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

Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app.

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.

Viv Serrano is a mountaineer who progressed from local trails to the summits of Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Rainier, and Hood—and she's just getting started.

But what sets Viv apart as an athlete is her honesty. She navigates bipolar disorder, manages stabilizing medications, and still shows up for the kind of training that demands a lot from both mind and body.

Hear about:

• Climbing Kilimanjaro on an all-women’s team as a Summit Scholarship recipient
• Deciding to climb Aconcagua, then getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder while training
• Why Viv almost quit mountaineering and the words that kept her going
• Training modifications and medication considerations
• What the outdoor community needs to talk about more: medication, therapy, and mental health acceptance
• Supporting women by becoming a Trailblazer with The Cairn Project
• Misconceptions about mood disorders
  

Read Viv’s blog post: 5 Things I Did to Train for Aconcagua as a Person Who Struggles with Mental Health Issues

Send this episode to a friend who loves real talk about mental health in outdoor adventure!

Check out these resources:

• 📱 ⁠⁠@Viviautumn18 on IG⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠⁠⁠

• 🥾⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠⁠⁠

• 📅⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠⁠

Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app.

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.

The courage you use in your outdoor adventures is the same courage you can use to resist fascism.

This is an unpolished but urgent bonus episode, in light of recent events in Minnesota and within the USA government.

Athlete Colleen MacDonald joins Angie Lake to talk about why athletes and outdoor enthusiasts need to be using their voices right now to counter fascism and discrimination in the United States.

If you've ever thought "I'm just an athlete" or "why does my voice matter?", this episode is for you, and we hope you share it with your network as an important conversation starter.

We talk about:

• Why outdoor athletes are uniquely positioned to advocate for justice
• The parallels between athletic discomfort and advocacy discomfort
• How to use your voice even when you don't have all the answers
• Why brands and sponsored athletes staying silent is so damaging
• The importance of small businesses taking stands over corporate PR statements
• Practical ways to take action: calling senators, donating, storytelling
• How to show up imperfectly and keep going
• Why everything, including your sport, is political

Please share this conversation with your peers, friends, and fellow athletes.

Resources mentioned:

• ☎️ 5 Calls - links + scripts for calling your elected officials: ⁠https://5calls.org⁠
• Find Your Senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
• Find Your Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
• Chop Wood, Carry Water: Substack of updates and small daily actions (+ scripts) for standing up for democracy : https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com
• Immigrant defense project: news, printable cards, resources to help you be a good community member and help your neighbors : https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org
• Immigrant legal resource center: education, training and resources for community: https://www.ilrc.org
• ICE Rapid Response: local numbers, connect with a rapid response team in your area https://icerr.com
• ⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠ @thecairnproject
• ⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠

See Her Outside episode with Alex Garcia

Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!

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.