Seasoned Athlete

On today’s episode I’m sharing why NOW is the time to run your first obstacle race. You may be feeling “blah” from sitting around more than usual during the pandemic, and feel you’re just too out of shape to do it. Or maybe you think your age is a reason that obstacle racing just isn’t for you. I’m busting these myths today. Obstacle racing truly is for everybody, and in this episode I want you to leave PUMPED and ready to set off on your first (or next) race. We discuss:- How races can  make you feel like you can conquer the world.- Why it doesn’t matter what age you are, you can do this for the first time.- A story about my first obstacle race.- Why you’ll be able to do more than you think.- Why we need more women over 40 on the courses. … and more!Here are some highlights.  What exactly is an Obstacle Race?“Obstacle races are a type of race that combines running with completing various obstacles throughout the race course. They're typically held on trails, but not always. They can vary in length, usual

Menopause is something that all women will eventually experience, but more often than not, they aren’t equipped for dealing with all that comes with it. Whether it’s the gap in medical understanding of it, hormone coaches pitching unfounded science, or women just feeling left in the dust, it can be truly challenging to go through. In this episode, we are talking to Amanda Thebe, a personal trainer and nutrition coach with nearly thirty years of experience in the fitness industry. She is a force of nature for women who are experiencing menopause hell and want to start feeling healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond.We discuss:The medical industry leaving menopausal women behind.Supplements and the fallacy around estrogen production. Why strength training can really improve a woman's health.How accountability can help you stay on track with your athletic goals. Making fitness part of your schedule so you won’t skip it.… and more!Here are some highlights.  Menopause can be hard to diagnose. “Women at this ph

On today’s episode I talk about the joys that running can bring to your routine as well as your athletic life. It’s no secret I did not start off as a runner, in fact, I avoided running at all costs. But I have found a love in running and I think you can as well.Running can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding parts of your day and in this episode, I have included some steps to finding the runner in you.We discuss:- Running as a journey not a process.- Being patient with yourself and trusting the process.- Incorporating strength training.- Treating yourself to running shoes.- Incorporating speed training.… and more!Here are some highlights.  Pushing Yourself.“The idea of running for 10 minutes without stopping seemed completely ludicrous to me, just out of control, crazy, insane. But I did it. It was hard, but I finished, and I was damn proud of myself. Eventually, the app asked me to run 20 minutes without stopping, same thing. Did it hard, finished. Proud of myself. I kept building to the point where

On today’s episode I talk with Stacy Griner, Owner and Operator of Kika Stretch in Atlanta, Georgia. Stacy wasn’t always an athlete, in fact she grew up avoiding sports and sweating all together! Through big life events and changes, Stacy found her inner athlete at age 41 and began her journey as a cyclist, marathon runner, triathlon competitor, and traveler. Though Stacy has not been an athlete her entire life, her journey is what makes her story and message that much more special. Stacy has overcome many challenges in her life to reach an inner peace that can only come with experience and reflection.We discuss:- Life events that change us for the better.- Pursuing a dream you never knew you had.- The transition and rebirth as an athlete.- Shifting your mindset when it gets tough and always pushing forward.- Finding that peace within yourself and continuing to grow.… and more!Here are some highlights.  Finding Your Community“At the time it was really a matter of  finding myself and finding my voice. Coming t

On today’s episode, I talk about why age is not just a number and why we should shift from this mindset.If you've been following Season Athlete for a while, you may have noticed something about the way I talk about older athletes. Since day one, I have never said age is just a number. It's a phrase I've seen over and over again in articles about aging athletes and the phrase is ubiquitous. Something about this concept and phrasing has always felt off to me. So today we talk about why the concept of “age is just a number” is highly flawed and all the reasons why age is in fact more than just a number.We discuss:- Why the mindset of “age is just a number” is flawed and dismissive.- Age should be acknowledged and celebrated.- The challenges and the benefits that come with age.- Younger Athletes vs Aging Athletes.- The American Culture surrounding aging women.… and more!Here are some highlights.  What You Don’t See.“Let's start with the phrase itself “Age Is Just a Number.” It's completely dis

On today’s episode, I talk with Jenn Drummond, an American motivational speaker, mountaineer, adventurer, and founder of Bold Brave Beautiful —a blog and community where she invites people to become more conscious of their life purpose and take action toward achieving what seems “impossible.”  Jenn, a mother of seven, left the finance world after a life changing event to pursue what she describes as “A Calling to the Mountains.” Though Jenn did not grow up identifying as an “athlete,” she recognizes that being new to the aging athlete club comes with a different mindset and new goals to pursue with her family and within herself.We discuss:- Life changing events that cause you to take pause and pivot.- The inception of Bold Brave Beautiful and the call to inspire others.- The journey to becoming the first woman to complete the Second Seven Summits.- Living your life in parallel with your family and children.- Finding any opportunity to train, even while helping with homework assignments.… and more!Here are so

On today’s episode, I cover three simple steps to restart your dormant fitness routine. As we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel coming out of the pandemic, it is easy to look at where you are with your fitness goals and quickly get discouraged. Remember, it’s okay to not be where you were with your goals and routine before going into quarantine over a year ago. And with a little guidance, you can get back to your fitness routine and start working towards your goals once again. We discuss:- Recognizing where you are now in your workout.- Easing back into your routine.- Knowing your limits and respecting your body.- Dedicating time to your fitness goals.- Foundational Movement Patterns.- Simplicity and why it is important when doing the work.- Space, equipment, and gear.… and more!Here are some highlights.  Understanding where you are now“You need to embrace that where you are now is not where you were before… it's just not. You may find yourself frustrated when you're not progressing as f

Today, I am talking to Dr. Helen Hsu, the Lead Outreach Specialist, Staff Psychologist, Asian American specialist, and a lecturer at Stanford University. Dr. Hsu is a marathon runner, Crossfit athlete, Obstacle racer, and trapeze enthusiast. In this episode we Discuss Helen’s belief in the Mind Body connection and her personal philosophy on being a seasoned athlete.We discuss:- Understanding what our bodies are telling us when we are showing physical signs of illness.- The impact stress can have physically as well as mentally.- Dealing with the muscle and bone density loss that we experience as we age.- Exercise as a coping mechanism for mental health.- Checking in with yourself and being in tune with your mind body connection.- Dealing with the ongoing pandemic and how to adjust your regiment.- Knowing your limits and doing what works best for you.- Finding the exercise, you love the most and not judging yourself when first starting out.… and more!Here are some highlights.  Figuring out what motivates you“A

We are celebrating the 100th episode of the Seasoned Athlete Podcast! What a better way to celebrate than revisiting some of my favorite interviews over the last four years. I chose one athlete to represent each decade from the 40’s all the way to the 90’s. From Spartan Racers to Ice Swimmers, we have had some amazing Seasoned Athletes over the last 100 episodes. We discuss being an athlete in:- Your 40’s: Cath Pendleton is an Ice Swimmer and shares how she got into Ice Swimming and eventually swimming the English Channel.- Your 50’s: Andrea Owen is a Spartan Racer and fell into racing by way of her son who convinced her to give it a shot after attending one of his races.- Your 60’s: Sue Spencer is an Olympic Weightlifter and loves the peace and solitude going to the gym brings to her and her life.- Your 70’s: Lynn Salvo is a Cyclist whose journeys through Canada and North America earned her two Guinness World Records and many amazing memories from the seat of a bicycle.- Your 80’s: Libby James is a Masters R

In this episode I talk to Jill Heinerth, an underwater explorer, writer, photographer, speaker, and filmmaker. Jill shares how she started over after leaving her business in Toronto to pursue her dreams in the Cayman Islands, writing a best-selling memoir of her adventures, and how the pandemic and quarantine brought about a new business venture for her and her husband. We discuss:- Having a successful business but ultimately realizing you would rather be pursuing deep-sea scuba and diving adventures full time rather than keeping it a hobby.- Telling your family you are starting over while still not knowing how you are going to make money at your dreams.- Pioneering the deep-sea diving world as a woman, photographer, and writer.- Knowing the risk while looking fear right in the face and inviting it into your life for the better.- Being a natural storyteller and deciding to write a book about your life and adventures.- Having to put everything on hold, shutdown, and decide to move because of a global pandemic.

In this episode I highlight and discuss fad diets and the myths around nutrition for those seeking to live an active and athletic lifestyle, especially for women athletes and aging women athletes. With so much information out there, it’s important to understand the research you’re retaining when exploring what nutritional lifestyle works best for you.We discuss:- How living an athletic lifestyle requires a mental shift when it comes to food.- Understanding the relationship between food and our bodies as not only athletes but as aging women as well.- How women athletes tend to focus on calorie intake which has statistically been known to lead to eating disorders among the athletic community. - Fad diets and the male body vs the women's body.- Low energy availability: what does it mean and how does it affect you in your day to day as an athlete?- The Ketogenic Diet: does this fad diet really work for the woman athlete?- Intermittent Fasting: where men see gains and results, women see the opposite. … and mor

Should women and men train differently? In this episode, we explore this question based on the comparison of two articles highlighting why, when, and how women should train based on their menstrual cycles.We discuss:- Comparing studies measuring the results of modern exercise in men versus women.- Breaking down the bias of these studies.- Women training and competing around and during their cycle.- Understanding our cycles and bodies and how to incorporate that information into our training and nutrition as an aging athlete. … and more!Here are some highlights.  Understanding our cycles”When we are on our period, we are in what's called the follicular phase of our cycle. Estrogen drops during this phase, and our muscles have greater access to energy stores. As a result, we are better primed for high performance.”Using the education of our bodies to enhance and better utilize training“When we're in the high hormone phase and the weeks leading up to the period, we don't have as much of an ability to

In this episode I had an amazing chat with Betty Lindberg, an incomparable 96 year old runner and race walker. Betty has made an art form out of her ability to slowly build up her body and stamina and not let mental distractions get in the way.  We discuss: - Betty calls herself the original ‘couch potato’- Betty proves everything is possible when you keep your body moving- The optimistic attitude from Betty has served her well in live and in athletics- Betty’s workouts include lifting weights which is very important for women as we age  … and more!  Here are some highlights.    Girls were never supported in sports growing up “When I was growing up girls didn’t do anything except maybe Jacks or Hopscotch,” says Betty. “That was about as wild as we got. It just isn’t the thing that young ladies did. So, no, I didn’t really do anything. I was the original couch potato. I don’t recall any girls in high school doing athletics and I didn’t get to go to college because of World War II, it was 1942. Girls just didn’

In this episode I set down a few steps we all can take to start the new year with 2021 Vision. Together we’ll figure out what our ‘Big Idea’ goal for the year is and all the steps we can take to get there. We discuss: - How can you start this year with 2021 vision- The goal of this episode is to make you think big for yourself- What is something you would like to do that younger you would be surprised by?- You’ll have a goal, a date, a plan, and then milestones- Make sure you feel those wins each time you pass a milestone … and more!   Here are some highlights.   Robin is looking at 2021 “You may have started 2020 with a plan, with a vision of what you would like to do with the year,” says Robin. “What you would like to accomplish, what kind of goals you had. But, for many of us, those plans, those goals, those ideas, got derailed around March. And that’s fine. We had to spend that year collectively figuring things out. But now it’s a new year and it’s a new opportunity.”  What is your ‘Big Idea’ “Step 1 is t

On this episode of Seasoned Athlete, we’re talking to professional sky diver Amy Chmelecki. She’s done over 19,000 sky dives, broken 20 sky diving world records, holds 5 world titles and 10 national titles…and that’s just some of it!In this episode, we discuss…-  How participating sports can help you find confidence-  Why trying new things (even if they scare you) is so important-  Why having a growth mindset helps with achieving your goals-  What it means to be a woman in a male dominated sport…and more!Connect with Amy here: https://www.instagram.com/amychmeleckiHere are some highlights…Amy’s early athletic lifeI didn't discover athletics until about 14 and when I finally did, something completely changed in me. I remember realizing like, ‘wow, I'm good at this,’ and before that, I never really had felt good at anything. As a child, I was like, ‘I'm not smart, you know, just like kids stuff.’ And on the field, I felt good. Things were moving fast, I could really see things more clear and I could

Welcome to the final episode of 2020! It's been a long, painful, traumatic year on a lot of levels, so this episode is all about the top lessons that I’ve learned in this most unusual year. I think it’s important to reflect, even if the year was not what we hoped it would be. I could go on for years about it, but here are my top 3!Full show notes: https://seasonedathlete.me/episodesFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/agelesswomenathletesSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/seasoned-athlete/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode I talk to retired tennis pro, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy. We talk about her path to becoming a professional athlete starting while she was still a child and some of the sacrifices her family made to get her there.Full shownotes: https://seasonedathlete.me/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/seasoned-athlete/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode I take a step back from my regular interviews and look at our collective mental and emotional state going into a new year.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/seasoned-athlete/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode I talk to runner and athlete, Melissa Huff. She talks about how she never did any sports or athletics at all until she was in her forties.Full show notes: https://seasonedathlete.me/Connect with Melissa: https://www.instagram.com/mrsbuff2u/Connect with Robin: https://www.instagram.com/robinlegat/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/seasoned-athlete/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode I’m talking about HOW to find the motivation you need and why you are still an athlete even when all of your favorite sports aren’t available. Yes, Covid has changed it for a lot of us!Full shownotes: https://seasonedathlete.me/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/seasoned-athlete/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy