138 - Kara Goucher's New Frontier - a podcast by Nicole DeBoom

Kara Goucher is pretty much famous. And more than the “famous in our own circles” kind of famous. She’s running royalty; she’s been in the spotlight of a large and passion-driven sport for over a decade. But what happens when you are no longer running for first place? When your body tells you it’s time to change tracks, but you still love what you do? How do you make a shift when you live in the public eye and anything you do is analyzed, celebrated and often criticized?

You’ll hear what Kara Goucher did in just a couple minutes. I want to say this first. I believe that Kara is one of those rare athletes who not only has a physical gift but has the emotional depth and mental toughness to take her innate talent and use it to make the world a better place. While she was racing to win, it was impossible for her to even understand the breadth of her gifts, but now that she’s on the cusp of a new chapter, I think she is starting to understand what she can truly do. And the trick for her is to continue including the thing that she has always loved most in her life – running. Because even when the race doesn’t go her way, the fact that she is open to new experiences gives others hope and inspiration that just maybe they can also make it through the natural transitions that life brings us.

Today we talk about:

Leadville Trail Marathon in all its glory
The power of finishing
How we don't do anything alone & Todd Straka
Brave Like Gabe: Honoring Gabe Grunewald & sharing how her legacy brings strength
Winning your age group: recalibrating success & accepting accolades
Training with Cat Bradley ?
Accepting the natural stages of our lives without compromising what fuels us
Raising a kid who clearly has running genes with no expectations for a running future!
What's next for Kara!

After listening, you may develop a Girl Crush on Kara. This is legit and here's why. Kara is really awesome. Even with the insane athletic gift she was given and all her successes, she is not an unapproachable snob who looks down on mere mortals. She’s nice. No she’s not just nice, she’s kind and caring. She’s compassionate. She’s funny. She’s smart. She’s humble. She’s complicated. She doesn’t claim to know it all. She’s emotional. She’s vulnerable. She’s honest. And she’s real. She is the opposite of fake. When you stumble upon her in real life or on social media, she is the real deal and that’s so refreshing.

So you know what we need to do when people like Kara cross our paths, we need to support them. If you don’t already, be sure to follow her. Comment on her activities. Show that you care. And keep your eyes open on the trails – you just may run into her one day because I have a feeling this trail thing is here to stay! All right over and out you know what time it is. It’s time to get out there and Run This World. Have a great workout and I’ll see you next week!

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