It's not everyday that you stumble across a world champion athlete in Steamboat who isn't a snow sport athlete. Today you will hear a parallel perspective on what it takes to be the best - from my favorite person in the world - our current SSWSC mountain bike and skimo coach, former 2-time Ironman Triathlon world champion, consummate gear enthusiast, health and fitness guru, father of 6th grade SSWSC athlete Wilder, and my husband, Tim DeBoom. 

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Tim is an elusive champion; he doesn't wear his accomplishments on his sleeve. When we moved to Steamboat in 2020, he didn't want to leverage his athletic past, so he started by volunteering to coach whichever ski program needed him. After a season of wrangling 6 year olds on cross country skis, the club figured out his skills would be better suited for a different level of athlete! Today he coaches the kids who have a proclivity for endurance - on the bike and on skis - notably starting the first-ever Steamboat Springs Skimo program (one of just a few kids' skimo programs in our country). 

This interview was a blast - when's the last time to sat down with your spouse and asked them all the big questions about what makes them tick? After listening, please reach out if you have any questions about the programs Tim leads or anything else! 

Today you will hear:

• Tim's background: family, sports, philosophies and more
• Swimming: How one sport set the stage for a future world champion in another sport
• Trust in the process is key to success in everything.
• Specialization vs diversification
• Patience & Consistency
• Identities: How they shift and change from Swimmer to Pro Athlete to Dad to Coach 
• "I wonder if I can finish?" The Power of Wonder

As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!

Today we have my favorite guest in the world - you guessed it - Mirna Valerio! This is an obviously true statement due to the fact that she has been on this podcast more times than any other guest by far. 8 times! That means you can have hours of happy, mind-expanding Mirna listening by simply tuning in here. I am going to take you back in time so you can appreciate Mirna’s evolution and then, better appreciate our conversation today which really centers on a topic that we haven’t explored before. A topic that affects pretty much everyone I know. The topic of depression and anxiety. But first, let's hit memory lane...

In Dec 2016, episode 34 titled Mirna Valerio of Fatgirlrunning Promotes Health at Every Size. This was not too long after we first connected. Mirna was experiencing that beautiful thing we call momentum. It was around this time that I think I told her, this is amazing, and let’s keep it going as long as we can because one day we’re not going to be able to afford you anymore! Her message at that time was simply about the fact that people at any size can get moving for reasons above and beyond trying to lose weight but simply for the love and joy of movement.

Well people noticed and while many agreed with her, others decided to make her the subject of their anger so in Sept 2017 we recorded episode 69 - Mirna Valerio is not a Liar and a Fraud. You guessed it - as she gained popularity and inspired many people to try new things, she also gained the attention of some haters, one of whom took the time to email her that she is a liar and fraud.

Instead of stopping, the message fueled her to go even further. So she kept pushing, moving and breaking barriers. In June 2018, she was the star speaker at the Skirt Sports Ambassador Retreat in Boulder, and since we had an in-person opportunity, i grabbed her and fellow ambassador Latoya Snell and we recorded episode 97 - Mirna & Latoya Uncensored - and had a fun, deep and raunchy conversation about all sorts of awesome topics like lady part chafing, how people project their fears on others, how we’re all nuts and more. At this point she was comfortable in this space of both empowerment and controversy, and she was learning how to navigate it successfully. We took a little podcast break, mainly because Mirna became insanely busy as a very sought-after speaker, athlete, and more. Our next podcast was in March 2020 - 163 - Mirna Valerio Leans Into Joy. The pandemic had just begun and I was desperate for a voice that could help pull me and my listeners out of the daily fear and figure out to embrace joy even during the toughest times. After today’s episode I wonder if I was among the many who have unrealistic expectations even for the most positive spirits in this world. The truth is that I needed her for more than the pandemic, I was also in my most turbulent professional crisis ever, making decisions about the future of Skirt Sports, and it was tearing me up - I needed every trick in the book.

Which leads me to episode 200 - Mirna Valerio Live and Unfiltered which we recorded in May 2021. I was on my honeymoon - only 9 months after I sold Skirt Sports and moved to Steamboat Springs, CO. This episode was basically a celebration - of how far we’ve come and how much there still is to explore. 

And she made two bonus appearances on fun group podcasts:

In March 2017 she sang opera at my parents dinner table at a photo shoot in Savannah Georgia in episode 43 - Tales From the Shoot. There were 5 of us, Mirna, my parents Gail and Roger Molzahn, and Kim Cook, our amazing photographer. THe sound sucked but the conversation was awesome. 

In January 2019, we recorded episode 119 - Body Talk - with 3 other amazing, strong women who were helping promote the launch of our new Plus Size collection, Jen Szabo, Katie Kelly and another frequent pod guest, Jill Angie. It’s that collection that Mirna credits with helping her learn what really goes into the creation of products that fit real women’s bodies, not mannequins, and I’m so proud that we were able to both create things that made women feel beautiful but also helped other women grow, learn and evolve. 

So there you have it, an audio history of my friendship with this amazing woman who started as an educator from Georgia who had a health scare, decided to change her life, and turned into the force we know today as the Mirnavator - a woman who truly brings joy everywhere she goes even when she herself is struggling to find her own. 

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We chat about ALOT today:

• Perimenopause and how depression and anxiety (and other things) are really brought to light.
• "What's the absolute worst case scenario?"
• Being an observer of our own bodies
• How being outside is the most therapeutic trick for Mirna
• Manifesting your future
• How to be many things - just not all at once

Finally - the big secret she couldn't share is already public! Check out Mirna's groundbreaking work to help show how women run FURTHER! Check out Lululemon's new project featuring 10 trailblazing women. 

I hope you enjoyed the show. This episode effectively wraps up my 10-episode menopause series. I'm not sure what's coming next - or when it will come - if you have ideas, shoot me a note! Until then, get out there and Run This World! 

Today I’m trying something new. I’m interviewing a friend, someone who has been on the show before - Elizabeth Kraus. Check out episode 139 - Elizabeth Kraus Asks Herself 3 Questions Every Day - an interview we did in July 2019. It's sooo good...and it also shows how much we go through and how much we can change in just 3+ years. 

Elizabeth is a powerhouse business woman who I’ve often called when I need career advice and she always delivers. She’s strong. She’s brilliant. And she’s an incredible leader and role model to many. So when she reached out not too long ago and said she has a story that she wants to share and the best way to do it would be on the podcast, I didn’t hesitate. The hook? She didn’t tell me any details. I had no idea what she was going to share. Only that she had recently been through an experience that changed her life and she needed the world to know about it! So get ready to go through a ride with me today. 

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

Teaser - some high level topics we cover:

• Mind & Body Breakdowns
• Body image
• Eating disorders
• Hormones
• The illusion of success
• How our relationships can be affected by our body/mind journeys

Elizabeth also turns the mic on me and shares a great technique for helping others navigate their menopause journeys. 

Today you will hear our version of the Girlfriend’s Guide to Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy. Our guest, Mary Jane Minkin, is possibly the best-suited person to speak on this subject and I’ll tell you why. She is a practicing gynecologist who has been teaching at the Yale University School of Medicine for over 41 years! She has ridden the menopause rollercoaster, experiencing society’s many changing beliefs and recommendations over the past 40+ years. She has treated 1000s of women to help them find hormone relief. She’s written 7 books on the subject. And she’s been through menopause herself. Plus, she is excited to share what she’s learned and help kick the stigma around menopause. 

I first discovered Dr Minkin on Selene Yeager’s Hit Play Not Pause podcast in an episode called Happy Vaginas. Which led me to your fabulous, Information-packed website Madame Ovary. Finally I recently read the brilliant NY Times article by Susan Dominus titled "Women Have Been Misled About Menopause" that debunked some long-held myths about menopause and included some very powerful quotes from Dr Minkin. I decided I needed to get her on this show so we could help more women make sense of this crazy rollercoaster of a ride that we all go through.

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

Today you will hear the following and so much more!

• Dr Minkin's path to practicing medicine and in particular, women's medicine (spoiler: it all started with Sputnik!)
• Her personal menopause journey two decades ago
• Check out menopause.org - the 2022 Hormone Therapy Guidelines
• The Girlfriend's Guide:
  • How do I know when I'm perimenopausal?
  • How long will it last?
  • How can I help my symptoms?
  • Can you recommend some natural remedies?
  • What is HRT and how do I know if I'm a candidate for it?
  • What are HRT risks? (and an explanation about the WHI study from the 90s that caused a breast cancer scare associated with HRT)
  • What are HRT benefits?
  • Does HRT help with cognitive issues (brain fog)?
  • How do I know when to stop?
  • What are the positives to menopoause?

For more on Dr Mary Jane Minkin, go to MadameOvary.com - you can reach her directly here. 

As always, please leave a review on itunes, or reach out anytime with thoughts, ideas or just to say hi! 

This episode is SO FLIPPING GOOD! If you don't know Dr Mindy Pelz, today be prepared for your mind to bend and possibly explode with happiness, hope and motivation. If you've been sitting around wondering how to move out of your current energy state, slump, universe of uncertainty, you will walk away with some tools to start RIGHT NOW! 

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

I learned about Dr Pelz when I was walking my dog, Pickle, on the trail near my house. A couple of my friends walked up talking about this amazing doctor who was recently on Danica Patrick’s podcast sharing her expertise on women and fasting and how the number one thing we can do is plan our lives around our cycles. It was a new outlook that I hadn’t heard before - instead of trying to push through the waves that our cycles bring - she was suggesting that we honor our cycles and plan our schedules, productivity and brain power needs appropriately. She calls it “understanding the language of hormones.” I cold emailed her and then hounded her until she scheduled with me! We had the greatest conversation - my mind literally exploded multiple times, especially in regards to being a female athlete. And it was funny, we also had a couple glitches and we just decided to roll with them because that’s what hormones do - you’re going along just fine and then blam-o! They can hit you hard and sideline you for a second! 

In addition to learning a ton of very interesting and valuable info, you'll want to check out Dr Mindy's work.

Peruse her website: drmindypelz.com

READ her new book Fast Like a Girl

LISTEN to The Resetter Podcast

JOIN her Reset Academy and get supported in your fasting journey

No, that's not a typo. My old friend, one of my college swimming besties (we're standing next to each other top row 5th & 6th from right), Lyn (Askey) Jutronich was recently attacked by a great white shark while swimming in Del Mar, CA. I had reconnected with her about a year ago when I was seeking advice on whether to start HRT. She sent me a note about her perimenopause journey in all its glory and I thought, "We should really feature her on a podcast!" Lo and behold I was reading the news a couple months ago and saw an article about the most recent shark attack in the world only to realize I was watching a video of LYN ASKEY from her hospital bed!

I immediately reached out to make sure she was okay and we both agreed that she needed to come on the show and share her story. Two months after the attack, we connected on so much more than sharks. Lyn is one of the most open, amazing women you'll ever meet. She shares life tips, beauty hacks, menopause wisdom and the tale of her crazy shark encounter - and I know you'll leave wanting so much more. Don't worry she shares her email - so send her a note if you want!

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

Today we cover:

• A fun beauty hack: The little-known nose hair wax!
• Sobriety: Why & when it was time to stop drinking (for both of us)
• The Penis Game: Note - this game does not involve any actual penises!
• Perimenopause: How it manifested in Lyn, depression/anxiety, other unusual symptoms, why meds can be a really good thing, HRT & more
• The Pessary Story! OMG!
• The great white shark attack: Lyn's story will give you chills 
• When crazy things happen, sometimes other important things are discovered (like blood clots in your legs!)

Lyn is a rockstar. One of my favorite people on the planet. I'm so grateful she is with us today. 

As always, please leave a review on itunes, or reach out anytime with thoughts, ideas or just to say hi! 

Today is a big-time overshare episode. I am a huge advocate for learning about your body and taking control of your health - from the inside. One of the best ways to do this is to become an expert of your own blood metrics or biomarkers, something that seemed difficult to do in the past, but is now incredibly easy and cost-effective. 

I stumbled upon InsideTracker a while back when I was trying to figure out how to get my blood drawn and tested from my small town of Steamboat Springs - without a required visit to my doctor to place the lab order. 

Turns out InsideTracker believes that the work I'm doing to help women learn about their bodies, especially during this crazy menopausal time, is important. They became a sponsor of this series and gave me access to one of their Registered Dietitians to do a down & dirty discussion about what's really going on in my body based on my recent bloodwork. 

I don't just share the positives, I share the stuff that needs work too. Today's discussion explores why some biomarkers are strong or need improvement, what I can do to work on things and how you can also take control of your health. 

One of my biggest takeaways is that I'm just not getting the protein and iron I need at this point in my life - and that may necessitate some dietary changes! There are other things to work on, but this is my main goal after learning more about my inside!

Be sure to check out insidetracker.com/runthisworld for 20% off their entire site. 

More on Michelle Darian :)

Michelle is a registered dietitian and Marketing Manager, Science & Product at InsideTracker. Michelle graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Dietetics and Global Health. Driven by her passion for disseminating accurate, actionable nutrition information on a population scale, Michelle completed master’s programs in Nutrition Interventions, Communications, and Behavior Change, and in Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics. 

As a Registered Dietitian, you’ll find Michelle analyzing the research behind recent nutrition trends, bringing actionable food and supplement recommendations to the platform. When she's not myth-busting, you can find Michelle exploring new restaurants and creating in her kitchen.

Today you hear from Dr Jenn Salib Huber, one of the most infectious voices on food, menopause & nutrition today. I was listening to her podcast The Midlife Feast - the particular episode was titled something like Take Iron or Go Poop - Why do we have to choose? It actually had a better title, but that was the gist! I was immediately smitten by her humor, real-personality & willingness to share deeply on topics that can make a big difference during this menopause journey, but are not always popular to talk about (like how going KETO is a not-so-great choice during menopause). 

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

We have a fun & informative conversation today focused mainly around an area that is very important to me and probably all of you: FOOD! As a Registered Dietitian, Naturopathic Doctor and Intuitive Eating Advocate this is her wheelhouse! 

Enjoy today's conversation including these tidbits and more:

• Why we give so much power to a number & how to say goodbye to the scale
• The bullshittery of the diet cycle
• How to release the attachment to an outcome that keeps us on the diet cycle
• What the heck is gentle nutrition
• The power of changing from a "Take away/restriction" approach to an "Add-in" approach to eating
• A fun Mythbusting powwow on a number of topics including:
• KETO and midlife
• Protein
• Cravings
• And more!

For more on Dr Jenn Salib Huber, visit her site, join her Beyond the Scale group program and sign up for her Food Joy / Body Joy Retreat in April 2023. 

Today I connect with an old friend who is doing really cool things for women - Jill Angie is empowering women to set and go after life goals they didn’t realize were possible. She calls herself a fat running coach as she runs her Not Your Average Runner empire. She’s also a life coach which is sort of obvious as we chat, a speaker, an author and the coolest person you’ll ever meet. She’s also through to the other side of menopause and has some awesome insights to share. I’m sure you’ll want to work with her after listening today. Head over to notyouraveragerunner.com and grab her free Start Running Kit on the site.

And I should add that my goal was to do an episode about what happens to our boobs during menopause. I couldn’t think of anyone better to talk breasts with than Jill Angie, but realized even before we started that we would need to expand the conversation to cover all things menopause and even a few more fun rabbit holes. So get ready!

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

Today we pontificate on the following:

• Jill's menopause journey including the fact that she thought she was crazy when she started having symptoms bc no one told her they could be tied to perimenopause in her early 40s!
• Symptoms: heart racing in middle of night, sleep problems, vertigo, hot flashes, hair changes
• What helped: stopping caffeine, a book she picked up by one of the Northrups, she did not do HRT
• Boobs: We talk about our own breasts and some common ways that menopause may affect breasts, namely tenderness/pain, changes in size or shape, and the scariest one - lumpy breasts. If you have this symptom, see your doctor asap as it may be indicative of something other than menopause
• Sex after menopause: yes, it can be amazing :)
• And more

For more Jill Angie, go to notyouraveragerunner.com & do something great for yourself! 

Selene Yeager is the host of the Hit Play Not Pause podcast which in my opinion, qualifies her for this title: Menopause Expert. Selene is also the content manager for Feisty Menopause, and a top-selling professional health and fitness writer who lives what she writes as an NASM certified personal trainer, USA Cycling licensed coach, Pn1 certified nutrition coach, pro licensed off road racer, and former All-American Ironman triathlete. Most recently she is the co-author of ROAR and Next Level with Dr. Stacy Sims. 

All that aside, I've known Selene for almost 20 years back in the days when she was the voice for all things women at Bicycling Magazine. When I launched Skirt Sports in 2005, she immediately "got it," requested one of our cycling skirts and proudly rocked it (and reviewed it) as a way for women to carry their femininity on and off the trails.

I love that she's never stopped pushing for women to own their health & fitness journeys in whatever ways they need - at every stage of life. Today we talk all things menopause. I'm so grateful that Selene is an open book as she shares many nuggets of wisdom and advice in her own journey and through her conversations with other meno experts. 

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

Today you'll hear:

• Selene's background & what sparked her interest in this topic
• Menopause 101 discussion about our shifting hormones which start long before "actual menopause"
• We can help make our menopause journeys more comfortable
• Discussion about common ages, symptoms, products that may help and other things we can do to make things better
• Lifting heavy shit: how on DAY 1 of lifting heavy, Selene experienced an immediate effect 
• And more really good stuff that will help you!

Check out her popular Hit Play Not Pause Podcast

For more on Selene and her work, check out https://www.feistymenopause.com/

Welcome to the first episode of The Body Summit - my way of providing accessible & powerful info to women who are dealing with the before, during or after of menopause. I created the series with the goal of learning more about what happens to our bodies during this time (which can start in our early 30s), but it's very clear that we're also affected emotionally, mentally and spiritually which you'll learn from all of my guests. 

Today you hear all about hormones from my brilliant, funny, down-to-earth friend, Dr. Anna Lundeen. Anna is a board certified family medicine physician with a passion for helping women discover their greatest health. She has an extra interest in helping women manage their hormones, so get ready for some actionable info!

Series Sponsor InsideTracker has a special deal for Run This World listeners - 20% off at insidetracker.com/runthisworld - use it now!

Today we talk about:

• The hormone journey we all go through
• How hormones change as we age: estrogen, progesterone, DHEA & testosterone
• All sorts of sidetracks and rabbit-holes about the above!
• Hormones and FOOD! Tips and tricks to manage your hormone changes through nutrition
• The importance of your gut in managing inflammation
• The impact of stress on digesting food
• Genetic testing: Pure Genomics
• The importance of finding a doctor who fits your needs!

Do Anna's Hormone Reboot launching mid September. Visit https://www.wellev8health.com/programs for more info. 

More about Anna:

She has a BS in Bio-environmental Engineering from Cornell University and completed her medical doctorate at Drexel University College of Medicine in 2006. She has been practicing medicine in the Yampa Valley since 2009. She currently works at Northwest Colorado Community Health Center part-time and runs a virtual functional medicine practice called Wellev8 Health.  As a certified CrossFit coach and nutrition enthusiast, functional medicine was an obvious next step as this approach uses nutrition, movement, stress management, and supplements to support our bodies’ natural processes and address the root cause of symptoms. When it comes to hormone health, this approach works wonders. Anna’s mission is to help busy women feel their absolute best as they tackle the peaks and valleys of every day life. I think you will find that she has that effect even through the airwaves.