87 - Kara Goucher Redefines Herself

I first met Kara Goucher a few years ago on the RallySport pool deck standing around in bikinis while our kids were swimming. Kara had just moved to Boulder and was back in the groove of professional racing after having a baby a few years prior. She is a highly decorated distance runner, and has been one of the best runners in America for over a decade. Kara started running in grade school but she really began to tap into her potential after college moving up in distance, running the 5000m and 10000m finals in the 2008 Olympics and then making her way to the Marathon earning 10th place in the 2012 Olympics. She just barely missed the Olympic team in 2016 and since then has begun to see her career in a different light. Her goals today are very different than even three years ago. She is more focused on living a happy life fully present in the moment. My biggest regret as I reflected on this interview is that I didn’t get to know Kara sooner. I love this woman. She is fun, real, insightful, compassionate, and deeply truthful. She lives by her values and when she feels that something is amiss, she fights hard until she resolves the issue and can find that peace again. But it wasn’t always that way for her. Today we talk about: Relationships: Marriage to another running superstar How you redefine yourself through the seasons of your life Becoming less scared of what happens when she isn't a fast runner anymore Kara's purpose today: Being in the moment Fertility challenges Motherhood & how it immediately changed her How Kara stopped searching for happiness through results & then found happiness Confidence - Why that word is so important. Check out Kara's upcoming book Strong: A Runner's Guide to Increasing Confidence and Becoming the Best Version of You - you can preorder now on Amazon for $20 Courage especially as it relates to doing the right thing even if you feel as if you are betraying others like when she exposed her former coach in regards to performance-enhancing methods in training Staying young even as your age grows older I know you will find yourself wanting more Kara after you listen to this one. You’ll be happy to know that you CAN get more Kara as she is offering her Podium Retreat in September in Boulder, so we’ll keep you posted on that too. Let me leave you with Kara's final nugget something that I think you will feel and embrace through this entire episode, “Be kind; not just to other people. Be kind to yourself.” Today's episode is sponsored by Health IQ - they help healthy individuals find better rates on life insurance. The process is smooth, and they really deliver, so if you're interested in life insurance (or if you're like me and realized it's time to get serious after you had a kid!), check them out. Be sure to tell them I sent you and use this link healthiq.com/RTW All right 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!