Chasing Bravery

Welcome to episode 25 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast! This podcast is meant to be a platform for women to share their true narratives and discuss topics that we simply don't converse about enough. Today that topic is post partum depression, and my guest is Kristen Garzone. Kristen is a woman with many roles (sound like any of you ladies out there?) Kristen is a career woman, wife, mother, runner, friend, and so much more. Kristen is also a woman with a history of mental illness and post partum depression (ppd). Anyone flinch when they heard that- the mental illness, ppd thing? Maybe you didn't flinch, but you did get a funny feeling somewhere in your body. Maybe you felt funny because it was off putting to hear the words mental illness and post partum depression in connection with a woman who is smart, beautiful, capable, and accomplished. Regardless of what you feel, this is conversation that needs to be had. 1 in 5 women will experience a full blown maternal mental health illness, and this illness does not discriminate. There is no one person who is guaranteed to suffer- and no one person that isn't. I encourage you to listen, as this is a conversation that will ultimately leave you feeling inspired, informed, empowered, and maybe less alone.  Kristen is currently honoring and remembering her friend Kristin who lost her battle with post partum depression in June of 2017 through a virtual 5k or 10k on mothers day weekend. All of the proceeds from this race will go towards Every Mother Counts. I am most certainly going to be taking part in this and I encourage you all to as well. The link to register can be found in the show notes of this episode. Stay tuned- this episode will be followed up with two more on the topic of Maternal Mental Health. I will release episode 26 this weekend with Dr. Berlin who is an expert in the area of MMH. Episode 27 will feature Peggy Tanous, who some of you may remember from season 6 of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Peggy sheds light on the fact that even a woman whose life seems ideal can still be gripped by this powerful illness, and the stigma needs to stop. 

Sarah is BACK! And she is stronger than ever. Sarah ran the Boston marathon exactly a week ago today, and I had the pleasure to chat with her about the whole experience. Sarah was as sweet, introspective, genuine, and tough as ever- and I was so impressed about her ability to "check her pride" as she put it, and run smart race for the weather (and her body that was dealing with a sinus infection). Sarah has so much wisdom when it comes to the marathon, and she also tolerates my thought tangents- which means she is patient and kind as well!  Enjoy this fantastic follow up episode with Sarah!!

Welcome to episode 23 of the Chasing Bravery podcast! Today I am chatting with Dr. Stephanie Howe Violett. Stephanie is an extremely accomplished human both in the sport of ultra-running, as well as professionally. I am actually awe struck by how much this woman has accomplished so far in her life, while remaining a totally warm and open person to chat with- I suppose that this quality of hers goes back to one of her simple rules- don’t take yourself too seriously. Stephanie and I chat about her career as a professional ultra runner, as well as what it was like working towards her doctorate degree and some of the challenges that she faced upon deciding to push forward with her chosen research proposal. If anyone is interested in checking out Dr. Violett’s published work just scroll down to the show notes for that information. Stephanie is an undeniably accomplished and motivated individual but that does not mean she doesn’t have set backs like everyone else. She was very open about some of the injury’s she has dealt with in her career, as well as the tough decision she made to just completely call it quits at one point. Stephanie did the thing that most of us dedicated athletes fear- she stopped exercising altogether and just let her body recover. Stephanie’s message was one I think many of us need to hear, which is that there is life without intense daily exercise, and that it is possible to discover who you are outside of your sport. Enjoy this fantastic conversation with Stephanie!

Guess who's back? Back again. ALANA KOPELSON is back- tell a friend.  I was so excited to get as much information as possible about the Boston marathon, and that of course included chatting with two previous podcast guests who braved Mondays weather for 26.2 miles. Alana and I chat about what the course was really like, how emotional it was to hear the Des Linden had won the race when she was at mile 18, and what her plans are moving forward. I love this girl, even though I've never actually met her in real life, and I know you all do as well. Enjoy!!

Episode 21 is different because, well, it features me. Chad- my boyfriend, editor, and coach stepped into a new role today and was an amazing host. To be fair, he only had to ask me the questions that I already wrote out for him, but he for sure went above and beyond and did a fantastic job.  He asked me these (and many other) questions in today's special release:  Overview of what life is like for girls and women living on reservations in the United States. When did you become interested in the social and economic conditions of reservations? Where did your idea for a running program stem from/why are you interested in focusing on girls and women in particular? -Why/how the Chasing Bravery Girls Running Initiative was designed the way it was What is different about your pilot program in comparison to some of the other girls running programming out there? Can you explain EMDR and the ARC framework in a bit more depth? What can listeners do to support the initiative? Chad and I also chat about what has been going on with me lately health wise, and what that means for my running goals as well as plans for racing.  Enjoy!

Hi everyone! Welcome to episode 20 of the Chasing Bravery podcast. I am your host Kait, and I am so happy that you are here listening today. As some of you know I have been struggling with some undiagnosed health issues, and while I’ve let myself off the hook a little bit till I get everything sorted out I still am very committed to getting these episodes out. As soon as I am well, I will be back on a normal schedule, and until then I’m grateful that all of you are baring with me and still listening. I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you all. I am chatting with Erin Taylor, founder of Jasyoga and Athletes for Yoga, writer of Hit Reset and Work In, momma, and overall amazing lady. Erin lives with her husband and their daughter across the pond, and she is currently quite pregnant with their son who is due in June. Erin is a fantastic combination of totally motivated work hard attitude, crossed with a healthy dose of genuine self compassion. We touched on so many great things in this episode, from how Erin became passionate about yoga, all the way to the story about how she was in labor with her daughter for a week- a week people, and stayed firm in her gut instinct to not be induced. Trust me, you'll want to listen to this episode!

Hi everyone! Welcome to episode 19 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast. I am your host Kait, and today I am speaking with a very highly requested guest: Sara Vaughn. I have been a fan of Sara’s for a few years now myself, so I knew exactly why she was so heavily requested by listeners. While she may not say so herself- Sara is a very inspiring woman. She is a mother of 3, has a consuming career that she is passionate about, and is running at the World level in Middle Distance Track and Field. While all of this is impressive standing alone, it is not Sara’s full story. Sara had her first child when she was just a Junior in college. Despite many barriers and pushback, she stayed in school and continued to compete at the Division 1 level- all while raising an infant with her then boyfriend- now husband. After school Sara went on to have two more babies, and kept right on running- improving every year on the track aside from those where she was growing humans of course. Sara has now qualified for two Worlds teams , and I believe her when she says she kind of feels like she is just getting started. This episode is a testament to the power of a positive mindset, and a solid grasp on your own self-worth- two things Sara possesses, and brings to everything that she does. I am so thrilled to be able to share this woman with you all- as I believe she is an example of one of my favorite quotes: to be a woman is to be unapologetically resilient despite everything. Before we get to the episode I have two small pieces of housekeeping. The first is the one you saw coming: if you haven’t already left the show a rating and review on itunes, please do. It is the best way for listeners to find the show, and for me to continue to grow this audience. The second is that I want to remind everyone that Sara has little ones at home, so we did have some par for the course interruptions…which I actually think is organic and genuine to Sara’s story and life- however we did do our best to edit here and there.

Hi Everyone! You are listening to episode 18 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast. Today I am speaking with the lovely Katie Mackey, who just got back from World Indoor Track and Field championships, where she represented the United States in the 3000 meters. Katie is not only speedy- she is also kind, open, funny, and real, and it was such a pleasure to speak with her about all things running and life. Katie is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, and while she will say this is a quality she has had to learn how to moderate and control on the track- it makes her so relatable and refreshing to the broader running community. Katie is a prime example of someone who has had their heart broken by this sport of running, yet has found a way to turn that heartbreak into an opportunity to grow and come back stronger than ever – which is pretty brave if I do say so myself. Katie and I chat about her unique training environment with the Brooks Beasts, and what it is like to have her husband as a coach. I must say that I had my boyfriend laughing after I recorded with Katie, because he could totally relate to being on the other side of some of the fiery moments she speaks of with me as an athlete. It was great to hear that even professional athletes whose coaches are their significant others (a dynamic we are seeing more and more of) sometimes struggle to maintain the balance within their own relationships, and I thought that Katie provided some great insight into how she and her husband Danny make it work. Before we get to the episode I want to give a little disclaimer that I was not the best podcast host during this episode. My hosting skills are novice at best on a good day, but today I was particularly spacey and tired after a big workout and being a bit under the weather. We could have tried to super edit up this episode, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is real life, and the important thing is getting this awesome, real conversation I had with Katie out to you all. Please check the show notes of this episode for links on how to follow Katie on Social Media, read her blog, and check out her awesome summer camp!

Hello everyone! By the time you listen to this it will officially no longer be International Women’s day, but it still is right now, and I want to take a moment to say thank you to all the strong, brave, independent, trail blazing women who have shown me what’s possible, and inspired me to dream bigger…always bigger. I also want to thank every woman who has shared their time and part of their story on this podcast. I am inspired each and every week by my guests, and their everyday bravery. Today you are listening to episode 17, and I am speaking with Olympian Shelby Houlihan. Shelby is a professional middle distance runner for Nike, who most recently represented the United States at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in both the 1500 and 3000. Shelby is not just an extremely talented athlete, she has what I call a super power- which is her incredible ability to put her sport into perspective, and not get too worked up over the trivial things that I think many of us runners struggle with. She is so positive, and optimistic- and I am certain that everyone listening will walk away from this episode feeling like they gained some amazing insight into how they can improve their mental game. Shelby was so easy to chat with, and without giving away what we talk about in the episode, I do want to thank her for sharing some pieces of her life and story with this audience that are not well known publicly.

Today you are listening to episode 16, and my guest is Sarah Mac Robinson- known in the running world as “Mac”. Little behind the scenes secret- I send out an info packet to my upcoming guests, and there is a section with a questionnaire that I ask people to fill out, so I can get an idea of how they introduce themselves. As an introduction to Sarah I’ll read you hers- “I’m Sarah MacKay Robinson. Known by many as Mac. I’m 34, living in Tacoma WA, I place I couldn’t have found on the map for a million dollars in high school. I graduated a million years ago (2006) with a English Creative Writing BA with a` focus in Poetry from Colorado State University where I also ran XC and Track. I have worked in marketing from the first week out of school, and currently am a freelance brand storyteller (for lack of a better term). I have a 3-year-old daughter, and am pregnant with her brother”. While I love Sarah’s short and sweet introduction to herself, I’m going to throw in a few more details. Sarah is one determined lady. She made the brave decision to train in the hopes of running an OTQ when , as she put it “she had no solid grounds for believing it would/could happen”. Guess what ya’ll, it did- and when Sarah was only 14 months postpartum. I loved learning the in depth story behind her first attempt at an OTQ training buildup- in which she accosted a coach at a bar, convinced him to coach her, and then ran home because like I said- she’s a determined lady. Her second build up was catapulted into fruition when the tables were turned, and Sarah was accosted at a party by Stephanie Bruce who convinced her that she needed to be training. I was really touched by this piece of Sarah’s story because it is a true example of women supporting women, and being an ally to another mother, another runner, another woman. We could all use more friends like that in our lives.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say , I used everything you gave me" Hello everyone! Welcome to Episode 15 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast. Today I am speaking with the lovely Joy Miller. I am so excited about this episode because it truly accomplished what I envisioned Chasing Bravery becoming. Joy is sharing her true story, and she is doing so because she believes that other women deserve to hear it. While I won’t give away any details of what that story is (it is her’s to tell after all) I will say that she showed immense bravery in doing this, and I am so honored to be the platform through which she decided to make her truth public. What I can tell you about Joy as an introduction is this. Joy comes to us from Ireland (and we are happy to have her), on a running scholarship. Joy discusses her experience making the transition into college and also to another country, as well as her subsequent run in with the police for a drinking fine that ultimately cost her her scholarship. This story has a happy ending however, and joy shares how she overcame her drinking issues, and went on to re-enroll in school and ultimately become an All American in her beloved sport of running.

Hi everybody! This is episode 14, and I am speaking with Shawanna White- also known as peachrunner26.2 over on the old Instagram. Shawanna was an absolute pleasure to speak with, and I can’t wait to share this conversation with you. Shawanna is 38 years old and resides in Columbia, SC f but I am originally from Atlanta, GA. She graduated from the University of West Georgia with a B.S. in Physical Education, and is still a Physical education teacher to this day. Shawanna and I talk about the importance of our PE teachers (a profession close to my heart), as well as her own impressive running career. Shawanna is currently training in the hopes of running an Olympic trials qualifier, and I think you will all be impressed with what she herself calls her “nontraditional” training techniques.

Hi everyone, You are listening to episode 13 of the Chasing Bravery Podcast. Today I am speaking with Tara Welling, a professional runner for sketchers, real estate agent, and most recently a coach for the specialized coaching business- RunDoyen…guys just s everyone knows Doyen is another word for coach, but specifically means a master at something…so cool. Tara and her husband currently live in Portland Oregon where Tara trains with High Performance West. Tara first turned pro in 2012, signing with Nike and the Oregon Project, but after 3 years of enduring injuries and subpar performances, she was feeling burnt out and decided to leave the sport indefinitely. he didn’t know when or if she would return to the sport, but she knew she needed a break and a new training environment. In late 2015, Tara started to get in shape again and fell back in love with running, joining High Performance West and signing a deal with Skechers Performance. Since her comeback, Tara has set PR’s in every distance, won noteworthy road national titles, but unfortunately has not been able to escape injuries. I’m going to quote Tara here because she puts it best, she says “I never considered myself injury prone before, however, having osteoporosis and the female athlete triad I have had to alter my training to put me in the best position possible to stay healthy. I now have a lower mileage program, with lots of cross training and weight lifting. I hope those listening can gain something from my story”. I know that I gained a lot from my conversation with Tara, she is a fantastic example of how it is more than possible to come back from injury and setback with a love for the sport that is still as strong as ever. Tara is also so upfront about a really important topic- the female athlete triad, and while we don’t come up with the solution on the show today – we have a conversation that is very transparent about this issue, which I think is a great first step no matter who you are- athlete, coach, parent, the list goes on.

You are listening to Season 1 of the mini Journal series, episode 4. Today we are speaking with Lindsay Summers. Lindsay and her husband spent almost 4 years in the pursuit of creating a family, and after lots of heartbreak finally became pregnant with their baby Madelyn on their final attempt at IVF. Lindsay shares her success story with us, as well as the failures and heartbreak that were par for the course. I want to thank Lindsay again for sharing her story!!

Hello everyone, You are listening to episode 3 of the Chasing Bravery Journal Series Season 1. Today I am speaking with Kelly, a teacher from Georgia who is expecting a baby girl this summer with her wife. Kelly walks us through some of obstacles involved in creating a family through IVF as a same sex couple, and sheds light on the importance and value of modern medicine for helping same sex couples achieve the family they want. Without further ado, I want to thank Kelly again for being willing to share her story