[upbeat music] I used to think of running as something that I had to do, and I've shifted my mindset more recently that it's something that I get to do. When I go out for a run, I don't have the, "I have to run."
I have the, "I get to run," but it's also, "I need to run."
Because when I'm able to go out for a half hour, 45 minutes, or whatever it is, in a way it's kind of like therapy where I have to tell myself again, like, I'm gonna shut everything out and make this about what my needs are.
Because when I'm done, I can, I can go back and, and I will be a, a better wife and mother and grandmother and daughter because I was able to do that for myself. Welcome to For The Long Run.
We explore the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated, and how they've been able to achieve sustainable excellence. I'm your host, Jonathan Levitt, and we're so glad you're here.
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We have Hildy Weiss joining For The Long Run today. Hildy, thanks so much for taking some time to chat. Thank you so much for having me. Of course.
The first question is always a challenge, and I think you know what's coming. Who is Hildy? Hildy Weiss is a wife, mother, and grandmother. I have worked as a, uh, freelance writer.
Uh, my topics range from soap operas and parenting to pregnancy loss and now fitness.
And, uh, at the age of 46, I realized that I needed to do something for myself and pri- prioritize my physical health and mental and emotional health, a little prodding from a very well-meaning family member, and I decided to start working with a personal trainer who has become a very dear friend of mine, and he has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and
try new things that I would never think possible for myself. That's who I am. What did that journey look like?
What was the, what was that moment that broke the, broke stasis for you and, and at 46 pushed you to, to do something for yourself like that? Well, I think at that point I was pretty busy taking care of
my family and being an active volunteer. I didn't have a hobby. I didn't have a full-time job. I didn't really even have a sport or an activity like a lot of my friends did. And I think I was
doing everything and being everything for others, which I have absolutely no regrets about. But, uh, it was actually my father-in-law who sat me down and said, "You really need to be doing something for yourself.
You're so busy taking care of other people."
And I had been thinking about the idea of working with a personal trainer, um, but at that particular time, I was dealing with a hand injury, and I figured, "All right, so now is not the time."
Uh, but with that conversation, it really prompted me to at least make the call to our local JCC just to see what my options were, and I was told that there was a trainer there who could work with me and work around my injury.
And, uh, I met Jeff for the first time in July of 2014. Um, he asked me about my goals, what was one thing that I would like to do if I could, and I mentioned running.
I said that was something that I used to like look out my window and see people running on the street, and I wish I could do it, but I didn't think that I had it in me. Um, I had so many reasons why I couldn't do it.
That was sort of my thing where at that time I think I was really afraid of trying really anything.
So the running was one thing, but even as I started working with Jeff, and I wasn't so sure with the hand injury what I'd be able to do.
But I trusted him, and, and he really was so good at getting me to start working out, work around that injury, and then over time, the journey has really been about him seeing the potential in me that I didn't see in myself to, uh, get out of my comfort zone and Do something.
So whether it was that first 5K or doing Spartan races or taking up trail running, doing the challenges that he's had me do for burpees and push-ups and all kinds of stuff, I really
didn't have the confidence in myself when this whole journey started.
And really over the last 12 years, it's been a journey, not just my running and fitness story, but really a journey of me going from being afraid and lacking the confidence to being willing to open myself up to possibilities.
I think that's the like, uh, half of the fun of running, right? It's finding the best version of ourselves and using this thing that is low risk to, to experiment and, and try.
What, what was it that-- why didn't you think you, you could do it? What was the, you know, you were looking out the window longingly at these people who were, who were doing it and saying, you know, "Not me."
Not, not, "Why not me?" But rather, "Not me." There were, there were a whole lot of reasons, and most of them really all equaled that lack of self-confidence.
I worried about how I would look in the clothes, because in those days, I used to wear, you know, baggy shirts and baggy capris, and I hid behind my clothes.
I was worried about how I would look in the movement of running. Um,
I thought of the character of Phoebe from Friends when she was running through Central Park in that episode that, uh, Rachel was too embarrassed to run with her because she looked so silly.
So I, I picture myself looking like Phoebe, um, not quite as joyful in the process, but just like, you know, looking very silly.
I worried about tripping and falling because, uh, from the time I was a kid, I was somewhat of a klutz, uncoordinated, didn't have a whole lot of grace and coordination.
I worried about, you know, if I would ever get so far, that whole thing that runners deal with with, you know, the kne- needing a knee replacement or hip replacement.
I was sort of like seeing the future and, oh, that's gonna be me.
I really-- it was-- when I would look out the window and see people running, it looked easy and effortless when I watched others doing it, and I just didn't see that being my reality.
Of course, once I did start, [chuckles] it really wasn't a thought.
When-- Once I started going out on my runs, I really didn't even think about what others were seeing in me, but it was something that I was just so worried about beforehand.
At what point did you start to think that it could be you and that this is something that could be possible for you?
Was it early on in that journey after, after you started, or did it take a while to instill that self-belief? No, I think that once I started doing it, it was like, you know, why did I ever really worry about it? So, um,
when Jeff brought up the idea of my starting the whole process with running, my-- I had already nursed my injury, and we were working out regularly, and he was having me do walking workouts on the treadmill, and he would incorporate like a, a minute of jogging intervals into that.
And one day he said, you know, like, "You should sign up for a 5K." And I said, "I haven't even run a complete mile." So he said, you know, "Get on the treadmill and run a mile."
And I don't remember too much about the details of that run. It was a good 11 years ago. I don't remember the pace. I don't remember the time.
But I can imagine that when I was done, I felt that exhilaration that I feel every time I, I cross a finish line and most of the time when I finish my own run outside. It's like this feeling like, wow, I, I did this.
So, um, I did that first 5K in May of 2015, and I did it on my own. Um, I originally thought it was gonna be with him, uh, but he told me at the last minute that I was gonna be doing my own run.
He was coming with his wife, and they'd probably be a little bit behind me. Uh, and [sighs] at the time I was like, you know, "What do you mean you're not coming? How am I gonna do this by myself?" But I, I, I did.
I started the starting line like everyone else, and I figured I'll follow people along the way. And a friend of mine was there at mile three to help me finish that pro..., um, the, the ru- rest of the race.
But then once I crossed it, it was like, this is what it's-- everyone's been talking about, that, that joy, that exhilaration, and I felt even better when I did my second 5K the month later. And, and it just continued.
So when I would go out on my own runs, it-- like I just didn't really give a thought to all those preconceived notions that I had and the worries and, and thinking like this is gonna be too hard or impossible even.
What happens next?
I was running on my own most of the time, uh, through the neighborhood, actually avoiding the, the streets and the roads that were going uphill because I think that was something I was a little bit afraid of.
And of course, these days, I actually try to do it because I can, uh, do the inclines. But, uh, things were going really great during the summer, and, uh, uh, Jeff and I met up one day at a local metro park,
and along the way to the run, he said, "I think it's time for you to train for a 10K." And of course, my reaction was the same thing that I had with the 5K. Like, "What are you talking about? Like, 10K is too hard."
And he said, you know, like, "We'll, we'll work at it." As it turns out, when we went on that run, it was a mile repeat run, and we had done two, uh, separate miles of running at a, a really nice pace.
And I said I had to excuse myself to use the restroom, and he had argued, "No, no, no, wait till we're done." And I said, "No, I really have to go."
So I went to the restroom, and I was very, very quick, like, "Oh my gosh, I gotta get back to this, and he's gonna be mad at me." And when I got out of the restroom, I tripped on the step
And proceeded to fall and, uh, we thought I had just sprained my ankle, but it turned out, I found out a week and a half or two weeks later when it was still hurting me, that I had broken my fifth metatarsal, and I was told that I couldn't run or walk a few months.
And at that point I thought, "Oh no." Like here I had gotten into running and it was like working so well and I was really enjoying it, and now I can't do it, and what if I can never do it again?
I was so sure that wasn't gonna happen. But with time and a lot of patience, I waited it out and then when I got the go ahead to run, he had me ease my way into running. It wasn't just like the first day I, I ran a 5K.
It was, you know, five minutes one week, 10 minutes the next week and so on.
But I did that 10K in, I think it was either April or May of 2016, and that was the best, fastest 10 ki- 10K I had ever done, and I've never been able to, to get that time.
But it was sort of like this lesson like, oh, you know, it, it, nothing really is impossible. And then from there he said, "All right, like work for a half marathon." And again it was like,
come on, that, that's just like so out of my realm. But I followed a training plan that he put together and we ran that half marathon together and that was really
like a milestone where I was able to celebrate what is really achievable and what really is possible if you just like, you know, put in the work and, and you can have the belief in yourself.
And while I didn't always believe in myself, I had him who had enough belief for the both of us.
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What sort of things did that unlock in other parts of your life?
The self-belief, the empowerment, the ability to do hard things, like it's, it's exciting to do that in running and, and for me I've found that the ability to set a goal, work towards a goal, and check off that goal or do things, get uncomfortable and be better at dealing with discomfort like that, that's nice in the context of running, but it's becomes really powerful when you can take that s- that, those skill sets and apply it to, to other parts of life.
Have, have you been experiencing that as well? I think that it has taught me that I can handle harder things in general.
So it may have nothing to do even with the fitness portion, although there have been a lot of things that I've been able to handle with that.
But in just regular life, raising five kids, and when I first started, they were, uh, preteens all the way up to, to college age.
And, you know, raising five kids that are within seven years of an- of one another and just, just the regular daily stuff.
It's like, you know, I think it helped me a little bit with, um, being able to maybe be more patient, more open, you know, dealing with, um, situations when I need to be emotionally and mentally stronger.
Um, there have been things along the way, you know, health challenges, um, even like the injuries that I had with the running where
I, it's, um, I don't know if it's so much the, the c- the confidence helped me there, but I think it was like that inner strength that, that helped. How do you, how do you think about setting goals going forward, right?
You've, you've come so far in the mental side of things.
Do you think about goals as it relates to subjective mental victories or is it, are there time or distance-based goals that, that you think about to, to kind of give structure to the training and, and approach?
They're, they're all different. I mean, along the way, um, usually when I, I finish, um,
a race and, and the training that's involved that Jeff has helped me set that up with, he'll say, "Okay, you know, I want you to think about what you want to do next."
And I think that my goals used to be a lot more specific earlier on, so it could be about doing a race in a certain timeframe. It could be
something more general like working on my flexibility or Meditating for just, you know, better mental health. Uh, these days
I think they're, they're not quite as specific, and I really try not to put numbers on things because I was really, really hard on myself earlier on and relying on the data and obsessing over it. I, I
used to think of running as something that I had to do, and I've shifted my mindset more recently that it's something that I get to do. So
I'm signed up to do a night run next month in Jerusalem, and I've never done a night run before, so that's a nice little goal.
And I don't really have a time involved, especially 'cause it's at night and who knows what that's gonna look like. And I have to be- Right. That adds a few minutes right there...
a little more careful, you know, to stay upright. Yeah.
I think, um, some of my kids are gonna be doing that with me, which is a, a whole other experience, and I, I wouldn't necessarily have called it a goal early on, but it's something that I've enjoyed doing over the years where I've had the opportunity to
run a race with, you know, my, a son or a daughter. It's, you know, also to be able to run alongside them on the treadmills in our gym is like, you know, who would've ever thought that? Um, I, I think it's, um...
And there's no, like, timeframe on this, but I would really love to go back to some of the trails that I've done with Jeff and do, like, a little redo.
And some of them I feel more as a redemption type of thing, where I might have gone with him and it was kinda hard and I had to walk up the hills, and then, um,
you know, may- maybe it'll, it would look a little different and then my attitude would be like, "Let's do that," and I will, um, trot up them, not necessarily walk when they're hard.
But I, you know, again, it won't be about time, but about accomplishing that task. I'm gonna hopefully do the Jerusalem Marathon 10K next March.
I didn't get to do it this year as I had planned because of, um, the, the date change. You know, we've had times where I've worked on my, a, a plank, and that was a time goal.
So I once was able to do a three-minute plank. Um, I can't imagine doing it now. [laughs] 'Cause these days he has me do, you know, like a minute at a time. But could I do it?
I, I'm certainly willing to work for it, and I think that that really has been the greatest change in me, is that when I started out, I lacked the confidence and I lacked the open-mindedness to think about trying something hard.
I would right away say, "No, no, no."
Uh, luckily I had someone who, again, like, saw the potential and he wanted to bring it out of me, and over time I was able to do some of these things, and these days I'm willing, within reason, uh, to try them.
So, like, doing the Spartan races were some, were things that I never, ever would've imagined doing. Um, but he was talking about it nonstop and saying, "Oh, you'd have so much fun. Let's do it. Let's do it."
And, and, and then I did it, not just once, but two times. How do you think about identity?
Um, I've been poking around in your blog, which I love the name of, and in one of the, the pieces you said something to the effect of, um, "I am learning to come out of my shell and be comfortable enough in sharing my personal journey of how I evolved from sedentary wife and mother of five to a runner and athlete."
That's a huge transition from an identity perspective. Uh, have you, have you thought about that? Has it been- Yes... challenging for you to, to identify a- as an athlete? Yes. Yeah.
I, and I a- actually have a blog in the making, but I'm gonna wait till next week when the book comes out so I can share that. Look, I remember the first time I was referred to as a runner. I think it was Runkeeper
was doing, like, this, you know, blogs and they were asking members at the time to share their running, running stories, and that was the first time that I was referred to as a runner, and I thought, like, "Me?
A runner?" Yet I will tell other people, it's easier to tell other people than yourself, if you run, you're a runner, and whether it's an 18-minute mile or it's an eight-minute mile, you're a runner. And whether it's
one mile that you run or whether it's a, you know, a, a full marathon, you're a runner. So I've had to apply that to myself, I guess, to say, "Yeah, I'm a runner."
When people, you know, ask me questions about my running, I do get excited to share.
Um, I, it's, it's not so easy for me to talk so much about the achievements, but if they have questions about, like, how I approach things, then yeah, I'm, I'm happy to, to, to share that.
The athlete part is something that's been, I guess, a little bit more recent in being referred to that way.
And the book was actually originally, um, titled the same name as my blog, and it turns out that it was, I guess, quite a popular title, so, um, my publisher said, you know, like, "We need to come up with a different kinda name," and it really didn't take me that long.
I think I just thought about that. I thought about an- another title, which I actually was pushing for that, but then we said, "You know what? Embracing My Inner Athlete. That's what I've been doing."
Ironically, the, um, the title You Want Me To Do What is the name of a book by apparently the only man to succeed at all three elite US military special ops qualification schools. Oh, wow.
[laughs] Uh, it was a terrific account of what truly happens at the Army Special Forces, Navy SEAL, and Army Ranger training. Um, so a little bit different, but still mental training and still physical training.
Um, so your, your, your book- I'm safe [laughs]... is about... Yeah. It's similar. Yeah. I mean, it's all... But it, but jokes aside, like, a strong mind is a part of all of it. Yeah.
Um, and, and embracing the inner athlete, I think is a more, um, you know, from, from everything that we've talked about so far is, is certainly an appropriate, um- Mm-hmm... title.
What, what was the creative process like of writing, writing a book, and why did you wanna write one? It wasn't so much that I wanted to do it.
I, I was, um, encouraged by a very good friend of mine, uh, who actually is also a writer, and I had been writing the blog for a few years before that.
I think I started the blog in 2019, and just as a way of, you know, sharing th- that journey, and those posts were sometimes about a workout I had done, sometimes it was some very, very deep thinking.
And I don't know that I necessarily had a big audience, but it was just very therapeutic and fun for me to share that.
So in the fall of 2023, I was in Israel at the time, and that friend of mine had said, "You know what? You, your messages on Instagram and your blog is, like, really motivating you.
You have a really good message, and you should really, like, write a book because your story is a little bit different than what's out there. You know, you started later in life, and it hasn't been all that smooth.
There's been things that have come along the way, and hopefully that would resonate with people." So
I kind of started at the beginning, um, with the first chapter being in 2014, who I was then, where I was, you know, physically, emotionally, as a busy mom, having that conversation with my father-in-law about prioritizing myself and then starting to work with Jeff.
And each chapter really, um, highlights that year in terms of the races that I did.
And I was able to go back to my Instagram posts and, and revisit those races, and it was kind of like going down memory lane where I was able to say, "Oh, I remember that race now.
I remember, like, some things about it." And I was able to, to share a little bit of that and re-experience that. And it didn't take me all that long to write it.
I mean, I think I started in September, and by January I was done. And then I thought, "All right, look, if, if Karen believes that this is something, then I'll try it." And
I wasn't sure whether to do the self-publishing route or to look for a publisher. So I figured, okay, let me, let me start with looking for a publisher and looking for, for an agent, and
I sent out my proposal to a ton of publishing companies. Got some really, really nice rejections about, you know, what this great message but, you know, it's not for them at this time.
I got a really, really great rejection from a agent who said, "I think this has so much potential, but I'm representing Kira D'Amato with her book, so I can't really do yours as well." And I said, "I thank you.
I've never been so happy to get a rejection" [laughs] You know? Um, and then I wrote to Kira, and she is, like, so sweet and so approachable, and she is getting a copy of the book next week, uh, from me.
And, and, and she wished me luck and sh- you know, it, there's a little something for everyone. And in July, I wound up signing with Library Tails Publishing.
They came back to me and said, "Wow, we really believe in your message and in your story, and we think this would be great." And they have been great cheerleaders this whole process.
And I wound up writing, um, the 12th chapter, uh, and this was a few months after I thought I was done. Uh, where I started that chapter was like, I thought I was done, but this is what happened to me this year.
I had, um, had a hysterectomy and I was told to, you know, recover and, and not run, not work out for a certain amount of time.
And I let that time, you know, go by and I kept on saying to myself, "Running's gonna be there when I'm finished. It's fine. I'm not worried. I'm not thinking about it."
And once I got the go ahead to start again, Jeff said, "Well, hold on. We're gonna do now my plan where we're gonna ease our way into the running," the same way he did when I had my broken foot.
So I followed that plan and I started going on runs and something just happened with me where I would stop short and say, "I'm too tired and I can't do this anymore and this is too hard."
And it was happening more and more and I would blog about it and I would, uh, journal about it.
I would share this with Jeff and, uh, we had a, a few conversations about this and, uh, in one particular conversation, I believe it was in August, I
had kept on pushing off the idea of going on one of his group runs that he had in the summer 'cause I thought, "I'm gonna be too slow and hold everyone back." And he said, "Don't worry. No one gets left behind.
You'll enjoy it." And um, he said, "You know, you really need to find that joy of running again.
Like you, you are n- like something has happened with you and you need to kind of find that version of yourself from a few years back when it was just like something that you loved."
And he also felt that it was tied in with the fact that I used spinning as a cross-training method.
So I, uh, and needless to say, I, and I, I wrote about this in the last chapter about what I went through with that 'cause I think it was important to share that, um, like other times, like things happen along the way where it wasn't just
This 46-year-old wife and mother and grandmother who decides that they're gonna start running and it's smooth sailing- Right... 'cause it hasn't been anything but that.
There have been injuries and illnesses and, and surgery and, and rollercoaster rides with my, uh, motivation and where I had to come back and shift my mindset, and it was by the way, in that conversation where I realized I kept on saying, "I have to run."
And I had to turn things around and find ways to,
uh, refocus myself and treat running as something that I get to do, and it's a privilege and it's an opportunity rather than a burden or something that I require of myself. How did you get there? Right?
'Cause I think so many people get stuck in, "I've signed up for a race and now I have to go do it," and I, I, I hate seeing these posts from people that are like, "Ugh, I have to go for a run in the rain today." Yeah.
And it's like, you don't, actually. No. You're not a professional athlete. Nobody's making you do this. [laughs] Right. But I think I w- I was, was not thinking about
not doing the run, and there were times that Jeff would say, "You know, you don't have to do this. Maybe take a break." And but I couldn't even think about that.
I think that the change probably happened when I actually joined him for that group run, and he told me it was gonna be three to three and a half miles, and of course, it wound up being closer to five, uh, which he admit to...
He admitted the next day that that was a test, because if he would've, if it really would've been three or three and a half miles, we, you know.
Oh, if he would've said that it was gonna be five miles, I would say, "Oh, no. That's too much. I can't do that." So I went on that run.
I ran with him the whole time, and we start out as a group and then we sort of like were in the back of the pack.
And we just ran that run and we got to talk and I enjoyed that run, and it wasn't about the pace or the time or the fact that we were later than everyone else.
And then after that I realized, you know, there's like little things I can do to help me shift that mindset and make it about the opportunity and the experience of it.
So I decided I, I can look at my watch from time to time, but not focus on the pace and the distance. I can look to see, all right, I'm, I've done three miles, but it's not about like, oh gosh, I have this left.
I'm not, I'm not putting a, that pressure on myself that I have to do a particular distance or speed for that. I also... A- and this is not something that I can really, um, get that joy when I'm on the treadmill.
Um, it's very different, but when I'm outside, I- I'm so much more in tune to what I'm seeing and what I'm experiencing. Like this morning for example, I went for a run and it was beautiful out and
I took in the blue sky and the greenery and making sure to say hello to people and smile at them as I was going along my way. And I had no idea what my pace was.
I didn't know how long it was taking me until I was done, and I was shocked that it was the fastest run I have done in probably a few years actually. But it was this natural thing where I wasn't like pushing.
I wasn't huffing and puffing. It was, I was running according to feel and I was enjoying it and I found that tribe again once I told myself that the data doesn't matter so much.
You know, when you do a race, yeah, you wanna, you know, you, you give it your best shot and you try to, you know, do what you can, and I'm putting my effort in when I run these days, but I've tried really hard to tell myself that it's really not about the pace that I'm doing.
It's an opportunity. It's not, you know, it's, it's not about how fast or slow I'm going or how long it takes me. This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing.
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It helps the show when you use that code. How has that and how has your why evolved since getting into running? My why is
that running and the work, the working out that I do, um, in general is that time that
I construct for myself and I really try to leave everything else behind and allow myself to have this time to focus on me, not think about, you know, what could be going on upstairs when I'm working down in the basement.
And when I'm going on a run, um, if my phone lines are ringing on my watch, like I'm not gonna answer it. I- I've been able to say that
this time is for me and that's not something that I was able to do back when I was 46 and before that. And that decision that I made at that time
could've been looked at as something selfish, but I think that it, it actually was selfless because
What I was doing was going to ultimately benefit my entire family because I've become hopefully a better wife and mother. I'm healthier, I'm happier, I'm, I'm fulfilled, I have a purpose. And so sometimes when
I go out for a run, I don't have the, "I have to run," I have the, "I get to run," but it's also, "I need to run," because, um, when I'm able to go out for a half hour, 45 minutes or whatever it is,
in a way it's kind of like therapy where I have to tell myself again, like, I'm gonna shut everything out and make this about what my needs are. Because when I'm done, I can, I can go back and, and I will be a, a better
wife and mother and grandmother and daughter to my parents, um, because I was able to do that for myself. What's next? How do you think about the future? I wanna be active 10 years from now, 20 years from now,
30 years from now. It will not look the same as what I'm doing today at 57. Um, and whatever I'm able to do, I, I wanna be able to do it in the version that I am at that time.
You know, I, I did a race several years ago and I was with, um, my cousins.
It was a father and son who are cousins of mine, and the father had placed the top of his age group, so we had waited around for him to get his medal.
And then there was this woman that went up to the podium, and I don't know if she was in the 80, 80 to 89 age group or in the 90s, but I looked at her and I said, "I wanna be her when I grow up."
And it's not so much about the placing in the age group or getting that medal, it's just the idea that she's going out there and she's doing it.
And I feel that as long as I can physically do whatever I can, I may not be doing burpee challenges or 10Ks at that point, but, you know, I, I, I'm not, I'm not stopping anytime soon.
My grandma's 88 and, uh, has friends that are 20 years younger than her, and she's, like, more active than, than they are. And- Mm-hmm... uh, I, I was visiting her in Florida recently...
not recently, at some point in the recent future, in the, [chuckles] in the past. And, um, I was like, "How..." Like, "How are you-- How do you continue?" Like, "What is your, what is your secret?"
And she's like, "Jonathan, once you stop, you just can't, you can't get back up again. So you just-" Mm-hmm. "... can't stop." And so she-- I mean, she exercises three, four, five times a week, and it's- Wow...
it's more than what the average, you know, 30-year-old does. Yeah. And yeah, it's just the epitome of for the long run, right? Like doing it- Yeah... for life. I mean, I...
Look, I, I've got grandchildren that like for me to get on the floor and do puzzles with them and, and play with them. And I joke, you know, "I'll, I'll get down there, but you may have to help me get up."
But that's, that's something, to be able to get on the floor. You know, I, I wanna be a- an active grandmother. Um, I don't wanna let
a lack of mobility keep me from being able to relate to them and, and engage with them. And I know that had I not started this 12 years ago, I, I don't know what I would be like today.
I also say that there's a part of me that wishes I had started earlier, like in my 20s. I wish I would've been active as a teenager, and I wasn't, but I really wasn't in a good place in my 20s and 30s to, to do this.
And this happened at the right time. So all I can hope is that moving forward,
I can be active enough that, you know, it continues to give me good health, uh, from a physical perspective, but also emotionally and phys- uh, and mentally because, um, I think it's all tied in together.
My, um, my grandma-- my other grandmother, um, always reminds me of Bashert, right? The- Yeah... it's what's meant to be will, will happen. And so maybe- Mm-hmm...
if you got into it in 2010, you wouldn't have met Jeff, and you wouldn't have had this wonderful adventure that's led you to the path you're on now.
And you might have met a different coach who you weren't inspired by, and it was a, you know, a, a burning flame that, that fizzled out and, and maybe you'd be on the couch, you know, today. Right.
So, uh, yeah, it's, it's... I often also feel I wish I started earlier. I wish I ran in college, I wish I ran in high school, I wish I ran in middle school. Um, but I wonder if I'd be, still be doing it now.
And if I weren't doing it now, like my life, [chuckles] I have two running podcasts, like my life would be pretty different. Um- Right...
and, and so yeah, it's like sometimes a bummer to not have started earlier, but who knows what, what it would've led to or not led to, um, at that point. Yeah.
I mean, I could tell you, um, this month I'm celebrating 37 years of marriage with my husband.
And when we met and we were dating and, uh, we were both living in New York City, he would always wanna go to Central Park and walk around there.
And I had started putting on weight when I was in my last year in high school and just kept on putting it on in college, and I just was not active and I was heavy and like the thought of taking a walk, like no.
I, I, I, I would always ask like, "Can we take a cab?" [chuckles] Um, or a bus even. And he- he'll say like, "What happened to the girl I married?" And he's not saying it the way like, "Oh gosh, you've, you've changed."
You know, for... It's not for the worse. It's certainly for the better. Um, uh, 'cause he sees, you know, like just how happy I am and how healthy I am. Um, but it's such a
Polar opposite of what I was when we first got married and, you know, it took me a long time to embrace, like, healthier eating and any kind of, of working out. I mean, um, yeah, I, I, I would not have,
um, been ready in 2010 to do this.
I, I had to do it when the opportunity arose and it, it really was about, like, the right timing and the right person and having the support of my husband and my kids and
friends and, you know, I've, I've gained so much from the different running communities. It, it really is about the right timing. What does success mean to you?
Success is not about how much money you make or how many medals you have or even your, you know, your personal best.
I think it's the moment that I had when I climbed this incline wall at my first Spartan and I was all muddied and feeling, like, tired and trying to get up that
incline wall with Jeff ahead of me and him saying, "Just come on, keep on trying, keep on trying."
And I was, like, ready to give up and he said, "Give me your hand" and I, and I had to, like, have something come over me to push myself to the top, getting over that top of the wall, coming back down and then going on to the next obstacle and finishing that race.
That's success because that is something that was never ever on my agenda. It was not a goal. It was something that he kind of thrust upon me. But it, it was about
coming out of my shell and having that moment where I went from not having, um, that confidence in myself to realizing I just need to push myself a little bit, that I have that in me and it's bringing that out and bringing it to fruition.
Hildy, this has been a, a fun conversation. Where can people find you and your book if we wanna learn more? So the book is coming out on June 9th. It's available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Library Tails Publishing.
You can find me on Instagram. I'm momof568, so it's M-O-M-O-F-F-I-V-E-6-8. I'm on Facebook as Hildy Weiss. I'm on Strava as Hildy Weiss.
I have my blog, uh, youwantmetodowhat.home.blog. And, um, and I, I just hope that anyone who hears me or, or reads the book just gets that message that it's never too late
to start on something and you're stronger than you think. Love it. Hildy, thank you so much for the chat and, uh, we'll see you out there. Thank you, Jonathan. Thank you. That's it for today's episode.
Like many long runs with friends, it's sad when it has to end. Join us next time as we continue to share inspiring stories from the running community.
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