Do you remember running sprints as punishment in soccer practice, or the stress of the dreaded PACER test?

Many of us equate running with suffering. But that doesn't have to be the case.

Emily Holland is a runner, rock climber, and Partnerships Manager at HydraPak, where she builds collaborations that fuel adventure and strengthen community across the outdoor industry.

This story is a reminder that we’ll probably continue to take in toxic messaging in running media, but with care and thoughtfulness we can always come back to feeling strong and happy in our bodies. And, we can create our own media to shift the greater running culture.

Hear about:

• Our early running exposure, which was typically sports team punishment
• Experiencing body image challenges as a child and adolescent
• Differing cultural norms in different sports
• The negative effects of over-exercising and under-fueling
• Moving to Boulder, CO and rock climbing and trail running there
• Learning how to fuel for distance running and listening to her body
• Running the Gorge Waterfalls 50k and the Grand Traverse in 2025
• Juggling goals in different outdoor sports
• Emily's storytelling through "Jacked and Chill" and finding joy in strength training

⁠Emily on LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Emily's Substack⁠ | ⁠Emily on IG⁠

Send this episode to a friend who wants to set a running goal!

Check out these resources:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

• 🥾⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• 📅⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Make sure you subscribe to the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠See Her Outside Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ so you don’t miss a story!

Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance). Hosted by Angie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.