Hurdle with Emily Abbate

No. No. No. No. No. Feels good, doesn't it? There's so much power of owning your no. Fact: Saying "no" more means that you accept that you are in the driver's seat of your own life. But why is it so hard to use this little, two-letter word? In today's #hurdlemoment, I'm talking about how to get comfortable with turning things down—and even how to make using it a little bit easier.  SOCIAL @hu...

The moment you start talking with Don Saladino, you’ll feel as though you’ve known him for years. It’s no wonder why big-name celebrities like Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, and Scarlett Johansson have turned to him to get in stellar shape leading up to major movie roles. Owner of New York gym Drive 495, the trainer may be known now for his A-list clientele as well as his stellar physique, but the f...

Man, is it hot out there. This week, I’m bringing Nike+ Run coach and ultramarathoner Jes Woods to hang with me for #hurdlemoment and chat about safe summer running. We offer up the tips you need to stay safe on even the most humid days, ranging from hydration best-practices to smarter pacing strategies. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate @jeslynnyc MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE WOLACO | New women’s l...

On any given day, you might find Jes Woods running 100+ miles in one fell swoop. But not all that long ago the Nike running coach and ultra marathoner was working full time at NBC as a project engineer. In episode 63, we talk about the opportunity that came her way to turn her passion for running into more of a full-time gig, her big goals as a coach for the years to come, and what it’s really lik...

Happiness is how you feel about yourself when you’re by yourself. It’s not something that should hinge on how someone else shows up for you or likes on social media. You have the opportunity every day to do things that make you a better you, a happier you, a person that you are proud of. I’m talking all about this on today’s #hurdlemoment, and I’m offering up an essential, list-making exercise tha...

“The Gifted”, “Big Hero 6”, “Gotham”. On the big screen, Jamie Chung is a stunner. And in person? Well, she’s one of the most delightful, refreshing people I’ve met over the past few years. During a recent Eddie Bauer trip to Dunton Hot Springs in Colorado, I sat down with the California-born actress in a small cabin and we rapped about everything from the crazy way she landed on MTV’s The Real Wo...

“All it takes is all you’ve got.” “You didn’t come this far to only come this far.” We all have phrases or quotes we look to when times get tough. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I’m sharing my go-to words of wisdom for the hardest days, as well as tips for choosing the right mantra and how you can use positive words effectively to level up in every aspect of your life.  SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emil...

Confession: I didn’t know a thing about skincare until give-or-take age 30. I’ve never been the kind of person who thought pricey facials or luxury serums and masks were worth the money. Michael Pollack and Adam Ross made Heyday for people like me. Billed as a destination for “skincare for every day, not just spa days,” their seven New York and west coast locations are a more affordable option for...

This past weekend, I ran after a goal (literally) of conquering a mile in under 6 minutes. Spoiler alert: I ran it in 6:07. Rather than dwell on the negatives, I'm taking this race as an opportunity to reflect on the concept of failure. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I dig into the idea that every failure exists to teach us something great. In reality, the only people who never fail are those that don’...

If you ask George Foreman III what it’s like to grow up with a two-time heavyweight champion as a dad, he’s pretty humble about it—because that’s all he’s ever known. Graduating with a degree in business administration from Rice University, Foreman went on to preside over his dad’s business, traveling the world meeting celebrities and managing contracts. Amidst all the glamour and chaos, he came f...

About 0.5 percent of the U.S. population runs a full marathon. Zero. Point. Five. Which means that if you’re listening to this week’s #hurdlemoment and you’ve either decided to run a marathon or you’re considering it, that’s pretty rad. Seven marathons down, I’m now a certified run coach with a fair share of experience under my belt. I’ve been getting loads of questions about the process, so this...

The FIFA Women's World Cup starts this week (!!) so it felt like an appropriate time to share my conversation with U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team co-captain Alex Morgan. On episode 59, the California native and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover star talks me through what it’s like coming back from devastating injury, and she shares what it’s like to serve as such an outstanding role model...

Sometimes we all need to take a step back and evaluate. Feel like you’re stressed lately? Is something missing? Are you constantly frustrated? Hey, I’ve been there. One way to feel better: analyzing and committing to your priorities. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I chat about Health-Ade CEO Daina Trout’s “bucket theory” (originally discussed in episode 49), and offer up a simple, 15-minute strategy to...

Kelly Ripa. Alicia Keys. Karlie Kloss. The powerhouse behind dance based cardio fitness and wellness brand AKT, celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser has some pretty impressive clientele. These days, she's on the brink of opening 300 new studios nationwide, but she’s overcome a lot of hurdles to get here. In episode 58, she tells me about her pivot into the fitness industry after an impressive career as a...

Invest in yourself. Let the past be the past. Silence is golden. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I’m offering up a little bit of wisdom in honor of my June 2 birthday. Cue 30 different lessons I learned by the end of my thirtieth year. FYI: I don’t have all the answers (and never will), but something tells me you may want to have a notepad handy. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate See omnystudio.com/lis...

He was given a 30 percent chance of living. Suffering burns to 75 percent of his body, this was nothing that Omar “Crispy” Avila imagined when he joined the U.S. Army as an infantryman in 2004. On May 14, 2007, his life forever changed when his vehicle drove over a 200-pound, deeply-buried IED. In episode 57, the Purple Heart recipient gives the intense details of that experience and talks about h...

I knew absolutely nothing about podcasts when I decided that I wanted to create one. It’s been a wild ride, but I’d like to think that after 18 months of recording, I know a thing or two about starting one of these from scratch. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I share some insight into exactly what being a podcaster entails, including the total time commitment, equipment I use, and how to get your show...

Spend 5 minutes with Sjana Elise Earp, and it’ll feel as though she’s your new best friend. The warm, welcoming yogi brings her kind, bubbly personality to her more-than 1.6 million Instagram followers daily. But life hasn’t always been sun salutations and smiles. She had a really tough time as a teenager growing up in at home in Australia. From the outside looking in, things seemed idyllic, but s...

Sometimes, hitting a workout feels great. Other times, it feels like climbing Mount Everest. I’ve come a long way from my time despising fitness back in college, now finding some way to move my body every single day. For the moments that feel hard, use these motivational strategies to get you going. SOCIAL @hurdlepodcast @emilyabbate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chat with Kenny Santucci and you’ll immediately realize a few things: he’s clearly from Jersey, got an affinity for fitness, and a no BS sort of guy. These days, the former reality star is spending his days coaching and running operations at Solace, a New York City gym offering everything from CrossFit to yoga classes. But just over 15 years ago, as a high school freshman, Santucci tipped the scal...

You can be whoever you want to be if you’re willing to put in the work. And while being your own boss can be a blast, it also comes with a fair share of challenges. For the past couple years, I’ve been building a brand from the ground up and learning what it truly means to be an entrepreneur. I don’t have all of the answers and often feel like I’m totally winging this thing, but I’ve learned a TON...

Let me tell you: Leila Janah is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. She’s compassionate, bold, and a total powerhouse leading up two large (very different) companies, united by a common social mission to end global poverty by giving work to people in need. As a busy founder and CEO, she’s under intense stress all the time. In 2017, she logged nearly 500,000 miles and 44 days (!!) in the air. Then, an une...

We all have this idea in our head of what it’s going to take to be happy. Maybe it’s a dream apartment, that perfect job, or ideal partner. But the truth is that happiness starts from within. In today’s #hurdlemoment, I share my six tried-and-true habits for happier living—some of which have gotten me through even my toughest days. Make sure to shoot me a DM or an email to emily@hurdle.us and let...

When Paddy Spence lost his brother unexpectedly in 1995, his entire world changed. He pivoted jobs, decided to give up sugar (and hasn’t looked back since), and re-evaluated the “important” things in life. In episode 53, the Zevia CEO talks about this #hurdlemoment’s drastic impact on his wellbeing, the research on diet soda consumption in the U.S., and we swap stories about endurance racing (spoi...

The beginning of 2019 was a little rough for me. To everyone else, it looked like I was living my best life. Traveling from Spain and Paris to Austin and Los Angeles; working hard and living it up. I was struggling. Being on-the-go constantly made it hard for me to keep up with my healthy habits, and I fell into somewhat of a rut. As a result, I realized in early March that I wasn’t proud of how I...