Hurdle with Emily Abbate

This is probably one of the most popular topics I get DMs and emails about. I totally get it, because making friends as you get older is tough stuff! I'm calling in my dear friend Kristina Rodulfo to chat about this: She's the beauty director at Women's Health (and your new BFF!). We rap about tips for making friends and best-practice strategies that have worked for both of us. We also talk about...

It was a no-brainer for me to kick off season six (!) with Hillary Allen, an ultra runner who survived a near-fatal #hurdlemoment in 2017. During a skyrace in Norway — which is essentially a run that involves massive vertical gain and direct ascents over steep, technical terrain — she slipped and fell from a ridge. Cue a 50-foot free fall followed by a nasty tumble, more than 100 feet further down...

It's Mother's Day, so what better time than now to bring a conversation with my mom to the feed. Part of this week's MOTHERHOOD IN FOCUS series, I'm grateful for the opportunity to finally sit down with my mom and a microphone to hear more about her story. We talk about a bunch of stuff, from what life was like for her before having me, what it was like to move back and forth between the two coast...

Leading up to Mother's Day, I'm chatting with six extraordinary women. Some moms. Some not. But, each has a story to tell, forever shaped by the women that came before them. Today on the show I’m talking to Annie Thorisdottir, CrossFit’s 2x Fittest Woman on Earth. The Reebok-sponsored athlete is, like Sarah Larson Levey who I spoke with earlier this week, a new mom of a pandemic-born baby. We talk...

Leading up to Mother's Day, I'm chatting with six extraordinary women. Some moms. Some not. But, each has a story to tell, forever shaped by the women that came before them. Ten years. That's how long Steph Bruce has been chasing her Olympic dreams. During that time, she had two sons within a 15-month period (not planned), has dealt with injuries, launched a successful business (what's up, Picky B...

Leading up to Mother's Day, I'm chatting with six extraordinary women. Some moms. Some not. But, each has a story to tell, forever shaped by the women that came before them. To say that I am better for having the opportunity to chat with Peloton's Tunde Oyeneyin is an understatement. Today, she's back on the show ( listen to our first conversation here ) to celebrate her late mother. In our conver...

This week, I'm hosting six conversations as part of a special series on motherhood here on Hurdle. Although I'm not a mom just yet, my talks with Hurdlers over the years have taught me so much about this life chapter. I've learned that motherhood itself is both beautiful and challenging, exhausting and rewarding. Whether or not children are in the cards for you, it's safe to say that we've all bee...

Over the next seven days, I'm hosting six conversations as part of a special week of content on motherhood here on Hurdle. Although I'm not a mom just yet, my talks with Hurdlers over the years have taught me so much about this life chapter. I've learned that motherhood itself is both beautiful and challenging, exhausting and rewarding. Whether or not children are in the cards for you, it's safe t...

Earlier this week I had a difficult battle with the comparison trap at the track. I'm talking about it for this week's 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, and how to pull yourself out of a rut and refocus when things are going south.  SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE READ: 3 of the Best Neck Pain Exercises To Nix Soreness, According to a Physical Therapist by Tamara Pridgett on Well...

Today, I'm bringing Eve Lewis Prieto, Director of Meditation and mindfulness teacher at Headspace , onto the show to chat about the benefits of meditation when it comes to our sleep. It's a perfect time to connect as we head into Global Stress Awareness Month and today marks the premiere of " Headspace Guide to Sleep " (Eve narrates the series). She offers up her best-practice tips for meditating...

When Alex and I recorded together for episode two of the show back in 2017, she had no idea of the hurdles that lay ahead in her journey. My first-ever guest back in 2017, we recently agreed that it was time to have her back for round II. For episode 157, the New York-based trainer and "human" (listen to find out where that's coming from) is getting really vulnerable about the bumps in the road ov...

Thanks so much to everyone who hit me up with feedback last week about 5-MINUTE FRIDAY. This week, I'm explaining what I've learned from all of your emails and explaining why I'm thankful that I got caught in the rain (literally) on Wednesday.  PROMPT : When was the last time going with the flow worked in your favor? MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WATCH : Billie Eilish - The World’s A Little Blurr...

An estimated 64 million Americans have tried CBD in the last 24 months. So, today I'm having an expert come in to answer your CBD-related questions, appropriate for the week of 4/20. Meet Max Poling, the Director of Innovation at Beam . We talk about what is CBD, what are the benefits, what happens when you use it topically versus ingest it, what some of the biggest CBD myths are, and how much a s...

Renée Rouleau is a pink-haired warrior. You may recognize her name from an episode we did a few weeks back, answering your biggest skincare questions. I was really excited to record this with her as well because man, this woman has had her fair share of hurdles — personally and professionally — especially over the last few years. For episode 156, Renée explains how she got into the skincare indust...

The last week was a lot. I finally found my next home, an apartment in Brooklyn after almost a month of looking and a hole lot of "maybe" options. Today for 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, I'm telling you a story about how much my new home means to me, and detailing what apartment hunting (and applying!) was like.  SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE CELEBRATE: Des Linden’s 50K Worl...

Money can feel a little awkward to talk about sometimes. So, I'm calling in the reinforcements! Just because Tax Day got the scoot from April 15 to May 17 doesn't mean we can't start talking $ now. This week for #HURDLEMOMENT, I'm chatting with Kumiko Love, AFC, better known to her massive social media following as "The Budget Mom." Love talks me through her best-practice tips for better financial...

Akin Akman may be a fitness coach, but he's really aiming to make an impact on your mind. The now-Chief Fitness Officer and co-founder at AARMY learned about the importance of movement and mindset from a young age. At 7, he was training to become one of the top players on the tennis court at IMG Academy. His coach, Nick Bollettieri, told him that he had the potential to be the best and go pro — un...

I was recording an episode yesterday with a friend who happens to be a well-known yoga instructor. She said something during our session that stuck with me. “You, out of almost anyone I know, are the best at being alone.” She expanded a little more on the subject. As she did, I felt tears well up behind my eyeballs. Tears that I fought back as I took a deep breath and continued on with our discuss...

Between Spring 2007 and Spring 2010, I lost 70 pounds. I was in college, and before the night that changed everything (you'll have to listen to hear exactly what happened), I felt uncomfortable and unhappy in my body. For today's #HURDLEMOMENT, I'm talking you through how I got to the place where I was ready to make some forever lifestyle changes, and answer your questions about this chapter: Almo...

Massy Arias knew she was destined to do big things from a young age. Coming into her own after arriving in the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at 13, she braved #hurdlemoment after #hurdlemoment, including a stage IV cancer diagnosis for her brother, abusive relationships, and devastating depression. For eight months, she barely left her Brooklyn bedroom, feeling entirely lost. An intervention wi...

I used to pride myself on being a high-caliber multitasker. It made me feel mentally agile, like a modern-day Superwoman. The catch? It’s not exactly desirable to be good at giving multiple things a fraction of your attention. For today's episode of 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, I'm talking about #hurdlemoment I had earlier this week that reminded me of the importance of giving one thing (and one thing only) m...

You can't do this. You're not good enough. This isn't for you. We've all had negative thoughts, but when was the last time you took ownership over them? Today I'm chatting with Dr. Amy Cirbus Ph. D, LMHC, LPC, Director of Clinical Content at Talkspace all about this. Why do we have negative self-talk, who is more prone to it, and how can we better deal with the effects of it — flipping the sc...

Beyond being my personal style inspiration and a model, Emily DiDonato is also the founder of a new skincare brand called Covey and a body positivity advocate. For episode 153, we chat about her journey to self acceptance and the rollercoaster that was becoming a model after being scouted in a Connecticut Mall. She talks to me about struggling with her size early on in her career, spending hours o...

Life has been a lot lately. In between the work calls and running around, I've been having a lot of conversations with friends about worth — the importance of owning it and sticking up for yourself. For today's episode of 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, I'm talking about the importance of being your own advocate. When you do, you may just be pleasantly surprised the next time you’re going after what you wan...

Will I ever be able to run/walk/squat again without peeing myself? How soon is too soon to exercise post-baby? What's the deal with pelvic floor and diastasis recti? Over the years, I've received handfuls of questions from the Hurdle community and today I'm calling on my friend Bree Koegel, FitOn trainer and pre- and post-natal certified trainer to give us some answers. Whether or not you're a mom...