I Could Never Do That

Let me provide give a couple of headlines from the past two years of today's guest, Emily Ballenger.

Shock pains in her face, the Berlin Marathon, pregnancy, miscarriage, another pregnancy, the selling of a business, a brain tumor, a birth, massive brain surgery, the London marathon, and the completion of the Six World Marathon Majors.

These events would throw anyone off balance (literally ...

It’s no secret that girls – and women – haven’t traditionally had role models for adventure seeking and exploration as we age. Even as young girls, we’re taught to "be careful" while boys are taught to "be strong and brave." It's maddening. 

Author Caroline Paul, a longtime adventurer, started to notice the massive decline in the number of women she would see when she would go out paddle boarding, skateboarding, or surfing. In her ...

My guest today encountered a personal (and all-too-common) dilemma after she had her son eight years ago. As someone who worked full-time in corporate or tech jobs for most of her career, Jill Jacobs was anxious to get back to work after giving birth.

Not only did she love working, but as she says today, she needed to get back to work to support her home, lifestyle, and new baby’s needs.

Qu...

Kim Murphy was born and raised on a farm in Texarkana, Texas- about as ordinary an upbringing as you can have.

After losing her father to Alzheimer's in 2018, she underwent a massive health and lifestyle change, which led to a complete career change, a booming online coaching business, and a brand new book called, Plant Powered: How to Prevent or Reverse Chronic Diseases, Lose Weight, and Feel Great with the Power of Whole Plants.

...

You’re not strong enough, fast enough, skinny enough…You’ll be last…Don’t bother…Ugh.

This is the we would NEVER say to our closest friends and, yet, for most of us, it’s the hideous soundtrack of our lives.

Today's guest is licensed clinical social worker, Pat Spencer who runs both a clinical therapy practice as well as a mental skills coaching business for athletes called, Getting Your Mi...

Being a female in a male dominant space may be rare, but Shannon O'Grady handles it like a boss because, as COO and Chief Product Officer at Gnarly Nutrition, she IS one of the bosses. 

As CPO, it is her science and research that are the brains behind every new product development at this company.

When Shannon was just a teenager, she had to give up her early passion for running because of ...

If you have ever dreamed of being a rock-n-roll star, this episode is gonna light you up.

Annie Davis decided, in her mid-40s, that she wanted to become a musician. So, in the middle of the pandemic, she began taking lessons and taught herself how to play drums and guitar from scratch.

Music has always been in her DNA. As a kid, she immersed herself in it both personally and educationally. Her instrument at the time was the trumpet...

If you think you could never come up with a different concept for running shoes, well then let me introduce you to the minds behind the latest shoe on the walls of local retailers, Vimazi Shoes.

Vimazi is the first-ever pace-tuned shoe, designed for energy, or as they say on their website, “Goldilocks cushioning and an ultra-efficient push-off.”

Founders, Scott Tucker and Jo...

Adina O'Neill is a fitness coach and motivator. 

This former accountant and teacher found her passion in endurance sports and coaching when she realized that so many were coming to her for advice and inspiration. 

Team B-REAL, is a roster of endurance athletes where every BODY is accepted.

She is motivational and inspiring, but her own side passion is what made me go, "Oh, I could NEVER do that!"

Ginna Hoben was born to be a performer. 

Ginna and I went to high school together and bonded over the very cool subculture of musical theater. Of course, she gracefully danced her way through Oklahoma while I stood in the background as an awkward chorus girl in a prairie dress singing “Surrey the Fringe On Top.”

We went on to do several plays together and the one thing (of many) we had in common?!? We bo...

Hugh Gaither, founder and former CEO of the sock brand, Feetures shares his origin story of growing up in the hosiery business to making the transition to one of the most recognizable sock companies in the athletic space. 

• What prompted this decision to enter an entirely new market?
• What strengths did he have to launch a new company in a brand new category?
• Where did they get the name of the company? 
• Where did he start with t...

This episode is so much fun! How can it not be when you’re interviewing the partners of “Team Adorkable” — the zany Swimrun duo of Amy Bush and Trista Mennen?!

I’ve known Amy for a long time and she’s always doing something epic from 100 milers, Ironmans, Ultramans, etc…she’s always an inspiration, but recently, I’ve seen her kicking it up and, together with Trista, going off the deep end (pun intended) ...

On June 15th, one of my longest and dearest friends, Lisa Diamond, suffered a stroke at age 48. No warning signs, no acute trauma, not even a hint that this would happen when it did. 

Today, for the first time, Lisa gives us a play-by-play of what happened in those moments — an hour and 43 minutes to be exact from the time she had the stroke to the time they wheeled her out of the OR into recovery from e...

Well, if there was ever an “I Could Never,” this one might be it. My guest today, Raymond (@the Noodnick) is a master of what is known as artistic calisthenics - which is basically some crazy combination of pure strength, gymnastics, core work, and cirque du Soleil all done with the grace of a ballet dancer.

He literally defies gravity and anyone that specializes in something called “The Human Flagpole” ...

FKT - It’s an acronym that stands for “Fastest Known Time” and if you’re completely unfamiliar with this concept, there is an official website, fastestknowntime.com, where you’ll find hundreds, if not thousands, of routes around the world where people have submitted their times to get that coveted spot of having the FKT - the Fastest Known Time. 

About a year ago, my guests were searching for new adventu...

As Robine Bots says, "she may have lost her mind, but she found her soul."

Robine is the founder of Harmony Farm Sanctuary, a little slice of heaven for humans and animals nestled on about 10 acres of land between Bend and Sisters, Oregon.

What started out as one pet pig for her daughter (Pig Floyd!) has morphed into a forever home for over 145 beautiful souls including pigs, horses, donkey...

Matt Whitcomb is the head coach for the US Cross Country Ski Team, where he’s coached at the past three Winter Olympic games.

Even if you don’t know much about competitive cross-country skiing, you understand the value of a good coach and mentor when it comes to achieving anything in life, whether it’s athletically motivated or not. 

Today, we focus a lot on the ingredients in developing a world-class athlete. Is it the number of h...

Here are just a few athletic accomplishments from today's guest Deanna McCurdy:

Six national championships, Four Pan-Am championships, 5th overall at ITU Cross Worlds, she’s finished as the top American female and 4th overall twice at the XTERRA World Championships. USA Triathlon awarded her Off-road Triathlete of the Year honors in 2017, 2018, and 2021.  In 2019, she competed as a Pro (at age 45), placi...

Ashley Brush was born and raised in a strict, religious upbringing and, by her early 20s, she was married, with a young son, and was also a stepmother to two other children.

At this time, because she was playing by a strict set of rules,  she says she had no idea who she really was because she was so young and never gave herself an opportunity to find out.

Resentment and depression were the...