WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:14.780 [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." 2 00:00:15.340 --> 00:00:17.900 I have the, "I get to run," but it's also, "I need to run." 3 00:00:18.040 --> 00:00:33.740 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. 4 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:48.100 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. 5 00:00:48.340 --> 00:00:57.460 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. 6 00:00:58.420 --> 00:01:05.840 This episode is brought to you by Precision Fuel and Hydration. Spring race season is here, which means a lot of you are moving from training into race mode. 7 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:16.080 Precision cuts through the noise with three simple dials: carbs, fluid, and sodium. I've really dialed up carb and sodium intake thanks to all the conversations I've had with dietician friends. 8 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:25.520 You can hear more about this in particular in my April 24th episode with Stevie Smith. And as you'll hear, more carbs are important no matter if you're at the front, middle, or back of the pack. 9 00:01:25.550 --> 00:01:38.220 Their gels and chews have powered thousands of miles for me the last couple of years, and I'd love to hear how it works for you too. Head to visit.pfandh.com/forthelongrun and take 15% off your order. 10 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:48.360 Make sure to select For The Long Run when they ask about how you heard about them. This episode is brought to you by Tifosi Optics, and with summer here, this is about the most useful time of year to talk about them. 11 00:01:48.750 --> 00:01:57.880 I've been running in Tifosi for a few years now, and in the summer they basically live on my face. Long mornings, high sun, sweat in your eyes, that's exactly when good eyewear stops being a nice-to-have. 12 00:01:58.090 --> 00:02:06.880 They're light, the optics are clear, and they just stay put and get out of the way so you can focus on the effort. If you wear a prescription like I do, this is the part worth your attention. 13 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:12.580 Getting sports sunglasses that actually work with your prescription used to be a hassle. Tifosi made it simple. 14 00:02:12.620 --> 00:02:19.900 You submit your prescription online, they handle the rest, and you end up with summer-ready shades built for running or anything else you do that you can actually see out of. 15 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:27.680 I've handed these out at local events and to guests here on the show, and the reaction is always the same. People love Tifosi. They put them on, and they get it right away. 16 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:45.460 So if you've been squinting through your long runs, now's the time. Head to tifosoptics.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off. That's FTLR2026 at tifosoptics.com. [upbeat music] And welcome back. 17 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:54.240 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. 18 00:02:54.320 --> 00:03:08.980 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. 19 00:03:09.820 --> 00:03:16.940 Uh, my topics range from soap operas and parenting to pregnancy loss and now fitness. 20 00:03:17.720 --> 00:03:42.240 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 21 00:03:43.180 --> 00:03:49.280 try new things that I would never think possible for myself. That's who I am. What did that journey look like? 22 00:03:49.300 --> 00:04:02.320 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 23 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:16.029 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 24 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:30.000 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. 25 00:04:30.020 --> 00:04:31.860 You're so busy taking care of other people." 26 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:45.980 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." 27 00:04:46.720 --> 00:05:02.040 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. 28 00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:15.100 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. 29 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:27.900 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. 30 00:05:27.950 --> 00:05:34.420 That was sort of my thing where at that time I think I was really afraid of trying really anything. 31 00:05:35.080 --> 00:05:42.040 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. 32 00:05:42.280 --> 00:06:03.550 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. 33 00:06:03.700 --> 00:06:17.420 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 34 00:06:18.380 --> 00:06:21.760 didn't have the confidence in myself when this whole journey started. 35 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:37.620 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. 36 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:51.779 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. 37 00:06:51.820 --> 00:07:03.040 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." 38 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:12.180 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. 39 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:23.820 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. 40 00:07:23.870 --> 00:07:28.320 I was worried about how I would look in the movement of running. Um, 41 00:07:29.260 --> 00:07:38.580 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. 42 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:49.240 So I, I picture myself looking like Phoebe, um, not quite as joyful in the process, but just like, you know, looking very silly. 43 00:07:49.920 --> 00:08:00.590 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. 44 00:08:00.780 --> 00:08:10.709 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. 45 00:08:10.820 --> 00:08:14.220 I was sort of like seeing the future and, oh, that's gonna be me. 46 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:26.540 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. 47 00:08:27.080 --> 00:08:31.440 Of course, once I did start, [chuckles] it really wasn't a thought. 48 00:08:31.760 --> 00:08:42.040 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. 49 00:08:42.340 --> 00:08:48.420 At what point did you start to think that it could be you and that this is something that could be possible for you? 50 00:08:48.500 --> 00:09:01.700 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, 51 00:09:02.860 --> 00:09:20.940 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. 52 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:30.960 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." 53 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:39.660 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. 54 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:55.440 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. 55 00:09:55.920 --> 00:10:09.700 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. 56 00:10:09.760 --> 00:10:25.100 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. 57 00:10:25.220 --> 00:10:38.460 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. 58 00:10:38.540 --> 00:10:52.720 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. 59 00:10:52.820 --> 00:11:05.880 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. 60 00:11:06.300 --> 00:11:07.080 What happens next? 61 00:11:07.800 --> 00:11:19.750 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. 62 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:34.700 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, 63 00:11:35.620 --> 00:11:48.660 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." 64 00:11:49.320 --> 00:12:01.320 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. 65 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:09.360 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." 66 00:12:09.610 --> 00:12:19.180 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 67 00:12:20.248 --> 00:12:39.428 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. 68 00:12:39.508 --> 00:12:51.188 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? 69 00:12:51.368 --> 00:13:06.908 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. 70 00:13:07.068 --> 00:13:11.488 It was, you know, five minutes one week, 10 minutes the next week and so on. 71 00:13:12.128 --> 00:13:26.828 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. 72 00:13:27.308 --> 00:13:38.958 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, 73 00:13:40.268 --> 00:13:50.648 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 74 00:13:51.748 --> 00:14:03.888 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. 75 00:14:03.918 --> 00:14:10.068 And while I didn't always believe in myself, I had him who had enough belief for the both of us. 76 00:14:12.828 --> 00:14:21.868 A lot of you listen to this show for about an hour a week every week, and a lot of us happily pay 20 plus dollars a month for Netflix or a couple of streaming apps without thinking twice. 77 00:14:22.188 --> 00:14:27.968 So I want to ask you to consider doing something similar for independent creators, people making the shows you actually look forward to. 78 00:14:28.308 --> 00:14:38.408 If For the Long Run is one of those for you, you can support it directly at forthelong.run/subscribe. It's $8 a month or $80 for the year. And here's the honest version of why it matters. 79 00:14:38.688 --> 00:14:48.168 The long-term goal is a show with fewer ads and even eventually an ad-free experience. That doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, and it takes support from listeners who want to see it happen. 80 00:14:48.578 --> 00:14:58.568 So if that's you, head to forthelong.run/subscribe. And if you're already a subscriber, thank you. You're the reason we get to keep doing this. And either way, thanks for listening. I couldn't do it without you. 81 00:15:00.997 --> 00:15:09.777 This episode is sponsored by Bolderthon, and if you're mapping out your 2026 road race season, this one deserves an early spot on the calendar. Bolderthon is more than a single race. 82 00:15:09.928 --> 00:15:23.408 With a 5K, 10K, half, and full marathon, and kids races, it's an ideal weekend whether you're hunting a PR or towing the start line for the very first time. Use code FTLR2026 to take $20 off your half or full marathon. 83 00:15:23.938 --> 00:15:31.228 And the fun doesn't stop at the finish line. The whole weekend is a big celebration of running, Colorado, and truly great humans. You won't want to miss it. 84 00:15:31.388 --> 00:15:40.108 Visit bolderthon.org to register and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off. Huge thanks to Bolderthon for putting together such a fantastic community event. 85 00:15:47.068 --> 00:15:51.168 What sort of things did that unlock in other parts of your life? 86 00:15:51.548 --> 00:16:20.648 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. 87 00:16:20.708 --> 00:16:29.208 Have, have you been experiencing that as well? I think that it has taught me that I can handle harder things in general. 88 00:16:29.337 --> 00:16:36.928 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. 89 00:16:37.048 --> 00:16:46.248 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. 90 00:16:46.708 --> 00:16:55.368 And, you know, raising five kids that are within seven years of an- of one another and just, just the regular daily stuff. 91 00:16:55.508 --> 00:17:09.728 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. 92 00:17:10.328 --> 00:17:20.368 Um, there have been things along the way, you know, health challenges, um, even like the injuries that I had with the running where 93 00:17:22.348 --> 00:17:36.788 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? 94 00:17:36.828 --> 00:17:41.348 You've, you've come so far in the mental side of things. 95 00:17:41.408 --> 00:17:54.488 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? 96 00:17:56.008 --> 00:18:01.568 They're, they're all different. I mean, along the way, um, usually when I, I finish, um, 97 00:18:02.828 --> 00:18:10.928 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." 98 00:18:11.688 --> 00:18:22.528 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 99 00:18:23.508 --> 00:18:35.850 something more general like working on my flexibility or Meditating for just, you know, better mental health. Uh, these days 100 00:18:37.620 --> 00:18:52.640 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 101 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:02.860 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 102 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:12.040 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. 103 00:19:12.580 --> 00:19:19.980 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... 104 00:19:19.990 --> 00:19:22.610 a little more careful, you know, to stay upright. Yeah. 105 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:37.850 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 106 00:19:39.460 --> 00:19:52.680 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... 107 00:19:53.300 --> 00:20:01.300 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. 108 00:20:02.120 --> 00:20:13.180 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, 109 00:20:15.060 --> 00:20:25.300 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. 110 00:20:25.420 --> 00:20:36.180 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. 111 00:20:36.340 --> 00:20:49.460 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. 112 00:20:49.670 --> 00:20:59.640 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? 113 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:16.840 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. 114 00:21:17.420 --> 00:21:19.360 I would right away say, "No, no, no." 115 00:21:20.100 --> 00:21:34.899 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. 116 00:21:35.020 --> 00:21:47.780 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." 117 00:21:47.800 --> 00:21:54.160 And, and, and then I did it, not just once, but two times. How do you think about identity? 118 00:21:54.400 --> 00:22:12.400 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." 119 00:22:12.410 --> 00:22:26.280 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. 120 00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:36.480 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 121 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:49.100 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? 122 00:22:49.660 --> 00:23:03.700 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 123 00:23:04.840 --> 00:23:18.120 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." 124 00:23:18.280 --> 00:23:24.780 When people, you know, ask me questions about my running, I do get excited to share. 125 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:36.979 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. 126 00:23:37.400 --> 00:23:43.860 The athlete part is something that's been, I guess, a little bit more recent in being referred to that way. 127 00:23:44.820 --> 00:24:03.340 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. 128 00:24:03.420 --> 00:24:14.419 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." 129 00:24:15.220 --> 00:24:25.580 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. 130 00:24:25.620 --> 00:24:36.440 [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. 131 00:24:37.072 --> 00:24:46.992 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. 132 00:24:47.032 --> 00:24:59.552 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. 133 00:24:59.612 --> 00:25:07.392 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. 134 00:25:07.792 --> 00:25:18.332 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. 135 00:25:18.532 --> 00:25:30.932 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. 136 00:25:31.592 --> 00:25:38.692 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. 137 00:25:38.832 --> 00:25:54.412 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. 138 00:25:54.422 --> 00:26:06.592 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. 139 00:26:06.732 --> 00:26:12.332 There's been things that have come along the way, and hopefully that would resonate with people." So 140 00:26:13.792 --> 00:26:32.091 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. 141 00:26:32.152 --> 00:26:38.132 And each chapter really, um, highlights that year in terms of the races that I did. 142 00:26:38.182 --> 00:26:48.412 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. 143 00:26:48.472 --> 00:26:59.492 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. 144 00:26:59.672 --> 00:27:13.202 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 145 00:27:15.252 --> 00:27:26.872 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 146 00:27:27.992 --> 00:27:39.072 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. 147 00:27:39.932 --> 00:27:54.332 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. 148 00:27:54.432 --> 00:28:07.832 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. 149 00:28:08.032 --> 00:28:19.052 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. 150 00:28:19.372 --> 00:28:30.812 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. 151 00:28:31.172 --> 00:28:45.612 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. 152 00:28:46.092 --> 00:28:57.172 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. 153 00:28:57.382 --> 00:29:06.052 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." 154 00:29:07.212 --> 00:29:18.792 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. 155 00:29:19.632 --> 00:29:34.952 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." 156 00:29:35.032 --> 00:29:41.612 And it was happening more and more and I would blog about it and I would, uh, journal about it. 157 00:29:41.692 --> 00:29:53.922 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 158 00:29:54.952 --> 00:30:06.112 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. 159 00:30:06.172 --> 00:30:11.372 You'll enjoy it." And um, he said, "You know, you really need to find that joy of running again. 160 00:30:11.412 --> 00:30:22.552 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." 161 00:30:22.652 --> 00:30:28.752 And he also felt that it was tied in with the fact that I used spinning as a cross-training method. 162 00:30:29.252 --> 00:30:43.692 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 163 00:30:44.672 --> 00:30:53.172 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. 164 00:30:53.192 --> 00:31:10.332 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." 165 00:31:11.252 --> 00:31:14.622 And I had to turn things around and find ways to, 166 00:31:15.982 --> 00:31:29.502 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? 167 00:31:29.552 --> 00:31:42.162 '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. 168 00:31:42.162 --> 00:31:49.672 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 169 00:31:50.612 --> 00:31:56.752 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. 170 00:31:57.552 --> 00:32:11.592 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... 171 00:32:12.012 --> 00:32:19.312 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. 172 00:32:19.392 --> 00:32:26.992 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. 173 00:32:27.192 --> 00:32:32.872 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. 174 00:32:33.652 --> 00:32:48.132 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. 175 00:32:49.332 --> 00:33:03.232 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. 176 00:33:03.372 --> 00:33:18.892 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. 177 00:33:19.612 --> 00:33:33.872 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. 178 00:33:34.552 --> 00:33:49.852 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 179 00:33:50.992 --> 00:34:03.312 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. 180 00:34:03.432 --> 00:34:16.732 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. 181 00:34:16.792 --> 00:34:28.892 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. 182 00:34:29.892 --> 00:34:49.002 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. 183 00:34:49.012 --> 00:35:00.672 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. 184 00:35:00.951 --> 00:35:09.792 I've been a fan for years and have gotten to know their CEO, so I mean it when I say that this stuff is good and the company is too. They make non-alcoholic beer that actually tastes like beer. 185 00:35:10.212 --> 00:35:17.032 Real IPAs, lagers and hazies brewed by a small family team outside Chicago. Most cans are under 60 calories with no added sugar. 186 00:35:17.392 --> 00:35:31.752 Try the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, the New School Sour Berry, or the Baller Melon to get started. Order direct at gobrewing.com and use the code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order. That's FTLR2026 at gobrewing.com. 187 00:35:32.072 --> 00:35:44.932 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 188 00:35:46.652 --> 00:35:54.552 that running and the work, the working out that I do, um, in general is that time that 189 00:35:55.512 --> 00:36:13.892 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. 190 00:36:13.932 --> 00:36:25.722 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 191 00:36:27.532 --> 00:36:39.752 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 192 00:36:40.872 --> 00:36:46.792 could've been looked at as something selfish, but I think that it, it actually was selfless because 193 00:36:47.932 --> 00:37:05.892 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 194 00:37:06.872 --> 00:37:19.252 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, 195 00:37:20.332 --> 00:37:36.192 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 196 00:37:37.212 --> 00:37:53.472 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, 197 00:37:55.472 --> 00:38:12.452 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. 198 00:38:12.912 --> 00:38:19.252 You know, I, I did a race several years ago and I was with, um, my cousins. 199 00:38:19.292 --> 00:38:26.512 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. 200 00:38:26.652 --> 00:38:37.132 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." 201 00:38:37.152 --> 00:38:47.532 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. 202 00:38:47.692 --> 00:39:06.112 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. 203 00:39:06.882 --> 00:39:17.142 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... 204 00:39:17.352 --> 00:39:27.992 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?" 205 00:39:28.032 --> 00:39:38.672 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... 206 00:39:38.732 --> 00:39:49.501 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... 207 00:39:49.592 --> 00:40:02.372 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." 208 00:40:03.192 --> 00:40:15.452 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 209 00:40:17.632 --> 00:40:32.312 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. 210 00:40:33.072 --> 00:40:46.852 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. 211 00:40:47.072 --> 00:40:52.132 And this happened at the right time. So all I can hope is that moving forward, 212 00:40:53.312 --> 00:41:07.761 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. 213 00:41:09.612 --> 00:41:19.722 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... 214 00:41:19.752 --> 00:41:26.802 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. 215 00:41:26.852 --> 00:41:38.212 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. 216 00:41:38.772 --> 00:41:52.232 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. 217 00:41:52.292 --> 00:41:58.612 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... 218 00:41:58.672 --> 00:42:10.632 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. 219 00:42:11.292 --> 00:42:15.872 I mean, I could tell you, um, this month I'm celebrating 37 years of marriage with my husband. 220 00:42:16.472 --> 00:42:26.632 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. 221 00:42:26.732 --> 00:42:39.972 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. 222 00:42:40.172 --> 00:42:53.852 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." 223 00:42:53.892 --> 00:43:04.512 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 224 00:43:05.988 --> 00:43:21.638 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, 225 00:43:22.568 --> 00:43:26.128 um, been ready in 2010 to do this. 226 00:43:26.568 --> 00:43:40.608 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 227 00:43:41.548 --> 00:43:50.528 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? 228 00:43:51.188 --> 00:44:01.668 Success is not about how much money you make or how many medals you have or even your, you know, your personal best. 229 00:44:02.348 --> 00:44:18.548 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 230 00:44:19.728 --> 00:44:24.908 incline wall with Jeff ahead of me and him saying, "Just come on, keep on trying, keep on trying." 231 00:44:24.968 --> 00:44:41.108 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. 232 00:44:41.948 --> 00:44:56.248 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 233 00:44:57.248 --> 00:45:15.927 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. 234 00:45:16.488 --> 00:45:28.418 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. 235 00:45:28.778 --> 00:45:41.608 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. 236 00:45:42.328 --> 00:45:59.728 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 237 00:46:00.648 --> 00:46:13.628 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. 238 00:46:13.848 --> 00:46:20.818 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. 239 00:46:21.268 --> 00:46:25.488 If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend or training partner who you think would like it, too. 240 00:46:25.828 --> 00:46:34.048 This podcast was produced by Emma Benner of Sandy Boy Productions with musical composition by Brian Walters of Single Track Sound. Thank you for your support and we'll see you out there.