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.

Ever put so much work into an adventure or creative project that you feel a bit sad when it's over?

Lauren Delaunay Miller is the editor of "Valley of Giants: Stories from Women at the Heart of Yosemite Climbing," and also a producer and award-winning audio reporter.

"Valley of Giants" features 40 stories of women and rock climbing, going all the way back to the 1930s.

We talk about:

• The challenges and beauty of editing a rock climbing anthology
• Parallels in imposter syndrome between writing and outdoor sports
• The unglamorous side of creative projects and authorship and managing expectations
• The "adventure blues" and post-publishing blues
• The strengths of women in climbing
• Tips for aspiring writers and creatives

Love adventure books like Lauren's?

Grit Lit is our quarterly subscription box meets book club, celebrating women and adventure.

Members get a box every quarter full of woman-created goodies, including a nature-inspired book.

Interested in becoming a part of Grit Lit? Head to ⁠⁠cairnproject.org/grit-lit⁠⁠ to join and get a welcome box! It’s a great gift for a friend, too.

More info:

• Grit Lit: ⁠https://cairnproject.org/grit-lit⁠
• Lauren's work: https://www.laurendmiller.com/

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 Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay.

Summit Scholarship applications close on Jan. 31, 2026 and

The First 50k Sisterhood applications close on Jan. 10, 2026!

Paula Murray didn't start backpacking until she was nearly 60 years old, and now she can't get enough.

Paula lives in the Wasatch Mountain Range in northern Utah and has been a professional machine quilter for 31 years. She and her husband, Tom, have six children and 12 grandchildren. Paula's story is an inspiring example of living an adventurous life no matter your age.

Paula and Angie talked about:

• Her first backpacking trip through the Paria Canyon and how it "blew open a door"
• Tips for women who want to solo backpack
• Menopause and relearning what her body was capable of
• The beauty and freedom that comes with aging
• How being self-employed helps her prioritize adventure
• Tips for raising kids who love the outdoors from day one
• Training for the rest of life, not for one event

Share this episode with a friend you want to go backpacking with!

Check out these resources:

📅 Summit Scholarship Foundation (Applications close Jan. 31)

🏃‍♀️ First 50k Sisterhood (Applications close Jan. 10)

➡️ The Cairn Project on IG

✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter

🥾 Become a Trailblazer

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.

First 50k Sisterhood applications open Dec. 27, 2025!

Curious about running a trail ultramarathon?

Host Angie Lake shares nine tips for running your first ultra, covering how to prepare your body, train your mind, and embrace what we call "the Spirit of the Wild Woman."

Plus, learn about the First 50k Sisterhood, a new scholarship program that will help 15 women train together for their first 50K at Wild Woman Trail Runs in June 2026.

Angie shares about:

• The 80/20 training method
• Strength training as a non-negotiable
• Eating carbs without guilt
• Reframing hard moments
• Setting process goals instead of just time goals
• Giving problems time to get better
• Finding community in ultra running
• Signing up because it's hard
• Your own running story matters

Get ready to submit your application to the First 50k Sisterhood! Applications open 12/27/2025 through 1/10/2026. Learn more here.

Check out these resources:

• • 📱 ⁠⁠Wild Woman Trail Runs website
  • 🏃‍♀️ Wild Woman on IG
  • ⁠⁠⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠⁠⁠
  • ⁠⁠⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠⁠⁠
  • 🥾⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠⁠⁠
  • 📅⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠⁠
  • 🎙️⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Share your story on this podcast! Submit for Field Notes here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.

Summit Scholarship applications open on Dec. 15, 2025! Here’s the story of one of our past recipients.

Brittain Noel is a storyteller whose practice began in childhood and followed her through foster care, to Tibet, across Asia and into the mountains she climbs today.

Navigating an upbringing by adults with mental illness, Britt found nature and climbing as a way to heal. Her work blends documentary texture with a deep interest in how people find belonging, courage and humor in the moments that feel hardest.

Britt and Angie talk about:

• How Britt broke into professional production
• Moving to Tibet and making decisions to travel the world
• The inaugural Adventure Lens Grant process
• Her mentorship from Savannah Cummins
• The Peruvian Andes: Ishinca & Tocllaraju trip recap and what it was like to both film and climb
• Creating “Vamos a la Playa,” the film from the trip
• Tips for aspiring creative professionals in outdoor media

Get ready to submit your application to the Summit Scholarships! Applications open 12/15. Learn more here: https://www.summitscholarship.org/summit-scholarship-2026

Check out these resources:

• 📱 ⁠Britt on IG

• 🎥 Britt's film: Vamos a la Playa

• ⁠⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠⁠

• 🥾⁠ ⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠⁠

• 📅⁠ ⁠⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠⁠

• 🎙️⁠ ⁠⁠Share your story on this podcast! Submit for Field Notes here.⁠⁠⁠

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 Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.

Dream about starting your own adventure club, community, or membership?

Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure went from just a wild idea to a thriving community of over 6,000 women who love to spend time outside!

Hear the LVWoA story and take away tips for building and growing your own outdoors community.

We talk about:

• Why women need their own outdoor spaces

• The challenges of going from 100 to 4,000 members in weeks

• Member-created events: how to scale community without burning out

• When and why to incorporate as a nonprofit

• Vetting, waivers, and insurance: the unglamorous but necessary parts

• Why passive engagement matters too

• How "unfamiliar faces" push us in new ways and the power of hiking with strangers

Thanks to Jackie Seidman, Cathy Nelson, and Allison Young for sharing their stories and advice.

If you’re inspired by group adventures and want to join us in the Grand Canyon in March for a Rim to River to Rim hike, there are a couple spots left! Sign up now:

https://cairnproject.org/grand-canyon-rim-to-river-to-rim

Check out these resources:

• 📱 The LVwoA Facebook Group

• 💻 LVWoA Website

• ⁠➡️ The Cairn Project on IG⁠

• ⁠✨ The Cairn Project's newsletter⁠

• 🥾 ⁠⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠⁠

• 📅 ⁠⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠

• 🎙️ ⁠⁠Share your story on this podcast! Submit for Field Notes here.⁠⁠

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 Marie Lake and edited by Alyson Castonguay.