Chasing Bravery

Today I am speaking with Jess Lynn- the voice, and representative behind a bag that I am absolutely obsessed with. Have you heard of Flyte Bags? If you haven’t you need to listen to this episode and then go snag one for yourself with the giant discount code that will be released at the end of the episode. Of course, Jess and I talk about more than just this amazing bag… we talk about what it means to be a modern woman, how to carve your own path and the importance of trying new and exciting things just for the heck of it. Jess was an absolute pleasure to record with- as my husband said when he was editing “this woman is so happy and positive, its great!”. Enjoy this episode, and then seriously ….get yourself a bag, you will be SO glad you did!

This episode is almost a year old, but it is SO good... Erin Williams at the time of recording was getting fit for a half marathon, and was in the thick of her graduate program at Harvard in Boston, and was a busy mom to her children Grace and Ben. In this episode we talk about how Erin and her husband met and made the decision to pursue their graduate degrees with the long term goal of returning to West Point to teach. We discuss Erin's evolution as a runner turned running coach, as well as her postpartum running experiences. We also discuss why she believed it's valuable to share our birth stories with other women and how you just can't plan for everything!

Welcome back to the Chasing Bravery Podcast …officially! It’s been a while. It’s actually literally been a year, but who’s keeping track? This is a short episode to get listeners up to speed on where I’ve been this past year, and plans for the show moving forward!

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Chasing Bravery Podcast. If you have listened to the show before then you may know that I haven’t recorded or released an episode since 2018. My excuse (if you even want to call it that) is that I had a complicated pregnancy which resulted is a beautiful baby boy born in mid May. I have always had every intention in getting back to recording, but it has admittedly been slower than I would have liked. All that being said- to those of you who are new listeners- Welcome! To those who are returning- bless you, thank you, and welcome back!   Today’s guest is Lyndy Davis. Lyndy is a 2016 and 2020 Olympic Trials marathon qualifier who holds a PR of 2:39, a recent Guinness world record holder in the half marathon pulling a baby, and a new mama. Lyndy is someone who I have wanted to have on the show for a while, and coincidentally gave birth to her beautiful baby boy Quentin right around the time that I really started to struggle in my pregnancy. Although Lyndy had a fantastic pregnancy, her experience post-partum was not as smooth. Lyndy has struggled with postpartum depression and has recently opened up about her experience in a blog post through her elite running sponsor Oiselle. Lyndy’s honesty was brave, refreshing, and validating for me personally as both a runner and a mother now myself. I wanted to have her on to discuss both her post partum experience and running career in more detail, which we did! Listen on to hear how Lyndy used a personal goal of setting a World Record in the ½ marathon while running with her baby to begin to combat her post partum depression and start the journey forward towards the new Lyndy – a lady who will never be the same post baby, but is shaping up to be stronger (and braver) than ever before.

Welcome to Episode 36 with Nadine Jolie Courtney. Nadine is a woman who wears many hats- author, travel blogger, Bravo TV reality show star, mother, and wife. Nadine lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband Erik and her daughter Aurelia. A graduate of Barnard college, her writing has appeared in Town & Country, Cosmo, Vogue.com, and many more. She is the author of Confessions of a Beauty Addict, Beauty Confidential, and most recently Romancing the Throne. Nadine is a dive right in, follow your heart kind of lady -jetting off to Tokyo with her now husband Erik on only their third date. So confident was she that she had found her match that she and Erik married after 7 months of dating, and had their first child Aurelia a mere 11 months later. Nadine and Erik’s love story is a whirlwind of excitement which you can watch unfold in their season of Bravo TV’s , Newlyweds: The First Year. Despite her fairy tale romance, Nadine has not been immune to heartbreak. In this episode we discuss the three back to back miscarriages she and her husband experienced on their quest to grow their family. Nadine and I discuss the reality that no individual or couple striving to have a child has any guarantee, and that planning (while important) is really up to chance and luck. Nadine is authentic, introspective, and so sweet. I for one found her perspective and reflection on her heartbreak refreshing and ultimately inspiring.

Hi everyone! Welcome to episode 35 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast. My guest today is Beth Gomez of the Fresno based Elizabeth Kate studio. Beth is professional photographer who specializes in maternity, birth, newborn, and family photography. Beth lives with her husband and two boys in California and is a busy lady balancing full time work with the joys of being a mother and wife. Beth primarily serves the Fresno, Clovis, Oakhurst, and Yosemite areas capturing the intimate, precious moments of maternity and beyond. Beth is a photographer yes, but I’m guessing you like I haven’t really thought about the ins and outs of what it means to capture live births- unless of course you’ve had this experience yourself. Beth and I discuss the sensitivity that is required to be invited to such an intimate moment in another family’s life, and just how incredible it is to have the honor of capturing the beauty of childbirth. Beth rand I also discuss how while childbirth is often joyous, not all births look the same, and that it is important that a photographer understand what their limitations are when entering such a sacred, pivotal space. Beth and discuss photographers that are dedicated to capturing still births and infant loss through non-profits that are devoted to these special births that are just important to capture as any other. Beth is kind, talented, professional, and inspiring- enjoy this conversation with her!

Welcome to episode 34 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast. My guest today is Annmarie Kirkpatrick. I have been following Annmarie for awhile now on Instagram from afar (kind of creepy I know), but we all do it guys, so don’t judge. Annmarie, her husband and their two boys live in Fort Collins Colorado where they both work for a super cool non-profit called Mountains and Plains. The Mountains and Plains Institute for Lifelong Learning and Service is a non-profit corporation committed to providing high quality and affordable educational courses, travel, and service learning opportunities for adults. They believe that learning and giving back to others is a lifelong process and discovering new ideas, sharing challenges and experiences is the basis of lifelong rewards. Annmarie has helped people over 80 summit 1400-ers just to give listeners an idea of how amazing and rewarding this non-profit truly is. I highly encourage anyone who thinks this might be something they are interested in to check out the link to the Mountains and Plains website in the show notes. AnnMarie is also a very speedy runner- like OTQ speedy. To make her more impressive, while she did run in high school she didn’t start seriously running until after the birth of her two boys- both of whom were 9+ pound babies (this woman is a hero). She is coached by her husband, and something they are doing is working, as AnnMarie has impressive PR’s of 1:14 in the ½ marathon, and is going for the A standard OTQ qualifier of 2:37 this fall. AnnMarie is down to earth, loves the earth, is so talented in many areas, and was a pleasure to speak with. I am sure that everyone will enjoy this episode as much as I loved recording it.

Hello everyone, welcome back to the Chasing Bravery Podcast after a very long, but very necessary break. While I have been disappointed to not be able to devote the necessary time to this thing that I love while living on a reservation, I am not regretful of my decision to give myself some grace&space and place all my energy into the most important task at hand, which is the work I was engaged in with the sweet children of the Lakota Sioux Tribe and their community. Not all times in life require singular devotion to one commitment or responsibility, but when they do arise -it can be a hard lesson in learning when to pull the plug. With that being said my one regret is not recognizing my limits sooner, and giving myself that same grace that I give to loves ones and clients. Now let’s jump ahead, because I am back baby. I am missing my little munchkins on the rez, but using that energy to record and put out some amazing episodes with guests who are really just rocking the whole live your best life thing. Today we will be hearing from Dr. Kat, the host of one of my favorite podcasts – Mom and Mind. Now you may ask yourself, what is a 25 year old woman who has no children yet doing listening to a podcast with Mom in the title? I could come up with a hundred very valid reasons, but I think that if you check this show out yourself you will get it- this is a podcast for anyone who is a mother, has a mother, knows a mother, and loves a mother. A bit about Dr. Kat, Dr Kat is a psychologist who’s work includes adults of all ages, college students, women who are pregnant or postpartum, couples who are bringing children into their family and people who just want to feel better. Dr Kat is a Specialist in Maternal Mental Health and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and works with moms and families to heal from the difficulties of depression, anxiety and other mood changes that can happen during conception, pregnancy, miscarriage, loss of a baby, birth and postpartum. While Dr. Kat is highly trained in this subject, she also went through her own challenges in postpartum, so she gets it. That’s what u would call a win win when looking for a therapist myself. Dr. Kat writes on her website that “Working with people is in my bones. I knew from a young age that being a psychologist was my path. That passion has not faded, it’s only grown stronger. Especially when I see the transformation and healing happen right in front of me. It’s pretty cool”. Dr. Kat herself is pretty cool, and it was a pleasure to have her on the show.

In this episode I am speaking with Alice Wright. Alice is a freshly signed professional distance runner for Hoka One One and was an absolute pleasure to get to know better. Alice moved from her home across the pond to the United States as a freshman in college. Her move would have been a big transition no matter where she settled, but Alice decided to go to the University of New Mexico- talk about a climate and scenery shock. Alice and I chat about how her freshman year didn’t go smoothly on the running front (she likes to say she was social networking), and how she returned home for the summer with a dedication to coming back in the fall ready to really secure her spot on the team and make her coach proud. Alice did just that, graduating as an 8x NCAA All American- including two runner-up finishes in the 10k. Alice and I talk about her decision to become a professional runner, what it’s like to live with Steph and Ben Bruce, how exited she is for her career going forward, and so much more! Alice is kind, sweet, determined, brave, and fierce and it was such a pleasure to have her as a guest on the show!

Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 31 of the Chasing Bravery podcast! I am your host Kait, and I am so happy that you are listening today. For those of you who have been listening for awhile- thank you for sticking with me. This summer has been a bit hectic, and I haven’t been able to get episodes out the way I really wanted to. For those of you who are new, welcome! I am so pleased that you are joining me, and this amazing group of women who are willing to share their brave stories. Today my guest is Felicia Chen. Felicia and I recorded a while ago – as in way back in May, but I am certain that this episode is a must listen regardless the month or time of year. Felicia is a speedy marathoner, holding a PR of 2:59. One might assume that this means Felicia is a life long runner, maybe even that she ran in high school or college, but that’s not the case. Felicia has a non-traditional intro to running story, as well as an interesting journey in the sport that included some big injuries, being underweight, and overtraining. Felicia also has a fascinating career in the city of Chicago (we live so close to each other!), and I was so intrigued by her day to day, as well as her unique perspective on some big topics. Felicia is witty, brave, kind, humble, and so intelligent and I know you will enjoy listening to her story as much as I did.

Episode 30 with Lauren Floris and her little stowaway is out! Lauren has been on the show before (episode 8) and it’s always so lovely to catch up with this busy lady. Lauren is a mom to her beautiful daughter, and pregnant with baby number 2! We chat about how she feels about the timing of her pregnancy, what she foresees the future looking like career wise with two littles , and SO much more.  Lauren is a refreshing example of a woman unapologetically living her best life- pursuing her own dreams and goals , while raising a beautiful family, and I’m so excited for you all to hear this latest episode!  Thank you Lauren for being a returning guest on the podcast! 

Welcome back to the Chasing Bravery Podcast after a very long hiatus. As some of you know I have been in South Dakota since the first week of May living and working on the Cheyenne River Reservation with an amazing organization called Simply Smiles. When I first decided to take on this summer position I was a bit naïve about some of the technical barriers that would exist for me (such as no Wi-Fi) as well as the general exhaustion that seems to follow me at the end of each day. While the work out here has been so rewarding and so meaningful, it has left little time for some of the more auxiliary parts of my life right now – aka anything that isn’t sleeping, eating, and occasionally running sanity miles. Now that I have gotten into a bit more of a groove, I’m so excited to bring you all episode 29 with Rachel Davis. Rachel Davis is a woman with so many amazing accomplishments under her belt. Rachel is 27 years old, and lives in Birmingham, AL with her husband and their cat. Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, a master’s degree in nutrition sciences, and is currently finishing up her PhD in nutrition. She hopes to use her doctoral training to educate others on proper nutrition- which I personally think she is already doing a fantastic job of. Rachel is also a very speedy runner. She ran collegiately as a 400 meter hurdler- working her way up to the 800 in which she holds a PR of 2:06. Rachel also has some endurance in her legs. In 2017 after only 1 prior marathon experience, Rachel ran a 2 hour and 48 minute Boston PR. Like any runner, Rachel was determined to quickly get back on the wagon and make that 2:45 OTQ happen…only to find herself emotionally and mentally burnt out. Join me, as I chat with Rachel about her comeback to running, her most recent Boston marathon this past April, and a deep dive into the reality that sometimes we simply can’t do it all- and that is okay. Rachel is kind, smart, funny, and warm- and I am so excited for you all to hear her message.

Neely Spence Gracey is back for another episode with the Chasing Bravery Podcast! As always, Neely was a joy to chat with and was totally up front and genuine about the highs and lows of pregnancy so far...oh wait...spoiler alert for those of you who didn't know- Neely is expecting her first baby in August. Neely and i also chat a bit about her impressive professional running career, her contract with Adidas, and so much more!

Welcome to episode 27 with Heidi Greenwood! Heidi is a very naturally talented athlete, excelling in sports from volleyball to the marathon (you don't hear that everyday). Heidi is originally from Roseau, Minnesota , moving to the University of North Dakota as a volleyball player. While she was there she was recruited by the Fighting Hawks' track and field coach, going on to have a very successful running and volleyball collegiate career including winning a national title in the 1,500-meter run.  Heidi and I talk about her surprisingly natural, organic journey to the marathon in which she holds a PR of 2:42. I think it's pretty evident that Heidi has a proclivity for all things athletic and I have to admit I am a bit jealous.  Heidi and I also talk about some tough topics.  We talk candidly about amenorrhea- which is a loss of a menstrual cycle common among many female athletes. Heidi shares interesting insight into some of the reasons why she believes that amennoreah is so common, and we also talk about how confusing and misleading it can be to be a so healthy physically- with the only exception being a loss of a period. This phenomenon is sometimes why female athletes don’t feel so concerned about their lack of a menstrual cycle, which of course can be problematic. Heidi and I also talk about her angel babies Leni and Jules. Heidi is a mother who experienced the loss of her daughters during gestation. While it may be difficult for people to hear her story, it doesn’t make it any less a part of who Heidi is, and it also doesn’t make her any less proud of the beautiful babies that she and her husband sadly will never watch grow. Heidi is not aone in her loss, and the courage and bravery she has shown in sharing her story is a beacon for other mothers and parents who have shared similar losses and grief. To honor theirs, and other lost babies, Heidi and her husband started the Angel Baby Mile. The Angel Baby Mile is an opportunity to honor lost babies. Mile 23 of the Fargo Marathon, on May 19, 2018, will be called the Angel Baby Mile.  Those interested in honoring a baby may sponsor a balloon.  The balloons will be placed along the side of the race course and will be released at completion of race. While there is limited space and helium left for balloons, there are still ways you can honor a lost baby in your life and I will put all the links to that information in the show notes.

Hello everyone! Welcome to a episode 26 with a very special expert guest- Dr. Alyssa Berlin. Dr. Alyssa Berlin is a clinical psychologist "specializing in pregnancy, postpartum and parenting. She offers private counseling for women individually and with their partners on issues such as anxiousness and emotional fluctuation during pregnancy, postpartum blues and depression, and the complex issues that can arise between and around new and expectant parents. Dr. Berlin is the creator of The After Birth Plan Workshop, a program that prepares couples for what to expect after a baby is born and how to prepare for a physically and emotionally healthy postpartum transition for the baby, for each partner and for the evolving relationship. For all information regarding everything discussed by Dr. Berlin and I, check out the show notes or visit the Chasing Bravery Website. Discussed in this episode: Who can suffer from a maternal mental health issue? Are there individuals who are at higher risk? What are things that partners can be attuned to pre baby and post baby that can first help their partner feel supported, and second be alert if there is a problem? What role does a traumatic birth experience, or extremely difficult pregnancy play in the risk of PPD? What can individuals do to lower the likelihood of developing PPD? Can you experience maternal mental health issues after a miscarriage or abortion? Is there evidence to show that women who have experienced pronounced maternal mental health issues after one pregnancy ?will most likely experience it again in subsequent pregnancy’s?