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150 - "I've Always Loved Change" Runners Brittany Charboneau and Jenni Nettik Trust Their Guts

Meet Brittany Charboneau and Jenni Nettik - runners, coaches, dreamers, fun-creators. Brittany is one of the country's newest distance stars, fresh off a win at the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon and gunning for the 2020 Marathon Trials. Jenni is the founder of Mercuria Running, a coaching business that focuses on more than just running - it's about nurturing a passion for the sport without the "at all costs" philosophy of most hard core programs.
I don't often interview two people at the same time. It can be awkward, technically difficult and sometimes tough to keep a smooth conversation rolling. This episode is anything but awkward, difficult or tough. It is fun, easy-going, insightful and full of tips (big and small) to help you dig deeper into yourselves. Plus we do a little improv (admittedly slightly awkwardly!) in the middle so that will keep your attention!
We cover the following and so much more:
Passion and day jobs
Life Plan: how Brittany quit her job after her company, Otterbox, helped her create her life plan!
Why listening to your gut helps make the most powerful decisions
Faith on your journey
How training for something often leads to something entirely different: Jenni's career path
Combining passions: Art & running (Jenni), Acting & running (Brittany)
Mercuria Running: How Jenni & Brittany are creating a whole new philosophy on training and racing
For more on these two incredible women, follow them in all the places!
Coaching at Mercuria Running
Instagram @FunnyRunner26.2 & @mercuriarunning
And be sure to check out the Funner Runner 101er program - it definitely epitomizes what they're both all about. That's it for today. You know what time it is. It's time to get out there and run this world. Have a great workout and we'll see you next week!
To support this podcast, please consider becoming a Patron and contributing whatever you think it's worth to keep spreading positivity in this world!

149 - Double Amputee Roderick Sewell "Too Blessed to be Stressed"

Roderick Sewell is the kind of person who lights up a room with his smile and his energy. Depending on the situation (like if he's in a swimsuit or not!), you may never realize that he is a double above knee amputee. Most of the time it wouldn't matter, but when it comes to breaking barriers and inspiring people to do things that they have no idea they can do, it matters - a lot.
Roderick was born without tibia bones which meant he would never walk on his own. When Roderick was one, his mother was faced with making this decision for her son: Amputate both legs above the knee and learn to adapt with prosthetic legs or live in a wheelchair for his entire life. Everyone advised her to go the wheelchair route, but something inside told her that amputation would lead to a brighter future.
I have to say thanks to Roderick's mom, because her decision has paved the way for him to become the role model he is today. I met Roderick on a pool deck in Kona a few days before the Hawaii Ironman. He was there to do media interviews as the first hopeful above knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Champs. His friend and mentor Rudy Garcia-Tolson accompanied him and acted as his handler for the race which would prove grueling.
Spoiler: Roderick did finish the Ironman that day with 34 minutes to spare. His story starts long before the Hawaii Ironman and is difficult, beautiful, hopeful and inspiring. Today we talk about:
Growing up without legs
His mom's decision to amputate
Challenged Athletes Foundation: They gave him the tools to begin his athletic career
Meeting Rudy and realizing "I CAN"
The Importance of visibility
Swimming and how it built his foundation for toughness
The Ironman Experience in all its glory: I consider this the celebration peak of the episode (yes I almost cried listening)
Barriers and how he approaches them
Talking out loud to yourself :)
Limb Kind Foundation: they help people move from "still to active"
And so much more
This episode warms my heart. I wish I could hand out with Roderick more often. Please take a moment to follow him on Instagram at @rsewell92 and keep an eye out for his next big thing. As he says, he is not a disabled person but he is a differently abled person who chooses to live his life on different terms.
As always, I hope you love this episode and if you do, share it! If you want to give an extra level of support, consider becoming a Patron of the pod. Allright then, you know what time it is. It's time to get out there and Run This World! Have a great workout and I'll see you next week!

148 - Sarah Canney's Relentless Path Forward

Sarah Canney is a creator. A creator of things that bring love, light and empowerment. Like her three amazing children, her Rise Run Retreats and her new book "Renew: Roadmap to a Better Body Image." Sarah Canney is also a defeater; a defeater of things that hold us back. Namely bulimia and negative self-image. It took a long time for her to break free from the grip of eating disorders and negative body image. Now that she is in recovery, she openly shares her journey with the goal of helping others.
Sarah has built up an impressive arsenal of tools to help her navigate the crap life throws at us. Today we dig into many of them. Her ultimate mission is to help other women gain confidence and find strength in their own lives. We have a deep, sometimes emotional, sometimes funny conversation about Sarah's path through her struggles into a place of true authenticity.
Today we cover:
Sarah's background: How her fear of screwing up started young and created a foundation for her future struggles
Eating disorders: how anorexia turned into bulimia
How running fit into the equation
Getting pregnant: How true recovery started nine years later thanks to her daughter
The importance of "The Pause" in all aspects of our lives
Learning to accept feelings of fullness
The freedom in your brain when it no longer has to constantly think about food
Giving birth to a baby with a birth defect: helping him recover and heal
Rise Run Retreats: How you can get involved
Her new book: "Renew: Roadmap to a Better Body Image"
We all have a mission. This is Sarah's: I want to help other women gain confidence and find strength." It's pretty obvious from this interview that Sarah truly wants to help other people and that her true light shines when she is making connections and helping others make connections. For more Sarah Canney, check out these links:
Instagram @sarah.canney
Facebook @sarahecanney
Twitter @sarahcanney
Sarahcanney.com
Rise Run Retreats

147 - Conflict is the Key to Happiness with CrisMarie and Susan of Thrive

You're in a for a treat today! Susan Clarke and CrisMarie Campbell are life and business partners who over time have learned that the secret to healthy relationships is to embrace conflict. Most of us think of conflict as something external, usually related to another person and a difference of opinion or philosophy. But the truth is that conflict often starts within ourselves and dealing with internal conflict must happen first. So all the things we bury or tell ourselves aren't important will likely rear their heads later in our lives if we don't face them. Susan and CrisMarie have dedicated their lives to helping people find ways to face their conflicts and step into their greatness.
About the dynamic duo:
Susan was given six months to live at age 24 and overcame her illness by taking a proactive approach with her health. She went on to become a facilitator, educator and coach, helping many others become "unstuck" and realize their power.
CrisMarie was an Olympic rower who later became a Boeing engineer and a manager at Arthur Anderson. Her secret sauce is unlocking the greatness of teams by taking a relationship approach instead of focusing solely on results.
Today they are business partners who practice what they preach in their personal lives as a couple too. Their recent book "The Beauty of Conflict for Couples: Igniting Passion, Intimacy & Connection in Your Relationship" is a must read for everyone. Even if you're not currently in a relationship - there is so much to glean from this book that will help you the next time around.
Today we talk about:
CrisMarie's background as an Olympic rower and the difficulty of her transition to the real world
Susan's cancer at 24 and the unearthing of childhood sexual assault that helped her beat her illness
Romance: the roles we play in each other's "movies"
Conflict: How running away is easier than addressing the problem
How do we manage conflicts on small and large levels
Live demo of conflict management: The BRANCH issue!
The key to success: Stop talking about "you" and focus on me
Vulnerability
Intimacy: "into me see" - we're more afraid of seeing ourselves than others
Compromise: why this is a bad word
5-5-5 rule: this is a good one!
And so much more
This episode gives you a new tool for your communication toolbox. I encourage you to check out their work and definitely grab a copy of their new book or the original Beauty of Conflict that focuses on leadership and conflict management in your career. For more on Susan and CrisMarie, check out their website, follow them on facebook and instagram and definitely check out their awesome TedX Talk (with over 325,000 views!).

146 - 15 Years is a Long Time for Anything - Musings from Nicole

Today I share stories from the past 15 years. Actually it started well before 2004, back to when I was a kid and no one could tell if I was a boy or a girl! Today gender is fluid; it's not so much of an issue. But it was back then and it created insecurities about my femininity that ultimately led to the start of Skirt Sports.
Today my company is so much more than a skirt created to help me feel pretty. It's a community of women who come together in so many ways to share their love of fitness. 
There are a few things I can't quite grasp today. That I've been running Skirt Sports for 15 years. That my company has evolved to something so much more than a seller of products. And that I was in really really REALLY good shape back then! 
To celebrate Skirt Sports is giving $20 to everyone! Spend it. Buy something amazing that makes you feel good. Remember my old mantra. Look good Feel good Perform better. Use the code 15YEARS at skirtsports.com or at our Boulder store. Do it now!

145 - Tina Muir Gets Real

Tina Muir is many things. But that wasn't always so. For a long time, she was a runner - a world-class, professional distance runner who sacrificed just about everything for performance. That is, until she decided that running was no longer enough and it was time to add a new adventure to her life. That adventure is now 19 months old, named Bailey Grace, and it's a testament to Tina's will to change that her baby girl is here with us today. 
When Tina decided to stop racing professionally, she knew it was time to start a family, something she had always wanted. The problem is that she suffered from amenorrhea, a lack of menstruation, for eight years. It's kind of hard to get pregnant if you don't have a period! So Tina knew she both had to make some huge lifestyle changes and she found that speaking out about her challenges was therapeutic. The side effect is that it launched her into the mainstream running world in a bigger way than her actual running results! 
Tina got pregnant shortly afterward, started her amazing podcast career, became a coach/guide to many and hasn't looked back. In just two years, her podcast has gained over 2 million downloads, her book, "Overcoming Amenorrhea" has helped many and her authentic, transparent personality continues to humanize her. 
Today we talk about:
Becoming a runner
Finding joy in running as a child and encouraging parents to focus on joy, not results
Coming to the States: Running in college and meeting a boy
Path out of amenorrhea: Coming to grips with what's healthy and what's not healthy
Comparison trap: Why being cool is a tough habit to break
Parenting: what values Tina wants her daughter to have
Podcasting: people are more willing to be open with you when you share openly with them
Gratitude lists
Tina's perfect day: it includes Disney!
And so much more
For more Tina Muir, check out the many cool things she does!
Subscribe to her podcast Running for Real (I'll be on hers soon too!)
Buy her book "Overcoming Amenorrhea"
Sign up for one of her training programs: Look for the Mental Training program coming soon
Follow her on social media

144 - Being a Better Person with Sanjay Rawal

Sanjay Rawal is Transcendent. We use that word a lot in this episode because one of Sanjay's life passions is to find more depth in all the things we do in life – beyond the actual acts of doing them. Take running for instance, there’s a race in new York called the Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. This is a real thing that people do every year. They run around a city block in Queens for 3100 miles. Why do they do it? To become better. Better people. Better for themselves. Better for the world around them.
Sanjay is so invested in this idea that he created a film called "3100: Run and Become" - check out the trailer here. And he's right-on. We know that running, that exercise in general, can expand our lives, expand our horizons, expand our minds. I think that’s the message you’ll get today. It’s why I named this episode "Becoming a Better Person with Sanjay Rawal."
Today we talk about:
Sanjay's past: growing up with a set of expectations handed to him by his parents & how he eventually broke free from those expectations to pursue a greater purpose
Sri Chinmoy: the spiritual leader who shaped Sanjay's life philosophy
Running as a religion: how different cultures view running as more than exercise and more than a vehicle for greater performance
The power of prayer and what it means to him
His pursuit of a path of universal love: This means no drinking, no smoking & celibacy
Meditation: quieting the mind
Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race & the film 3100: Run & Become
The Running Monks: Running takes an extreme spiritual path with this cultural group
What we want vs what we need
And so much more
We don't run 3100 miles on today's episode although I bet you will want to listen to Sanjay for at least a marathon. Sanjay is one of those people who just makes you feel better – about yourself, about your circumstances, about your past, your present, your future. He encourages you to think bigger. In all ways. I really appreciate this because there are many days and many moments when I get super granular and can’t surface my brain to get back to the bigger purpose. The more we can practice this, the better off we’ll be.
For more Sanjay... We could all use more Sanjay!
Watch the film! 3100: Run and Become
Instagram @mrsanjayr
Facebook @3100film
More films by Sanjay here
His interview on the Rich Roll Podcast (I love when guests overlap!)

143 - Rising Strong Together with Meghan Bigelow

Meghan Bigelow's message is a work in progress. She’s gone through a terrible tragedy and a year later, she is dealing with the wreckage and putting her life and purpose back into place. I want to start by encouraging you to google Meghan Bigelow and read more about what happened to her family on June 14, 2018. Today we talk about it, but we do not go into all the details for a couple reasons. First, Meghan can only talk about anything that was actually published in news outlets because of the sensitive nature of future legal proceedings. The other reason is that it’s really hard to talk about death and destruction when it happens to you.
With that in mind, I will share some background, all of which is available in a google search, so that you’ll have a little better understanding of the context. Meghan and her sons are victims of gun violence. On a trip to the dentist last June, they were followed and then gunned down by a man who was enraged by a driving incident. Meghan and her youngest son Asa were both shot and left for dead. Her middle son, Cooper, ran and escaped. Her oldest son, Vaughn Jr, who she calls Bubba, was killed. It was a horrific event that still doesn’t seem real. Many of you may wonder more about the shooter. We don’t talk about him at all so I will share what I read in the media: After the shooting, he went to Home Depot, bought supplies for his job, and then went to work. He wasn’t caught until he was driving home that evening and is currently in custody awaiting trial.
So as you can see, Meghan’s story is still unfolding. I’m so amazed and proud of this woman for the courage she has to move forward each day and to focus on bringing love, light and positivity to this world.
Today we talk about:
Life before June 14, 2018
Being a busy career mom and trying to make it all work
June 14, 2018
Recovering from gun violence
Learning what happened and accepting it
Healing & Finding strength again
Gun violence & mental health: link to Moms Demand Action
Big Waves Foundation
Please mark Sept 14 on your calendars. If you’re local, come out to the Big Waves Family 5k and if you’re not, do it virtually to support Meghan’s new nonprofit to honor her son Vaughn Jr.
You may be a little shaky after this one. I understand. I am too. Meghan opens the podcast talking about how she sometimes feels like she needs to be strong when others are not and how that snowballs because people would say You’re SO strong which added even more pressure. But she ends the episode by say this, which is relevant to EVERYONE listening every day of our lives. Don’t lose sight of you. Find your center and come back to it. That’s where you’ll recover and nurture your strength.
You can support Meghan and the change she is focused on making in the world by donating to the Big Waves Foundation. As the ripples of the waves grow to include their future work toward gun sense, I think we will all find a common ground. Because gun violence is accelerating at such a fast pace, we will soon all have connections to someone lost or injured. So do the Big Waves Family 5k on Sept 14 from wherever you live. Meghan is on a mission to bring something positive to the world. Help her do that.

142 - No Regrets with Liz Delise

Liz Delise is tenacious. She’s a mom of 5 kids, one of whom has autism, a military wife, a chronic illness warrior, a runner and one of the most inspirational, positive energy people you'll ever come across. She’s also a Skirt ambassador and a Patron of this podcast. When I launched my Patreon account a few months ago, she was the first person to jump on board and support me in this effort to bring more positivity to the world. It makes sense because she is also a purveyor of positivity – despite the hurdles she faces on a daily basis.
Today we go beyond the surface of this seemingly everyday woman juggling kids, marriage, health and her passions. We talk about issues many of us face on a daily basis and some we've never experienced before and how Liz always comes back to a place of positivity despite the obstacles:
Becoming a mom of five kids (when her husband originally said he didn't want any kids at all!)
Autoimmune diseases: Liz was diagnosed with five difficult to pronounce diseases & continues to manage them today
Being a mom of an autistic child: The guilt she has overcome due to a work incident when she had her autistic son Tedy
Being a military wife
How she adapted when her husband was injured
Antepartum depression
Her running journey began when she was 9 months pregnant with her second child
Liz sent me an update after we recorded:
"The kiddos and I completed the North Carolina State Parks Passport Adventure.  We visited all 41 of North Carolina's state parks in under a year.  We had started in early July 2018 and finished up June 26, 2019.  It was such a fun adventure for us.  The kids did amazing hiking.  While hiking it was the first time I truly realized that Tedy can actually read - he has been so good about identifying trails for us when I ask him to point the way."
The thing about Liz is that she makes everyone around her feel loved and supported. I’m sure you could feel that. So how about we give her some love and support and follow her at @ramblingmom. Today has been a blast! Let’s keep the momentum going. Become a Patron like Liz – go to patreon.com/nicoledeboom
And don’t forget we need to celebrate women in business! Skirt Sports turns 15 on Sept 12, 2019. Who woulda thought that the running skirt would not be a fad after all. That it would instead lead the way for women’s fitness empowerment. That it would become the first official athleisure product that allows women to go from function to function without a change of clothing, without missing a beat. Celebrate with me on Sept 12 by posting about Skirt or sharing this podcast or something that brings you inspiration and confidence, hashtag #skirtsports and encourage people to shop our brand because we’re all in this together in the end.

141 - Richard Moss Shares the Secrets of Radical Aliveness

Richard Moss was a doctor who one day experienced a spontaneous state of illumination that irreversibly changed his life and profoundly transformed his understanding of human consciousness and behavior. With this opening came a new level of sensibility including a heightened intuition, subtle insight into mystical and spiritual teachings, and the ability to sense human body-energy fields. I know this may sound a bit out there or confusing. We talk about it in depth in the interview. And think about this, Richard is a spiritual teacher who is very in tune with human body energy fields. I honestly had no idea how this interview would go and I was overly aware of my energy fields that day!
In the end, the conversation was awesome. Note: it is not a light, surface level interview. We talk about how we can find true peace and happiness - and In the end, we were both so happily surprised at the direction of our conversation. It’s funny; I was a little worried that I wouldn’t quite be able to connect to someone who many consider to be truly enlightened as I’m still an enlightenment work in progress, and Richard had this preconception that I would be an aggressive, competitive athlete type trying to prove something. When we finished the interview we said, I think we need to be friends! Good think Richard lives in Boulder, now I can hang out with him more easily!
Today we talk about:
Richard's "spontaneous state of illumination"
Choosing a career based on its ability to allow you to do other things you love
Relationships on all levels: specifically with yourself
Rock climbing and how it is a spiritual practice
Radical aliveness: What this means
Conscious breathing: "There is only now"
What does enlightenment really mean?
What we can do to gain enlightenment
After listening to this episode you may feel a connection to Richard and have a desire to get involved with him at one of his retreats or other programs he offers. Coming up in Oct, he has a Deep Work Retreat in North Carolina. These are 2-3 day “Deep Work” retreats for individuals or couples intended to assist you in diving into the inner work that is most vital to your life at this time. You will acquire new insights and gain powerful tools that will enable you to move forward and make whatever essential changes your life is calling you toward. If you’re intrigued, then I think this conversation will be perfect for you right now.
This is a conversation with many many levels. It’s like just when I thought we got to the core of something, there is another layer, another core beyond it. This episode also had me thinking about how we reflect the energy around us. I felt like I was using my gentle voice throughout. Sort of like Richard’s final nugget. Be gentle with yourself. Then be more gentle and more gentle still. I know many of you are out running or exercising or simply running around right now and it’s tough to feel gentle when you’re out there pushing your body, but maybe just maybe that’s really the key to finding your flow. To becoming radically alive. To let it all go and just be. I’ll let that one simmer while you listen to this conversation with Richard Moss. For more Richard, go to richardmoss.com and check out what he has to offer.