Climb Your Mountain

An injury can feel like a bomb falling on your training season. It can cause this tidal wave of feelings, like anger, grief, panic, and existential despair. And I know this because it's happening to me right now. If you're dealing with a lot of pain and drama in your head around being injured, this episode is for you. Today I'll share some of the mindset skills and thought shifts th...

Do you have a bucket list of adventures and no one to share them with? Are you tired of waiting for your boyfriend Bob to get over his extreme fear of heights so he can climb the mountain with you? Or your BFF Becky to finally save up enough vacation days so you can hit the AT? Friend, if you're tired of waiting around for other people, it might be time to take the leap into solo adventuring....

Are you hiking your ass off and still feeling slow and winded? Do your lazy friends who hardly ever run blaze ahead of you up hills? If this sounds like your life, you may be tempted to write yourself off as a slow poke or wonder if you're getting old. But consider that maybe all you need is a little more intensity in your workouts. In today's episode I'll show you how a little disc...

Do you dream of climbing a mountain but worry that it's impossible because you live in Florida or Minnesota or Bangkok or some other super flat place? Do you think the only way to get in shape for mountain adventures is to spend eight hours a day on the Stairmaster? Friend, if you're dreaming your high alpine dreams at sea level, stay tuned. Because in today's podcast, I'm gonn...

What if you could think your way to better fitness? Sounds like a pipe dream, right? But friends, I'm 100% convinced it's actually the key to your success in endurance training. So many people are throwing down money left and right for coaches, training plans, programs, and all the things. But because their minds are a mess, they struggle or fail altogether. So in this episode, I'm...

Lactate threshold? What the cheeseballs is that? And why are outdoor athletes so obsessed with it? Well, if you ever wanted to hike faster and climb harder without gasping for breath, finding out your lactate threshold heart rate could be the breakthrough you've been looking for. In today's episode, you'll learn what your lactate threshold is, how to find yours with a simple field t...

Are you tired of tracking every little calorie and macro? Or are you sick unto death or MyFitnessPal and longing to break free? And more fundamentally, do you beat yourself up for overeating or indulging in quote-unquote "bad" foods? If your controlling approach to nutrition is sucking your will to live, this episode is for you. Today we're going to talk all about intuitive eating,...

Planning for adventure in the middle of a pandemic? Yes, it may sound like a giant exercise in futility.  However, getting ready for an adventure trip is a months-long process. And there's a good chance that sometime in 2021, we're going to be free to move about the world again.  So it's a good idea to start your planning now so that when freedom comes, you can hit the ground runnin...

Is holiday travel putting the squeeze on your workout routine?  Wondering how to keep your training going on the road — especially when the gyms are closed?  Friend, if you’re dying for a little cardio therapy before you sit around the table with your judgmental, bickering family, this episode is for you!  Today I’ll share my best tips for training while traveling.  We’ll talk about how to adapt y...

Are you a slave to the number on the scale? Does your mood soar when you lose half a pound only to crash down when you gain a few ounces? Friend, if you worry that you can't do the things you want to because you haven't reached your goal weight, here's a secret. Your weight actually doesn't mean much when it comes to health and fitness. The truth is, you can improve your health...

Are you ready to start eating healthy, but overwhelmed by the time required? Tired of reading nutrition blogs by Cathy Clean Eater who spends 23 hours a day shopping at farms markets and cooking elaborate meals? Friends, if you want simple strategies for eating healthier in a time crunch, this episode is for you. As someone with multiple jobs and a busy training schedule, I have really learned to...

Are you tired of hiking alone? Is your circle of friends full of couch potatoes? Or are you tired of nagging your significant other to play outside with you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time to make some new adventure friends. Yes, meeting new people can be hard when you're a grownup with work and family commitments. So in this podcast episode, I'm going to...

OK, so I get that this is a podcast about mountaineering training. But what if you just don't have enough time in the day to train by the book? Should you wait until you retire or your baby goes to preschool? Or should you wing it, even if you don't feel ready? Friends, here's a secret. As much as I bang on about training, I am also a big fan of doing things I don't feel ready...

Has your nutrition completely derailed and jumped the tracks in 2020? If you notice yourself carrying a bit more weight around these days, you're not alone. There's nothing like a global pandemic to get us all stress eating and glugging wine. I'm definitely not immune to this. I've run two ultramarathons in 2020, and I actually somehow managed to gain a few pounds through all t...

Are you dreaming of climbing Kilimanjaro or trekking to Everest Base Camp, but discouraged because you live in Florida or Iowa or another super flat place? You may be asking yourself, how the cheese balls do I train for high altitude mountain hiking when I live at sea level? Friends, if you're dreaming your mountain hiking dreams in the flatlands, this episode is for you. Today I'm going...

What if you had the power to instantly energize your body, speed up your recovery, reduce stress, and boost your motivation? Well, here's something crazy. You have that power inside you right now. And it's not something you can access easily with your thoughts. The easiest pathway to get to those deeper states of healing and well-being is through your breath. In today's episode, I w...

Think you need to spend four hours chopping veggies and cooking every night in order to eat healthy? Dude, who has time for that? Maybe Suzy the Instagram influencer does, because that's her full-time job. But if you have kids, a career, a training schedule, and a dog that needs walked, you need to cook smarter, not harder! So in today's episode, I'm gonna walk you through a simple...

What do you do when you plan, train, work so hard ... and then it all comes crashing down, due to an illness or injury? How do you cope when you're not sure when or if you'll ever get back to that active lifestyle you love? Friends, if you're going through this, I see you, I feel you. I've definitely been down there in the shadows where you are. And I wish I had a quick fix. Bu...

If you work a 9 to 5 job, we're coming into the part of the year where you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. For us outdoor athletes who love to train outside, that's a challenge, even in a normal year. And this is not a normal year, because thanks to Covid, a lot of us simply aren't going to the gym. So how the cheese balls are we supposed to stay in shape if we don...

Are you tired of being the hardest-working hiker among your friends — and still the slowest one on group hikes? It's so unfair. But the truth is, hiking a lot doesn't necessarily translate into speed on trail. The good news is that making a few tweaks to your workout can really ramp up your speed. And it can happen relatively quickly. So if you want to shock your friends (and delight you...

Think you don't have the time or money to live a life of adventure? Then maybe it's time to get out of your own way!  Believe it or not, most of the limitations in our lives don't come from outside of us. They actually come from our own heads.  And the good news about that is that once we're aware of them, we can release them.  So in today's podcast episode, I'm going...

Almost every week, I get an email that goes like this: Sarah, I dream of hiking the AT or climbing Longs Peak or (insert your dream here), but I'm 50 pounds overweight, and I need to slim down first. Friends, as an inclusive fitness coach, nothing makes me sadder than when you put your dreams off because you think you're in the wrong body. I actually worked with a client whose previous c...

Are you following a training plan that you got out of a book or off the internet — and realizing it's not working for you? Maybe it's making you tired or hurting your joints. Or maybe you're just not getting the results you want. If you're in this boat, let me assure that I've been there too. I've felt the frustration — and also some burning rage at the training plan...

Has your health and fitness taken a ding during the coronavirus pandemic? The good news is you're not alone! When I ask my community what they're struggling with right now, they talk about: Door Dash addiction Overdrinking Having no time to workout while homeschooling Feeling lost without the gym Struggling to stay motivated when their trips are canceled. Being out of shape is no fun, bu...

Are you fed up with falling behind the pack on long hikes? Are you so tired after hiking that you skip your shower and go to bed dirty? Maybe it's because you're trying to climb a huge mountain on two goos and a sawdust bar. If you're training hard and getting nowhere, it's time to look at your fueling strategy. The truth is, very few people eat and drink enough during training...