Why We Run Beth Baker

A 50k is scary, and so is doing a podcast without a guest. Different scary, different hard. 
But here we are! 
Here's quick episode on the lessons of my first 50k train run, why I did it and my analogy of the phases of building to a goal, doing said goal and recovering from the event. It's a lot like surfing; sitting on the beach, looking for your angle and reading the waves, working to get out, resting from the work and then the waiting, surfing and wiping out or coming safely to shore. 
Please enjoy the ride. 

The film, Mardi and the Whites, is a layered look at relationships; The tie between The White Mountains in New Hampshire and Mardi Fuller. The bond Mardi has with the outdoors. And the beautiful connection Mardi finds with herself, as an outdoors woman, and her desire to share it with others, especially people of color.

Granted, I am not a film critic, but I cannot say enough about Paula Champagne's movie Mardi and the Whites. It's beautiful and powerful.

I get (GET!!!) to interview Mardi about the movie, her many passions, how white capitalism has seeped into the outdoors...and oh, we DO talk about running.
Please enjoy and please watch the movie, Mardi and the Whites,  which can be found below. (free to watch)


Paula Champagne's Mardi and the Whites https://www.paulachampagne.com/mardiandthewhites
BONUS! Mardi's "Run" Playlist

A lot has happened since Kelly and I first met a million years ago in my Couch to 5k Club. She did the 5k and trained for her first marathon, when this happened. She went on the complete a marathon and then another one. She got married, moved to New Jersey, got on the cover of Runner's World magazine, had a movie made about her and was all set to run the Boston Marathon with her husband and her mom when covid hit. 

And as many of us did,  she stopped running. 

But she's back and we talk about what's new, what's different as she is molting her old identity as Kelly Herron and into Kelly Lieberman. She's taking on the new challenge of training for a half marathon with no time goal to shoot for. We also talk about her role of being a bonus mom, and the parallels of running and staying sober. 

Kelly is really one of my most favorite humans and I always enjoy chatting with her, and giggling. 

I re-interview Beth after she was on the first season of the podcast. We became running buddies through the pandemic and really grew a amazing friendship.
Beth hated running when she started when she was in her late 40's.  When she questioned the internal barriers in her mind and asked herself, "What if I could run a marathon" her running life took off and took her around the world. Luckily for her, she's a world tour guide and owner of Wandertours. 
We share a similar passion about empowering woman through breaking down beliefs of what can be done. We also chat about friendships, how she started and what makes her level up to do incredible feats. She also shares when it's like to run in different parts of the world. 

I am over the moon about talking to Jennifer Louden! I first saw her at a woman event where she gave a barn burning talk about burning barns down. Then when I saw she was the co-host and writing coach at Lauren Fleshman's Wilder retreat,  I knew I had to go, especially since I was green  (and still greener) at this whole writing game.  She was warn, accessible and full of amazing tools.
Fast forward to the pandemic, when she launched her first self-published book, Why Bother?, where she unfolds desire,  and how find it and follow it to take you where you need to go. It is the book that you need to read right now!

Since she is the professional writer, I am going to let her share her bio...take it away, Jenn! 
I helped launch the concept of self-care with my first bestseller, The Woman’s Comfort Book, published in 1992. I've spent the next 20 years writing more books including The Woman’s Retreat Book, The Life Organizer and Why Bother? with close to a million copies sold. I spoke around the US and Europe about women's empowerment and self-care, wrote a national magazine column for a Martha Stewart magazine, and spoke on behalf of major brands.

I was been profiled or quoted in dozens of major magazines including Self, People, and Yoga Journal, and two of Brené Brown’s books, Daring Greatly and Dare to Lead; and I appeared on hundreds of TV, radio shows, and podcasts—even on Oprah.

In the last 15 years, I've focused on helping female creators get off the fence and make the work they love, whether that's a book, a podcast, a course, a membership community, or articles. I do that through courses, masterminds, one-on-coaching, and virtual and in-person retreats.

I host the popular podcast Create out Loud to help creatives stay inspired and keep learning how to make work they love and make money doing it.
Socials:
Website Address: https://jenniferlouden.com/
Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/jen.louden/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jenlouden.writer
Twitter https://twitter.com/jenlouden
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenlouden/ 

When Jennifer isn't running, teaching, biking or being a mom, she is traveling around for her work as the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. She is the first black woman to be elected a diocesan bishop, and she is also a runner. She has been running since college, when she was on the crew team and had to run to the boat house.

 I met Jennifer in 2017 on a shuttle bus for a Oiselle running camp in Pennsylvania and we connected over 80's music, motherhood and running, and we've been friends ever since.

She has beautiful insights on religion and what it means to be an athlete as a way to take care of her body mind and spirit.
Bonus! Here's her running playlist.