doing.
You know there's a lot ofwalking.
He stops, looks at waterfalls,birds, animals, whatever.
And so once he started to getonto some more gnarlier trails
that I wasn't able to ride, Ijust left the bike back at the
(04:14):
place and I decided to startrunning with him.
And I think what's those earlymemories and what's really
important is that it was neverabout like how far we went.
I never knew the data and thestats and it wasn't about that.
It was just like dad picked aroute.
We road tripped there.
When I was younger and tryingto get my car license, I would
(04:36):
drive and it was very excitingto me.
We'd then camp and I'd alwaysGoogle like cause I'm a real big
foodie a place for dinner and aplace for brunch after I run.
And yeah, I just felt like itwas so much more than the
running itself and that reallyinstilled in me like, wow, you
know, this sport is cool becauseof the people and the places
(04:59):
and the food and the memories,and running's a vehicle to
experience that at a heightenedway.
Lisa Danylchuk (05:06):
Yeah, definitely , and it is heightened
especially if you are someonewho already loves food and then
you go out on the trail all day.
You come back ravenous and evenmore excited and eager, and
probably sleeping even better ifyou didn't overdose on caffeine
on the trail, right?
So it's so great to think aboutthose times with your dad,
especially when you talk aboutbeing a teenager, because I've
worked with teens for a longtime really in my career and
(05:28):
it's like those adultrelationships can be rough at
that time, Right.
So to be able to have time awayand then to start to notice
like, oh, this isn't reallyabout running.
You know, there might be somerunning involved, but there's
hiking and there's food andthere's community and all these
things, Do you feel like havingthat time together changed your
experience as an adolescent,like as you're becoming an adult
(05:51):
?
Lucy Bartholomew (05:52):
Yeah, definitely.
I feel incredibly grateful thatin those poignant years of 14,
15, 16, I found running andtrail running in a community of
people who are undeniably someof the most accepting people.
You know, it's not about whatyou look like, it's really about
(06:12):
getting out there and takingyourself to these places and
doing things that are incredible.
And running is a sport whereyou are the machine, you are the
movement and you have toperform the act, and so it's
really about looking afteryourself.
These people that I wassurrounded by were just
definitely older-aged peoplethat became like little mums and
(06:34):
dads to me, but just were moretrying to look after their body
and conserve and protect it toallow them to keep running in
their life.
And I think, being so young, Iwas just started to do the same
thing at a very young age.
I was like man, I got to lookafter myself and I want to do
this forever and I want to belike these people in their
(06:56):
fifties and sixties and be ableto do the things that they're
doing.
So I feel really lucky.
And now, you know, I do talks atschools and I see kids and
young especially young girls inthat age bracket and I just it
really hurts my heart because Ithink that there's just social
(07:16):
media and the like, society andthe way that life is.
It's just yeah.
I mean, when I found the sportand I'd come to school, I wasn't
the cool kid because I ran 50kilometers or 100 Ks.
No one really understood it.
But I feel like nowadays to beaccepted there's just a lot more
(07:37):
pressure on it and to look acertain way and to spend your
weekends in a certain social wayas well.
I think it's a reallychallenging thing and I feel so
lucky to have had thosefoundations so early.
Lisa Danylchuk (07:50):
And even to keep connection with adults.
I feel like at that time inlife, right to your parents
sometimes people just reallypush away hard but also to a
wider community of adults, andit sounds like you were
benefiting from that wisdom ofhey, you got to take care of
this body.
If you want to do these typesof things, Like if you enjoy
this, going out on the trail,hiking, running, biking,
whatever there are things youcan do to be able to keep doing
(08:13):
that, and so you were learningthat from a really young age.
And I think also in sport orathletics there can be
exploitation of your body, Likehow can you make it produce the
most results?
You know, and we see athletessometimes go back out on the
court or into a game like hurt,right, Like really injured,
where it's actually not helpful.
(08:33):
But when you're thinking inthis way of how do I nurture
myself through a hundred milerace, right, it's funny because
as I started getting into ultras, people oh, you know you've
probably heard these things toooh, is that that's bad for your
knees or that's not good forthis, Right, that's not good for
you and it's like, well, itreally does also depend on how,
with anything like not just whatare you doing, but how are you
(08:55):
doing it?
Day today is be in nature andtake steps forward at whatever
pace is right in the moment andfeed myself and water myself and
like jump in the river or talkto a person if I want to.
And then there's these otherpeople out cheering and you know
(09:16):
they have snacks and it justseems so ideal for me, Like wow,
I can just find new places too,Like you mentioned, like I can
go somewhere I've never beenbefore, and then there's these
little flags showing me where togo, and every once in a while
those get taken down.
But you know it's an adventureas you go.
So I love that emphasis youhave on caring for yourself.
I'm curious, because now you'vebeen sponsored for a long time
(09:39):
as an athlete and so, movingfrom something that's pure joy
and play into something that'syour profession, how do you feel
like you can keep that caringfor yourself or that play or
exploration alive?
Lucy Bartholomew (09:55):
Yeah, and I was going to say, you know, I
was taught those lessons earlyto look after myself and yet I
found myself doing this orliving this narrative and the
story or similar story of peoplethat I'd heard of before.
You know that kind of you get asniff of success.
You think what you just got todo to be better than that is
(10:16):
just more of everything.
More is more.
More will make you more um,race more, win more, lose more
weight.
You know like you can start toreally unravel.
And you know I had really greatmentor and people in my lives
and a loving family and I was ina really healthy sport and I
still ended up doing the same,repeating those steps, and it's,
(10:39):
you know, it's a narrative thatwill live on forever because
it's just a high level sport andsomeone who wants to do
something because they caredeeply about it and they want to
really sink their teeth intosomething, has the mentality and
the attitude and the ability toapply that not just to the
sport but to their everyday life, and so I think that that's
(11:01):
just like a really importantpart to definitely flag and then
, in terms of like turning apassion into a profession, I
think that that's been somethingthat I've really had to
navigate.
When I joined the sport, no onewas doing it professionally.
You did it for the love of thesport.
Even when I won races I'd win,you know, like an oversized
(11:24):
T-shirt or a piece of wood thatthey'd like nailed on first
place.
You know it was kind of like youdo it because you love it.
Lisa Danylchuk (11:34):
I got a big pine class once and it broke like 10
years later and I was like no,it's first place.
Lucy Bartholomew (11:41):
I remember my dad and I did this race down on
the coastline of Victoria calledthe Wilson's Prom, and the
weather came in and we finishedin the pouring rain and the race
director had gone to the localpub to get dry and he just like
left a laminated piece of paperand was like please write your
finish time, take a chocolatefrog, and like congratulations.
(12:02):
And I was just like we spent 13hours out there and you're
telling me it was for somethingthat I can go to the supermarket
and buy for like a dollar 50.
But it was like pricelessmemories and so that's where I
started in the sport and thenthings started to change and it
was really beautiful.
(12:23):
Solomon was so respectful ofbeing me, being 16 years old,
and was kind of like you know,we'll support you locally, give
you entry to races, shoes towear until you're 18, and then
we can talk about like somethinga little bit more global and a
little bit yeah, definitely morepressure and definitely a
little bit more expectation.
But they have been so nurturingto my growth in the sport and
(12:47):
the ups and downs andunderstanding that I was
evolving not just as an athletebut as a human.
I was a teenager and then I'vebecome an adult and a young
woman and they've really helpedme kind of navigate that.
So I feel so lucky to havebrands that have been with me
for pretty much my whole career.
I've not really shifted aroundmuch because I feel like if you
(13:12):
stay with me for the bad times,then you deserve to be with me
for the good times, and so we'veridden that roller coaster
together and that's reallyreally helpful.
Lisa Danylchuk (13:20):
Yeah, it's a real relationship, right, I
think even I'm thinking of othersports and people shifting
teams all the time, or even thevelocity of technology and
change and information anddistraction and starting over.
Those relationships are sovaluable and, like you said
already today, and I've heardyou and other people say so many
times, like it's not reallyjust about the running, it's
(13:42):
about so much more than that andI think when you have a group
of people and you haverelationships whether it's a
sponsor or it's teammates orwhatever else that are
supporting you, especiallythrough hard times in life, hard
times in sport, it's that's sovaluable and we can I don't know
we can like almost lean awayfrom that in trying to just
(14:06):
maintain right, trying tomaintain or trying to optimize
in the sport, and so I'm so gladyou have that and you've had
that from such a young age andthat they were really respectful
of you, cause that's not thestory you always hear, right.
Lucy Bartholomew (14:18):
No, definitely not.
Lisa Danylchuk (14:20):
Yeah.
So you talked about your dadand how he influenced you.
I want to talk a little bitabout his Western States.
I watched, of course, lucy'sdad and I'm wondering how that
experience sits with you now, afew years later.
And for those listening, lucy'sran Western States 100 miler
(14:41):
very difficult to get into, lotsof energy around it race here
in California.
And then her dad got in, was it?
It was a few years after youhad run it and came in third
place.
Yeah, yeah.
Lucy Bartholomew (14:52):
Yeah, yeah, it was just a couple of years ago.
Lisa Danylchuk (14:54):
Yeah, yeah, it was 2023.
So he came in 2023 and got aticket to Western States which
is like a I don't know the oddsexactly like one in 1000 chance,
and and then he had a reallyhard race right.
It ended up being a really abig challenge and very emotional
, and there's a videodocumentary on YouTube about it
(15:16):
for anyone who hasn't seen it.
How does that whole experiencesitting with you now yeah.
Lucy Bartholomew (15:22):
Yeah, I think you know it's really cool what
that experience kind of openedup for, even for my dad, myself
and my family.
So dad had been trying to getinto this race for 10 years and
our whole family had kind ofgone through the process with
him.
Because every December whenthey draw the lottery, you know
(15:43):
it's kind of like, okay, if dadgets in for Christmas, I'm
getting him, you know, an icebandana or we're getting him
flights to America or like thisis how we're going to celebrate.
And then every year it was kindof like, ok, maybe we get him
some socks because he didn't getinto Western states, so how can
we like he would always bereally down and then he'd have
(16:04):
to look for that qualifying raceto redo.
And he started that process atage, you know, 50.
So it was kind of like 10 yearson, he's 62 when he raced, I'm
61, sorry.
And when he finally got drawn,you know me and my brothers
hadn't been together.
My brothers live in differentplaces for 10 years, pretty much
(16:26):
the whole time.
So we all came together inCalifornia and it was really
beautiful, because one of mybrothers, super not into running
, doesn't really understand thesport or what we do and this was
his first experience of like abig race and my other brother
kind of dabbles in the sport,and then obviously myself, who
has really strong ties to therace and thebles in the sport,
(16:46):
and then obviously myself whohas really strong ties to the
race and the place and thepeople, and so I got to bring my
family to what feels like mybig American family and a place
that feels like home.
But you know, long story shortis that dad, like the cutoff for
the race to be an officialfinisher is 30 hours and dad
finished in 30 hours and twominutes and he went off course.
(17:08):
Um, sometimes those flags thatwe follow are not there yeah and
uh, you know that's part of theprocess of trail running, you
know there's paths in alldirections, and he was tired in
the dark, fatigued, and it'sjust the way it unraveled.
But but I feel like speakingfor myself, I feel just immense
(17:29):
pride in what he kind of.
It was a really hard thingbecause I'd said to Solomon yeah
right, let's do this littlefilm.
Like old man gets into dreamrace, gets it done like clap,
clap, clap.
How incredible.
And then, as we were filming,they were kind of like oh, we
are like this is going to be astory that we're going to want
to tell.
(17:49):
And so, post race, it was kindof like cool, dad, can we just
like do an interview reallyquick?
And like can you process thisin real time with us while we
film it?
And he just took it on so welland he's not a person that wants
to be front of camera and hehad to, yeah, but I think it was
(18:09):
so therapeutic and it made himreally just like under remember
and remind.
I think he reminded me as wellas like it's not about the
finish time, it's not about thebuckle, it's not about you know,
we got tattoos in the endbecause he didn't get a buckle,
we got tattoos and we got this,uh, big panda and tiny dragon.
(18:32):
It's from this book and there'sa page in it that says what's
more important the journey orthe destination?
And uh, then it says thecompany, and I think that that's
something that we all needed tobe reminded, and I feel like
the sport also.
This whole thing blew up becausehe was my dad, everyone knew me
, everyone became like wasfollowing along on the live
(18:56):
stream of the race.
You know, there was just peoplejust streaming and screaming on
the track to get him to thefinish line, and I feel like
everyone needed to be reminded.
And dad became the spokespersonof like I don't care if you're
two minutes over, two hours over.
Yeah, you know, it's thebelieving and the trying and the
(19:17):
process and the family and thelike, all of that.
And you know he says now hewouldn't change a thing and that
wasn't like to see him evolveto that place.
I'm just like, so proud to behis daughter.
Lisa Danylchuk (19:31):
Yes, it's such a reminder that it's never about
the buckle, it's never about thetime on the clock, and I've
been there for Golden Hour somany years.
My daughter was like weeks oldand we brought her up for the
Saturday night and then wewatched golden hour that year on
the on this live stream.
So we were cheering for yourdad too.
We were there with you,watching you come down towards
(19:53):
the track.
We're like, yeah, and everyyear that I'm there and I see
the clock go past, or even ifI'm just watching, I see the
clock go past 30 and inevitablythere's people that come in.
Right, there was once someone,I think a blind runner, came in,
you know, a minute after.
Lucy Bartholomew (20:08):
Following year Yep.
Lisa Danylchuk (20:10):
And and for me as someone who has, who doesn't
care that much about time formyself running and who has, like
, had that experience of likebeing cut from a race when I'm
like, but I can do it, but I'mgood, and it's 30 seconds, like
if I hadn't stopped the time Ishoot, right, I just feel like,
why, why do we do this toourselves?
(20:31):
Like, why do we say official,unofficial?
And so I go on a little soapboxevery time with my partner,
whoever's there.
I'm just like why don't wecelebrate these people even more
?
Why don't they get the goldenbuckle?
Like and I know some races dolike a dead last finisher prize
pack or something like that, andI think, as a sport, ultra
running is better than than somany other sports at celebrating
(20:54):
the entire pack, right, thepeople coming in first, the
front of the pack, the middle ofthe pack, the back of the pack,
the people coming in last.
But I have such a hard time withthat Like, oh, 30 hours and two
minutes, sorry.
Like I just feel like thosepeople deserve such a dopamine
hit finishing, and there'ssomething about I didn't make it
(21:16):
Right, and so I think it's trueand it's great that you have
this visibility and your dadcould kind of be this
spokesperson for like it's not.
It's not about that.
Do you have any thoughts aboutwhat we do with that?
Like, because I get thatespecially with road races
there's a, or even with trailraces there's like a time that
you have permits on the courseand you can't be there forever
and you know you don't wantpeople to just be like oh, it's
(21:39):
fine, I've got time, I couldwalk it in from mile 50 to mile
a hundred.
Like there is something aboutthe structure and the urgency
that can motivate, but thenthere's these two minutes or
this one minute and I just feellike those people deserve so
much more somehow.
Do you have any thoughts aboutthat?
Lucy Bartholomew (21:56):
Yeah, I think it's super interesting because I
know that this year WesternStates, the first non-finisher
I'm saying this in quotationmarks actually gets an entry
back in to the next year.
So this is a new thing, so that30 seconds that two minute
person can be.
My dad was just like rolling inhis chair when he heard.
(22:19):
He was just like, oh, like, ifthat was me I just would have
loved that opportunity.
But I think there is a beautyin having a challenging time
limit because I think it reallythe pride that you feel when you
complete it within is immense.
I think that calling it like aDNF and putting it in kind of
(22:42):
like the same, you go onto thesame list as someone who stopped
at mile 10, you know, and it'skind of like well, I wouldn't
agree with that because that's avery different experience and a
very different.
So I think it's a reallychallenging thing.
There's a race in Australia thatwe have called Bogong to Hotham
and at the halfway pointthere's a very strict cutoff and
(23:06):
my dad the first time was like30 seconds over it.
They cut him off.
He drove around, saw me finishand then he was so determined
and he trained so hard to find30 seconds and you know, the
next year he came in a minuteunder and he kept going and he
finished the race and just tosee him in his own little race
(23:26):
was just really cool.
And I think that there'sdefinitely something.
And races like western states,it's a historical cutoff because
it's the time of the Tevis Cuphorse race cutoff, it's not some
random time that they're likeuh, the volunteer, like the race
director, wants to go home, youknow, um.
So I think there's good to havesome structure.
(23:48):
I think we could do better inlike the wording, and I think
that comes from people who findthemselves in that position to
speak about it in a positive way.
You know, when my dad had hisexperience, that people were
like offering him condolencesand I was like I'd rather you
offer him congratulations, likebecause he still did the race,
(24:12):
he did the course, he finishedup at Auburn Track, he ran to
Pulsar High, and so I think thatjust kind of like there's that
side of things, but that's, youknow it's a really challenging
topic that I don't think there'sa really easy answer to.
Lisa Danylchuk (24:28):
Yeah, I've always thought and I don't even
know if there are races that dothis on ultra signup or other
places that track but like a UFinstead of a DNF, like an
unofficial finish instead of adid not finish, I'm like DNF is
not accurate at that point.
Right Did not finish does notdescribe what happened.
They finished two minutes overthe cutoff, right Totally.
(24:49):
I feel like there are waysforward there and I'm hoping we
can do it in a way that isinclusive and, yeah, maybe still
motivating and challenging, butthat people aren't getting
condolences once they just ran ahundred miles right that
they're still getting great jobright, they're getting some of
that dopamine and some of thatencouragement.
It doesn't have to be a a sadparty totally, I yeah, so well
(25:12):
said there's also somethingabout that vulnerability, right
you said of your dad beingvideoed and interviewing.
There's something about sharinghard times that can be
difficult but people also reallyrelate to, I think yeah, I
think that was one of the.
Lucy Bartholomew (25:28):
I think it was one of the best things about
making the film was that youknow the whole events happened.
And then he did the interview.
Everyone went their separateways.
You know how these racesthey're huge, they matter, and
then suddenly everyone thecircus has moved out of town and
everyone's moved on to the nextrace that's coming up.
And then the film came out acouple of months later and dad
(25:50):
had to sit there and he watchedand I think, watching himself
and seeing what he looked likeand how I was and how the family
and everyone was responding andthe support that was around him
, I think his immediate responsewas thank goodness the world's
moved on, put it to bed, like,let's just like, don't give it
air, suffocate that feeling.
(26:12):
And instead he had to face itbecause I made him go to
premieres with me.
You know, solomon flew himaround a little bit to speak
before some films and answerquestions, and so it kind of you
know it just kept opening upthe box and that kind of you
know what do you call it whenyou're just like, constantly you
(26:37):
have to face it because you'reconstantly shown it and you just
that's your therapy way throughit.
I think that that was reallyhelpful for him and made him
realize that being vulnerableand caring a lot about something
is really cool and reallybeautiful.
And I still, you know, a coupleof years on, have people write
to me and say, like you know,your dad inspired me to start to
(27:00):
try that my non-finish is stilla finish, that there's so many
wins within the process ratherthan like the outcome.
And I'm like dad's not reallyon social media, doesn't see it,
probably doesn't hear it asmuch as I do, and I'm constantly
reminded of the people and theeffect he's had on the sport and
(27:21):
people's lives.
Lisa Danylchuk (27:22):
Yeah, I'm a trauma therapist by trade and I
just think how much this appliesto life and to the way we can
be really excited aboutsomething or on a Right, and a
lot of times when somethingtraumatic happens in our lives,
(27:48):
it's like that.
It's like, well, this was wrong, this was not part of the plan,
this is not supposed to happen.
It's not like, oh, this is ahard time, this is a tough hill.
I'm going to work my way up it.
It really is like a recordscratch moment where you're like
, oh, like things, things justwent south.
(28:10):
This was not the plan, and Ithink that's such a big part of
life, right, like everything'sgreat and I'm so excited and I'm
doing this, and then it getsreally hard, and then sometimes
it gets even more challengingand sometimes things go south
and like, what do we do withthat?
And what do we do if we don'thave the experience that we had
envisioned?
Or if it doesn't look that way,we don't have the experience
that we had envisioned, or if itdoesn't look that way, we don't
get the response from otherpeople that we were wanting all
(28:33):
of that, right, and so I thinkthat that process that he shares
and they share through the filmcaptures that.
I think what a lot of peoplejust feel in life of like, oh,
this wasn't supposed to happen,and then what do I do?
How do I work with it?
Lucy Bartholomew (28:47):
Yeah, and I think there's a saying that says
you know, in an ultra marathonyou live life in a day and you
know, I would dare to say welived a couple of lives out
there and aged a couple of yearsfor sure.
But yeah, I think that that'sso true and also think that you
know dad, and that experiencewas so powerful because of just
(29:15):
so many people could relate todifferent aspects of it.
You know, it was kind of likewhat I found challenging was
that I visualized his day.
You know, this is I wasn't theathlete in this situation, but I
was like, what can I control?
And like, all right, so if he'sdoing well, this is how I'll
pace him and crew him and pushhim through, and if he's on
(29:36):
cutoff time, this is how I'llpace him and this is how I'll
push him through.
And I don't know if he did anyvisualization around it, but I
never really visualized why, inthis whole situation, I hadn't
visualized and so I had noanswer to the real time
questions and experience that Iwas living.
(29:57):
And you can see it in the filmmy response is just to
completely unravel and justunleash tears.
And you know, because I'm ifthat was me at least, I'm in
control, I I'm the athlete I'mso used to being in that
position where it's kind of like, well, this is what I've got
myself into.
But to watch someone and to bekind of powerless was the most
(30:21):
challenging thing.
But I think that it's reallytaught me that going into my
races or going into experiences,there's a point of like okay,
this is like a bad day, mystomach's not good, okay.
But like what if you don't makethe finish line?
What if you know your story issimilar to other people's
(30:42):
stories that have happenedbefore and you don't want to
think about it.
But you should think about itbecause it's a potential and to
be prepared for that gives you apower.
I think that I kind of lacked,I felt in that situation, but
now I harness moving forward andthat's something that I take
away from an event that feelslike it was at the time super
(31:04):
traumatic and emotional.
And now I look back and I justsee beauty in it and so much
strength.
Lisa Danylchuk (31:10):
Yeah, there's a lot of strength in accepting
different outcomes right, andnot being so afraid of well, if
my stomach's off today and thisisn't my race, like that doesn't
define me.
I think there's a lot in sports, especially when we come up
from a young age, of feelingdefined by wins or losses and it
sounds like this contributed tothat for you of just like it's
(31:31):
okay, you know, if it goes thatway, it goes that way, but I'm
going to keep moving forward andproblem solving.
Lucy Bartholomew (31:37):
I think, just yeah, there's that kind of the
impermanence of everything isbeautiful and it's part of what
I love about the sport is thatevery step is different.
In trail running, you can feelon top of the world and then in
the pits, from moment to moment,kilometer to kilometer, and you
know, one of my greateststrengths is my unrelenting
(31:58):
optimism of like, maybe it willget better, maybe it won't, but
maybe it will, and I just wantto hang in there a little longer
and find out.
And I think that that's whatyou know.
Dad did that to the very end,and people that sign up for
ultra runners, for ultramarathons, are signing up for
that.
They need to have that in theirtool belt.
Lisa Danylchuk (32:17):
Yeah, I love that.
Put it on the back of a shirt.
Maybe it will get better.
Maybe not For the personrunning behind you, but maybe
not on the front.
Lucy Bartholomew (32:25):
So after they pass you.
Lisa Danylchuk (32:29):
You know right.
There's all those people you'reback and forth with on the
trail.
Lucy Bartholomew (32:33):
Yeah, I love that.
Lisa Danylchuk (32:35):
So what is a high moment on the trail?
Look and feel like for you,Like when the, when the optimism
is coming true.
What is that experience likefor you?
Lucy Bartholomew (32:44):
I think it's that feeling of low state that
you know we seek, but seeking itkind of takes it away from us.
So it's you never know thatyou're in it until you're out of
it.
It's where time passes and youknow you feel strong and
nutrition's blink and passthrough a day of many kilometers
.
Those are the moments that arejust like you know, wow, I'm
(33:13):
doing something, that I'vecrafted my body to be able to
find such comfort in doingsomething that is really
challenging, in a reallychallenging place, but I was
able to yet transcend all ofthat.
That's the high moments for me.
Lisa Danylchuk (33:29):
Yeah, I had my daughter a couple of years ago
and coming back has beenchallenging.
But there was a moment where Iwas running and my Garmin just
kept beeping off miles in thebackground and I was like, oh
another mile, oh another mile,and I was like that hasn't
happened at all, like in thosemoments where you're so immersed
.
It was the opposite of like, ohmy God, I only went point one.
(33:49):
What's happening next?
Oh, totally.
Lucy Bartholomew (34:00):
What does a low look and feel like for you?
What happens when you go tothat really dark place?
Yeah, oh man, it's when I'mdoing that watch check and I'm
just like you're telling me thatwas only like 30 seconds
between my last watch check, youknow, that felt like an hour, I
think.
When I I mean in those lowmoments I'm just looking for
distractions, I'm looking at,trying to watch, like the
(34:20):
numbers tick up or down or Istart doing really bad math just
to distract myself, and it'salways negative.
It's always really bad mathjust to distract myself, and
it's always negative.
It's always.
If I keep this slow, terriblepace up for the next hundred
miles, I'm going to be out heretill Tuesday morning.
You know they're going to be,you know and and um, yeah, I,
I'm not someone who is normallya numbers driven person and I
(34:42):
know that I'm starting to spiralif I start playing with numbers
out there.
So it's always my two thingsthat I always remain to tell
myself is I have control of myeffort and my attitude, and
those are my pillars of mycrutches when I'm out there.
I'm like effort to eat, to moveforward, to look after yourself
(35:03):
, attitude to just not use thoseenergy exhausting emotions of
anger, frustration, sadness, butjust a really calm, you know,
confident and just kind oftrying to protect that energy
and use that for moving forward.
So I kind of use those in thoselow moments to try and yank
(35:25):
myself out of it.
Lisa Danylchuk (35:27):
Do you ever go to that Like why, why did I do
this, why am I here, why do I dothis sport?
Lucy Bartholomew (35:34):
Oh yeah, I think I do that at least once a
week.
I'm checking in on my, on mywhy, which I think is really
good.
You know, I think we're doingsomething that's really
challenging.
It's normal for us to put somequestion marks and then I feel
like you find the answer whenyou finish that hard run,
thinking that you didn't thinkyou could do, and you come out
the other side and you're likeman, if I didn't think I could
(35:56):
do that, but I did it.
Imagine what else I'm putting aceiling on myself for.
Lisa Danylchuk (36:01):
Yes, yeah, that's the best part where
you're like I actually could dothat.
What else can I do?
Totally, I mean, that's howultra running started for me.
It started with a half marathon.
I was like I don't think I cando that, like I've been running
my whole life just for fun.
I never wear a watch.
I don't know how far I go, Idon't know any stats, but like,
oh, 13 miles is far, right.
And then, like I'm on my way tothe race and I'm like maybe I
(36:21):
could do a 50k, maybe, right,like I feel like that that's a
form of optimism and sort ofhope and reinforcement that can
come from that.
It's like, well, I, maybe I cando these really hard things and
maybe they can even be fun.
Lucy Bartholomew (36:39):
Like, even though there might be those
moments, the lows, like you getthrough them and they're not the
whole story yeah, and I thinkit's like when I I go to schools
and I talk to kids and I'm like, yeah, I run a hundred Ks or a
hundred miles, and they have theimage and memory of their
school cross country that was aweek ago where they're red in
(37:01):
the face, tasting copper fromrunning so hard, and I'm like,
no, no, no, no, it doesn't looklike that.
Like you know, it's a very slowburn, it's a long time, it's a
up and down trails and you'reducking and diving and stopping
and peeing and vomiting and no,like re-emerging and coming back
(37:21):
and you know, it's kind of.
I think that people just like,when you sign up for that half
marathon, you finish that and amarathon is not just double that
.
There is something that goes onin that time, in that space
where you step over what youhave done before and going into
new territory, where it's like,so, not about the fitness and
(37:44):
it's not about being fast, it'sjust about being like, strong
minded, confident and strongbodied and strong in your
character, I think, and youstart to learn about those
things.
The further you go and you know, the more that you start to
care and to try and to yeah, tobring out your best, and to try
and show up on a race day ishard.
Lisa Danylchuk (38:06):
Yeah, In those hard moments it sounds like the
optimism and sort of checkingyour attitude and checking in
with yourself is helpful.
Are there any other go-tothings for you when you're like,
okay, this is one of those hardmoments that you turn to?
Lucy Bartholomew (38:24):
Yeah, I think for me, those moments I
generally need to eat something.
What I have found is that I amusually on starting to bonk.
If I start to get like a poorattitude, it's because I'm
probably hangry and I thinkthat's probably the first thing
I reach for is put some food in,walk and moan as much as you
(38:48):
want, but you might as well walk, moan and eat.
So I think that that's probablylike my biggest tip to anybody
is like sometimes you've justgot to get some calories in and
it can really flick a switch inyou and completely change
everything.
So that's my, that's probablymy number one.
Lisa Danylchuk (39:08):
A hundred percent.
You know, I feel like I learnedthat in my bones through ultra
running too.
Where it's like you, this wholeworld can start being created
in your mind, right when you'relike everything is awful and
this is terrible and this sucks.
And only 10 seconds have passedand then I'll put like a fruit
punch you know, chump block inmy mouth and be like it's fine,
(39:30):
everything's great.
This is wow To watch thattransformation.
It's not always thatstraightforward, but it has been
at times and I take that.
I take that off the trail andinto my life where I'm like
everything sucks and I'm likedid I eat?
And I do this with clients too.
I mean, I've been having thatawareness with clients for years
, where they're coming in andeverything sucks.
I'm like what have you eatentoday?
(39:50):
And they stop and they thinkand they're like coffee.
I'm like it's 2 PM go down andget a sandwich and then let's
keep talking.
Otherwise we're just likewasting your therapy time on
your hangriness.
Lucy Bartholomew (40:03):
Like no, I'm very much related to that.
I feel like I learned it inrunning and I've applied it to
my every day as well, eventraveling here to France.
I was just irritable and so,over the whole process, and then
I was just like sometimes it'snot even like just eating the
right, like something that islike the right thing, you know,
(40:24):
it's just like I don't want toeat like a salad, I don't want,
I just want a fat slab ofchocolate cake, you know.
And I got to Singapore airportand I was just over the whole
trip, was not even halfwaythrough the whole thing from
Australia, and I just sat downat a cafe, had a chai tea and
(40:46):
chocolate cake and I was like,okay, I can do this.
Lisa Danylchuk (40:49):
I got this, I got this, I got this Right and
put that intuition, too, ofknowing what you need right.
It's like, yeah, I need somecalories in, but there's also
some, just like sniffing it out,that looks good.
That's going to help.
Let's go with that.
Lucy Bartholomew (41:01):
Oh yeah, I did a whole lap of the airport, of
the airport, sussing out myoptions, and then lead with my
gut no, no, that's the way to go.
Lisa Danylchuk (41:09):
I mean, you learn that on the trail too,
like if you're just eating whatyou think you should.
It's not going to go as well asif you eat like that thing
right there.
I mean the most random thing.
Sometimes I'm just like I don'tknow why, but that Nutella
wrapped in the tortilla withNutella on it, like that does
not talk to me right now, eventhough I love Nutella.
So it's an race.
You're just like bring it, giveme three more, taking them to
go yeah, I know this feeling soare there other lessons that you
(41:34):
feel like apply off the trail?
I mean, I feel like we probablycould just go on with that
forever, but there's, you know,life is hard, just like trail
running is hard, and we're allhere doing our best.
Are there things that recently,or just in life in general, you
feel like, okay, trail runninghas really helped me get through
other difficulties?
Lucy Bartholomew (41:55):
I think what ultra running and trail running
has really nailed into me andtaught me is that kind of the
distances and the sport is sochallenging and when you look at
it as a whole it's veryoverwhelming.
But when you break it up intokind of that bite-sized
checkpoint to checkpoint,kilometer to kilometer, climb by
(42:16):
climb, you can really start tofind little wins along the way
and very bite-sized things.
And that's something that Itake to, yeah, my every day.
You know, I'm definitely a listrider and they're like my
little checkpoints of my day,the things that I want to
achieve, and I feel like they'relittle wins every time.
And even like the travel, itwas kind of like all right, we
(42:36):
get to Singapore, then we get toLondon, then we get to Geneva,
then we get to Chamonix.
You know like we're in theselittle races, little things,
little moments of the race thatI feel like I can wrap my head
around, because the wholejourney in itself feels really
challenging.
Um, you know, I'm in France totrain for the UTMB, which is 170
(42:57):
kilometers, just over a hundredmiles, with 10,000 meters,
33,000 feet, whatever, and I runI've been running some sections
of the course and I'm just likeman, this little bit feels hard
.
Imagine this in the start orthe middle of the end of this
race.
And I think just rememberingthat like this is a.
(43:20):
It's a small moment in time,it's a small portion of the
course, but you know, it'samazing because every time I've
come here I felt the same way.
And then, come race day, I'vestitched it together and there's
been those flow moments andthose low moments.
But it's just incredible whatyou can do when you're just like
I'm just going to lean in, likeI'm in it and, like you say, my
(43:42):
job for the day is to walk orrun or crawl to eat, to drink.
You know, like what a gift thatmy Friday, saturday,
potentially Sunday, is.
That and this is something thatyou know running adds to my
life.
It doesn't take away from it,it's not.
I'm not doing it to just tocompletely, like, destroy myself
(44:04):
.
I'm doing it to build myself up.
And and yeah, I think that justremembering that and running
continually teaches me thatevery training run, every race
has taught me that and then itjust kind of gives me the
ability to apply that to myeveryday lived life.
Lisa Danylchuk (44:22):
Yeah, so much respect for UTMB.
I did ETC last year and I waslike oh, oh, like that, it's
like it's the shortest race,right, I don't remember it's
like 15 K or something, not 170.
And I was like up, that's likeup, up, up, up and then down,
down, down, down.
I feel like UTMB is just a lotof that.
Lucy Bartholomew (44:41):
It's just a lot of up and down and so much
beauty and so much amazingness,but really hard beauty and so
much amazingness, but reallyhard, like yeah, yeah, it's a
super challenging race and it'sa real journey.
I saw my dad do it in 2014 andhe took.
He was out there for 43 hoursand I was crewing him and felt
exhausted.
(45:01):
I just couldn't believe that hehad.
He was running that race andyou know, this is my third time
returning and I just am in lovewith the journey around the Mont
Blanc.
It's just something that is sospectacular, it's beautiful,
it's brutal, it breaks you downand builds you up and takes you
(45:26):
to these amazing places andshoots you up super quick and
then brings you down into theselittle towns full of very
enthusiastic spectators anddelicious food.
Um, you know, speaking of likehaving food, like in Courmayeur,
which is in Italy, in the race,I always have my crew have a
margarita pizza, because I'mlike that is my, it just fills
any hole or deficit of caloriesand fuel that I need.
(45:50):
And I hike up the next climblike just with a rolled up few
slices of pizza and I'm likethis is the sport for me, man.
Lisa Danylchuk (45:58):
Like I'm in the right place.
That sounds like heaven.
That sounds amazing.
Well, we'll be there.
My whole family will be therecheering my parents, my daughter
, my partner.
So we will be cheering for youon the course with so much love.
So, oh, it'd be so cool to seeyou out there.
Lucy Bartholomew (46:18):
I happen to have a margarita pizza, I'll
toss it.
Lisa Danylchuk (46:22):
So what would you say to somebody listening
who's like not a runner, andit's like these people are nuts.
This sounds crazy, like maybethere's something else in their
life that that is their running.
But what would you say tosomeone who just feels like, oh,
this is not even an option.
This stuff feels so hard.
Lucy Bartholomew (46:38):
Any moments or thoughts of inspiration yeah, I
think, for the running specificside of things, I think start
with where you're at.
You know you're hearing us talkabout full marathons or 100Ks
or 100 miles and that doesn'tneed to be your starting point
and it shouldn't be yourstarting point.
We all started with that runwalk.
(47:00):
You know, I was the schoolcross country and then it was
kind of like doing a 50K, a 100Kand it's been a 12-year journey
.
So I think people, I think feela lot of pressure to like leap
to that ultra category becausethe ultra is the new marathon
and the marathon is now like youknow, it's not even enough for
people.
(47:21):
So I think that, and justrealizing that there's no pace
or distance or way that you needto look to do the sport, for it
to be the sport for you, youmake it look, feel at whatever
pace you want it to, and then Ithink, for just every day,
outside of running and goals, Ireally believe that just because
(47:44):
you don't see it doesn't meanthat you don't believe that it's
not possible.
You know, when I was younger andthere was no one doing this as
a profession, I was just doingwhat made me happy and brought
me a lot of joy.
I never ran to become somethingI wasn't doing it to be noticed
by Solomon, and then to make myjob and to be where I am, and
(48:07):
there's a beauty in that.
And I think if you have a goalor a dream or something that you
want to achieve, sometimes youmight have to be the one to
tread the new trail, and that'sa really cool thing.
It's a really hard thing, butthere's nothing more beautiful
than trying to pave that pathand to be the one that cuts the
vines and, you know, mows thegrass for other people to follow
(48:31):
in your footsteps in the future.
So I think taking that roadless trodden is always my piece
of advice, because if you don'ttry, you'll never know.
Lisa Danylchuk (48:42):
I love it.
I love it so much, I feel it.
Is there anything you want toshare that's coming next for you
?
I know you just started acoffee collaboration.
Lucy Bartholomew (48:51):
Yeah.
So I did a collaboration with acoffee company back in
Australia called Two Roads.
We just had a cold brew canwith some cordyceps mushrooms,
which is a big favorite of mine.
But otherwise I'm here inFrance for the next weeks before
UTMB.
I'm very excited I have mybrother and his wife coming out
to crew me.
I've thrown dad the bone of it.
(49:15):
Could be cool if he made thetrip out as well.
We've just got to look afterthe dog Tani, get her to go on
school camp or sleep over withsomeone else, but it could be
really cool.
So, yeah, that's kind of likemy North Star at the moment is
preparing for that race and toput all these things that I've
learned and all these motivatingexperiences that I've had from
(49:37):
the people I'm around and makethem proud out there.
Lisa Danylchuk (49:40):
Yeah, I always like to close by asking what
brings people hope, but I'm alsocurious what brings you joy?
Lucy Bartholomew (49:47):
Oh, I feel like what brings me hope and joy
is sport.
You know, I think, watching theTour de France that's on, and
seeing the passion that peoplehave and the you know, sometimes
it's not always the prettiest,but I just love what sport does
and what it brings together.
And being in Chamonix, you know, one of the sportiest capitals,
and everyone's riding bikes andgot climbing ropes and I just
(50:11):
feel like it gives me a lot ofhope in humanity and the future.
Seeing these kids out on themountains just running up and
down the trails with complete,sheer joy and I, yeah, I think
that that brings me a lot of joy.
So I'd say sport is the answerto me.
Lisa Danylchuk (50:27):
Yes, I love it.
It makes me think about mydaughter at the kids race.
Lucy Bartholomew (50:31):
Yeah, yeah, that brings, me joy.
Lisa Danylchuk (50:34):
I have the here for the women's race shirt that
I will be wearing in French andGermany, but I also want to hear
for the kids race shirt becausethose are so fun.
Lucy Bartholomew (50:42):
Oh, I didn't know there was one, that's it.
Lisa Danylchuk (50:44):
No, I want to make one, I want to make one.
I know I told her, and Malcolmtoo, I was like I want to make a
hair for the kids race shirt.
She's like do it, like, okay,maybe, maybe I can get that
together before the race.
Lucy Bartholomew (50:56):
Oh yeah, Get me I'll, I will be your first
order.
Oh nice.
Lisa Danylchuk (51:00):
I love it.
I love it.
Well, thank you so much forcoming on the show.
It's been such a pleasure totalk to you.
I'm really looking forward tocheering for you in your race
and to sharing this with otherfolks.
If people want to follow you,where's the best place?
Lucy Bartholomew (51:14):
The best place to follow me would be Instagram
.
So it's Lucy underscoreBartholomew.
I'm on Facebook, but it'spretty much just a copy and
paste of Instagram.
There's nothing new going onthere, but, yeah, I'm always a
message away if anyone needs toreach out or wants anything.
In particular, I always all isto help anybody out Awesome and
(51:36):
you offer coaching too.
Lisa Danylchuk (51:37):
Are you still doing that?
Lucy Bartholomew (51:39):
I am.
I have a very small amount ofpeople and it's been pretty full
for a long time.
So I kind of yeah, I wouldn'tsay I'm open for coaching.
Okay.
Lisa Danylchuk (51:47):
Yeah, good to know.
Thanks again, coaching.
Okay, yeah, good to know.
Thanks again, lucy.
Thanks, lisa.
Thank you so much for listening.
Now I'd really love to hearfrom you what resonated with you
in this episode and what's onyour mind and in your heart as
we bring this conversation to aclose.
Email me at info, at how we canhealcom, or share your answers
(52:11):
and what's been healing for youin the comments on Instagram,
where you'll find me at how wecan heal.
Don't forget to go to how wecan healcom to sign up for email
updates as well.
You'll also find additionaltrainings, tons of free
resources and the fulltranscript of each and every
show.
If you love the show, pleaseleave us a review on Apple,
(52:33):
spotify, audible or wherever.
You're listening to thispodcast right now.
If you're watching on YouTube,be sure to like and subscribe
and keep sharing the shows youlove the most with all your
friends.
Visit howwecanhealcom forwardslash podcast to share your
thoughts and ideas for the show.
I always, always, love hearingfrom you.
(52:53):
Before we wrap up for today, Iwant to be super clear that this
podcast isn't offeringprescriptions.
It's not advice, nor is it anykind of mental health treatment
or diagnosis.
Your decisions are in yourhands and I encourage you to
consult with any healthcareprofessionals you may need to
support you through your uniquepath of healing.
(53:15):
In addition, everyone's opinionhere is their own and opinions
can change.
Guests share their thoughts,not that of the host or sponsors
.
I'd like to thank our gueststoday and everyone who helped
support this podcast, directlyand indirectly.
Alex, thanks for taking care ofthe babe and taking the fur
(53:35):
babies out while I record.
Last and never least, I'd liketo give a special shout out to
my big brother, matt, who passedaway in 2002.
He wrote this music and itmakes my heart so very happy to
share it with you here.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.