When initial excitement wears off and you are left with endless miles or endless work, how do you actually keep going?

In this episode, I chat with Savannah Schuring, a long-distance hiker, researcher, and author who has logged over 20,000 miles on trails across the U.S. Savannah pairs her own deep lived experience with qualitative research from nearly 100 interviews with thru-hikers to examine how endurance, motivation, and trail community shift under sustained pressure. We dive into the psychology of long-term persistence, why solo adventures rebuild self-perception, how trail families pull us through dark moments, and how to navigate the messy process of reintegrating into everyday life after a massive physical feat.

Connect with Savannah

Between the Miles: Inside the Minds of Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers

Instagram: hiker_sav

What happens when you choose to step completely outside your comfort zone and pursue a goal that scares you? In this episode, we tackle the massive mental and physical shifts that come with training for and completing an Ironman 70.3. From the initial spark of motivation to navigating the inevitable race-day curveballs, we explore how embracing the "hard moments" reshapes our perspective on what is possible.

But doing hard things isn’t just a solo endeavor—it creates a ripple effect. When we choose to push our limits, we implicitly give the people around us permission to expand their own boundaries. Tune in for a raw reflection on race day logistics, the power of an uplifting community, the freedom of pivoting your goals, and why you should always choose to do the hard things entirely for yourself.

Hormones are like Mariah Carey—they’re dramatic."

In this episode we are stripping away the generic medical advice and getting completely honest about women's health. Board-certified physician assistant and functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner Danielle Kepics joins the show to break down how everything from hormonal birth control and casual drinking to our inability to just sit still impacts our endocrine systems.

Danielle shares her "Foundations of Women's Health" framework, exposing the real connection between chronic stress, gut health, and hormonal chaos. If you are an active woman trying to balance intense training with life, only to find yourself burnt out, sleepless, and struggling to recover, this deep dive is your wake-up call.

In this episode, we unpack:

• The real, often un-discussed impact of hormonal birth control on your body's natural chemistry.

• The "Stress Bucket" theory and why your partner is probably much better at actual recovery than you are.

• Why cutting out alcohol for 90 days might be the ultimate lever for your metabolic and sleep health.

• The massive difference between working out for longevity versus burning your body to the ground.

• Navigating the current noise around GLP-1 medications and bone health.

Resources Mentioned:

• Beyond the Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten

• Breath by James Nestor

• Connect with Danielle on Instagram: @DanielleKepics