Jay Ell Alexander wants to squash the notion that Black women don’t run. She herself recalls a time when she was the only Black female running with her training team, as a recent college graduate who wanted to incorporate more physical activity into her routine and get healthier. Today, she’s the CEO and owner of Black Girls Run , an organization that encourages and motivates women to get active and make a change in some tough statistics (as listed on their website), including that about four ou...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 118
In April I was in a really bad place. Emotionally and physically. On the 10th of that month, I shared a story on Instagram about going into my kitchen 14 different times in one day. I was using food to cope with my problems, and I wasn't feeling good. I wrote about it some for SHAPE . Stepping on the scale was the final straw, reminding me of a difficult college #hurdlemoment , and thus began a lot of inner work trying to get to a better place. Journaling. Talking. Therapy. Strengthening. Less j...
Jun 19, 2020•14 min
There's a whole lot going on right now. On top of the global pandemic and the fight for racial justice, there's also the everyday hardships that go hand-in-hand with your "regular" routine. It's not easy to have difficult talks with your friends, family members, coworkers, and (especially) complete strangers. But, if there's one thing I do know, it's that a hard discussion is always worth having. So, today for #hurdlemoment I'm offering up six steps to opening and executing tough dialogues. Keep...
Jun 17, 2020•15 min
Kerri Walsh Jennings is probably one of the best female athletes of all time. Bold statement, I know, but I grew up watching this beach volleyball player dominate year after year. As 5-time Olympian, Walsh Jennings has come back time and time again, showcasing her tenacity and strength not only in her sport — but as a human. In episode 117, I chat with Walsh Jennings about her journey, growing up in Santa Clara, California, and going on to play a number of sports before settling on volleyball in...
Jun 15, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 117
#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in November 2019. Spoiler alert: This Is one of my favorite live episodes to date. When Charlie Dark ( @daddydarkrdc ) started running, he was in a bad place. Dropped by his record label, the DJ and poet was teaching a poetry and creative writing class in east London and had recentl...
Jun 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 115
#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in June 2019. If you ask George Foreman III what it’s like to grow up with a two-time heavyweight champion as a dad, he’s pretty humble about it—because that’s all he’s ever known. Graduating with a degree in business administration from Rice University, Foreman went on to preside o...
Jun 11, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 115
#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in February of this year. There's nothing easy about the long road to Tokyo for “400M Diva” Natasha Hastings. A two-time Olympian and gold medalist, the sprinter recently celebrated another major, magical milestone: Becoming a mom. For today's episode, I sat down with Natasha at the...
Jun 10, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 114
#REPOST: This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. Today's episode was originally recorded in December of 2019. I could listen to Knox Robinson (better known to his 28K+ IG followers as @firstrun) talk for a while, which is no wonder why this is my longest Hurdle to date. The Brooklyn resident writer and runner has his fair share of how-did-that-even-happen stories, from ...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 113
#REPOST: Showcasing guests of all races and backgrounds has always been important to me as a creator. I value every single person that gives me their time and energy, from the individuals I sit down with to the listeners tuning in on the regular. This week on Hurdle, I’m reposting five back-to-back episodes featuring Black guests, hoping to amplify their voices and continue my commitment of being a better ally. First up, my conversation with Ally Love, originally recorded in September 2019. To d...
Jun 08, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 112
Aliphine Tuliamuk almost quit running in 2014. Fast forward about 6 years, and in February 2020, she made the U.S. Olympic team. Coming in first place at the Olympic marathon trials in Atlanta, she broke the tape with an outstanding time of 2:27:23. In episode 111, we chat about everything from her upbringing in rural Kenya, running to and from school (as well as just about everywhere else), and her uncle’s suggestion that she come to the United States and go to university on an athletic scholar...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 111
My 32nd birthday’s next week. With June 2 on the horizon, I’ve been doing a decent amount of reflection. I’ve stopped to think about the past 365 days. I’ve thought about my hopes for the next 365 days. I’ve reflected on all of my years as a whole. The other day I was standing in my bathroom, when I had a really unexpected, emotional moment thinking about where I'm at in my life. In today's episode, I chat about flipping the script, and instead of focusing on the things I don't have, thinking ab...
May 29, 2020•11 min
It’s no secret that I’m a morning person. If you follow me on social media, then you know I’m typically up with the sun. But my morning routine has definitely changed since we’ve been in quarantine, and this experimentation has actually done me a world of good. This week for #HURDLEMOMENT, I’m talking you through the four things I’m doing differently right now that actually make me better and more productive as the day goes on. SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Sel...
May 27, 2020•11 min
Matt Taylor is super passionate about the sport of running, and TBH — it makes me pretty giddy. For episode 110, I chat with the Tracksmith CEO & founder about how he got to where he is today. He tells me about his aspirations of running professionally after growing up in Pittsburgh, running cross country in high school and then at collegiate level at Yale. He tells me that his times just weren’t cutting it, and that he pivoted to a few different jobs in the sports industry at places like IM...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 110
This week for 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, I'm sharing a story about a really special summer. Back in 2008, I was about halfway through my weight loss journey and about to embark on a new job as a programming director at a summer camp in Madison, Conn. Before I pulled up to 463 Summer Hill Road, I stopped to make a purchase that would change my life. The best part? It only cost me $45. PROMPT: How have you invested in yourself recently? SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Episode On...
May 22, 2020•13 min
First and foremost: Fast is interpretive. When I started running back in college, I was running a half-mile in 14 minutes, trying to learn to love a sport that I was "never good at." Fast forward to now: I’ve run a 6:04 mile, a 1:44:39 half-marathon, and a 3:28:08 full. In today’s #HURDLEMOMENT, I’m sharing strategies on how to become a faster runner. From incorporating speed work into your regular running routine to finding the right gear to help you find your fast, these are all tips and trick...
May 20, 2020•18 min
Ready for a #TBT on a Monday? Today’s episode is with Lo Bosworth. Today she’s the CEO and founder of Love Wellness, but many of you may associate her with MTV classics like Laguna Beach or The Hills. In episode 109, we talk about everything from what life was like back then — dealing with some of the struggles that went along with being a college freshman and simultaneously on a hit TV show — to her decision to up and move to New York City post-college to feed her entrepreneurship bug. Lo takes...
May 18, 2020•59 min•Season 2Ep. 109
For the past couple years, I’ve been running with other journalists and members of the media on Thursday mornings out of Nike’s New York headquarters. When the coronavirus pandemic struck, the #mediamiles group was put on hold. But as May approached, we were presented with the challenge of logging 50 miles solo (and of course, at a safe social distance) on the Nike Run Club app. At first, dealing with injury, I felt scared. I was worried about not doing it to the "best of my ability," and missin...
May 15, 2020•12 min
It's been about two months of social distancing and face mask wearing, and TBH — this time in quarantine has been filled with a lot of lessons. For #hurdlemoment today, I'm giving you a *me* update: How I'm doing, what I'm doing, where my head's at, and being honest with some of the hurdles I'm facing as the days tick by. My feelings on the absence of physical touch, my thoughts on what life will be like in the post-COVID 19 era, how I'm taking care of my body, and my best advice to anyone else ...
May 13, 2020•19 min
There is no better way to describe Rich Froning than a CrossFit legend, even though he gives me some flack for using that term in today’s episode. Whether or not you’re a CrossFit fan, there’s no denying that the sport takes some outrageous athleticism, grit, strength, smarts — and Rich has all of that. He won the CrossFit Games, which is the sport’s annual test to find the “Fittest on Earth,” in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 as an individual, and then came back on the team side to take first place...
May 11, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 108
In college, I was in a serious relationship with someone In the army who deployed to Afghanistan. During that relationship, I started writing letters on flights home. Wherever I would travel, whether it was for work or personal, my self-imposed rule was that I would write my significant other a little something on the trip back to New York. The relationship didn’t last, but the practice did. Now, to this day, whenever I’m on a plane — I take the time to write someone a letter. A friend, a love i...
May 08, 2020•10 min
Have you ever been tired of your own BS? Yeah, I got there a couple weeks ago, prompting this special installment of #HURDLEMOMENT. Today, I’m chatting you through my simple strategies on how to stop making excuses and then, go after what you want. It may not feel easy, and perhaps it isn’t, but that doesn’t mean you’re not capable of making a change. I chat about where excuses come from in the first place, and how to brave that #hurdlemoment and get past the tipping point. Also: Setting SMART g...
May 06, 2020•15 min
There’s no debating: Ash Wilking is a force. Today, she’s inspiring so many as a Rumble instructor and Nike trainer, but in episode 107, we talk about her humble beginnings. Movement has always been her medicine, helping her work through a slew of hurdles from a young age — from the loss of her sister at age 12 to — years later — disordered eating in college. Ash talks to me about her involvement in the pageant system and the influence that has had over her life, and we also chat about her big m...
May 04, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 107
This week I’m sharing one of my favorite NYC stories (and reflecting on a time when riding the subway was something I did regularly. You may have a tough time believing this one, involving a man and I exchanging glances in the subway and "re-connecting" in a super unexpected way. PROMPT: What is one connection you’re super grateful for right now? SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Amanda Kloots on Instagram @amandakloots Amanda Kloots Go Fund Me Nick Dio on Born or Made...
May 01, 2020•8 min
Last week I was laying in bed thinking about how lucky I feel to have such an outrageous community, and I realized that some of the Hurdlers may not be entirely familiar with my story. So, this week for #TBT I'm re-releasing episode 1 (!!), where I detail my personal #hurdlemoment, how I lost weight in my teen years, and grew to love running. It's a little scary, to be honest, revisiting something I recorded over 2 years ago. But, I'm feeling nostalgic and really humbled this week when I think a...
Apr 30, 2020•25 min•Season 2Ep. 106
Change is hard. Right now, we're dealing with a lot of it. A great way to boost your mood and handle tough stuff? Work out! Not exactly the easiest thing when you may not have a lot of space and you're struggling to find the motivation. Today, I'm talking you through the approach to at-home workouts that's working for me, and offering you some best-practice tips that can make the whole thing a lot more enjoyable. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @ emilyabbate...
Apr 29, 2020•14 min
From a young age, Eric Glader had the entrepreneurship bug. Today, he’s the co-founder and CEO of PowerDot, a connected muscle stimulator that you can operate at home to relieve pain, recover faster, and build muscle. For me, it’s been a piece to my full-body recovery puzzle for a while, up there with my Normatec boots and Theragun — both founders have also been on the show. In episode 105, we dive into what electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) really is. Glader also shares the biggest lessons he...
Apr 27, 2020•55 min•Season 2Ep. 105
If you’re doing this whole quarantine thing solo, you think you want company — until that company is a mouse. For 5-Minute Friday this week, I’m telling you the story about my run-in with an unwanted four-legged guest, and the important reminder it gave me about letting go of the things I can’t control. PROMPT : What is something, aside from this pandemic, that you have zero control over that you need to let go of? What is giving you stress that you could release? What is your “mouse,” per say? ...
Apr 24, 2020•8 min
Injuries. They suck . Sometimes, it's hard to look past the this-is-so-not-what-I-want feeling of the now, past this hiccup, and think about what's next. Well, today for #HURDLEMOMENT, I've got your back. It's pep talk time. Today, I'm popping into your feed to give you a perhaps -necessary kick in the butt, get out of your own way, and motivate you to keep your chin up. I've been getting more messages than ever asking about how to cope with injury setbacks. Take this as your necessary reminder ...
Apr 22, 2020•11 min
The should-be day for the 2020 Boston Marathon, the perfect time to release my conversation with pro runner, two-time Olympian, and 2018 Boston champ, Des Linden. These days, she’s without a doubt leading the charge in American women’s distance running, and in episode 104 we talk about how she got there. Growing up in San Diego and then running at Arizona State, she knew from a young age that this sport was her sport. Today, she walks me through so many of her major career milestones, the good —...
Apr 20, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 104
Welcome to 5-Minute Fridays, a new segment from Hurdle where I share a quick story, offer you a prompt that makes you think, and share a few of my top highlights of the week — whether that’s a podcast, an app, a streaming workout, a quote — you get the idea. PLEASE , let me know what you think. Do you like this? What do you want to hear about? This week: Are you struggling with how things were “supposed” to be? Hey, I feel you. Two months ago, coronavirus wasn't here. I was celebrating Valentine...
Apr 17, 2020•9 min
