Last week I gave a talk to 40 high school girls at one of the schools here, and as always, it made me a little nervous at the start. Teenagers can be very intimidating, and when a few of them are whispering and giggling, my habitual response is to assume that they are gossiping about me.

I also had an additional expectation I had placed on myself because my kids were in the room. Our babysitter (who was the one who invited me to come speak to her former team) was watching the girls as they explored the library we were sitting in, but I was acutely aware that Bailey would be listening. Other than the Allbirds Tree Flyer launch event a few years ago, this was the first time she would get to see me do something that was some version of "work" in a public setting.

Within a few minutes, I knew I had the high schoolers' attention. They were engaged and listening; there were lots of questions afterwards, and more came up to me to talk to me privately after.

I covered my usual topics of underfueling, the pressure we put on ourselves, and being kind to yourself in running and races. To this day, I still get a lot of emails from high school girls who put an insane amount of pressure on themselves for fear of not letting someone- their coach, their parents, their team- down.

But on this occasion, I also covered something else.

This was the first public talk I had given in this way since my surgery (other than the two-minute award presentation speech at Green Sports Alliance), and some of the lessons I often share with people were more relevant than they have ever been.

Expectations, of course; an obvious choice, but something that got me thinking was identity, what to do to remind yourself you still have a lot to offer even when things are not going right, or when you feel as though you don't have anything you can contribute.

I asked the girls to think about what they enjoyed when they were children, what was fun for them that they have lost touch with now, how could they find a way to weave that back into their life somehow (even if it's not actually doing it themselves).

One that I reflect back on positively is my horse riding years. I spent ten years doing that, and even though I "quit" it over 20 years ago, I still miss it. When I see horses, I feel warm and fuzzy in my heart. I wouldn't say I am an "animal person" overall, more of a nature-as-a-whole person, but with horses, I feel nothing but love for them.

That is not to say I have to book a horse riding lesson or class right now, but thinking that way gets me into the mindset of what else peaks the curiosity of my inner child?

One thing that comes to mind is roller blading. I don't think I am quite ready, but I am sharing this publicly to manifest it into reality; once my Achilles is able to handle it, I want to go roller blading.

Likely at this moment, there is something coming to mind for you. Maybe it is something you enjoyed as a child that you haven't done in a while, or maybe it's something you have always wanted to do.

Speak it out. On paper, by replying to this email, through forwarding this email to a friend to share with them; what does your inner child want to do?

Also pay attention to who comes to mind to send it to, hold on tight to that person. If they bring out your inner child, they are someone to keep in your life.

This week on the Running For Real podcast...

Here's the official description:

Stefanie Flippin is one of the fastest women in the world at the 100 mile distance, but she isn’t exclusively a record-setting ultra runner. She’s also a running coach, writer, co-host of the “Making Strides” podcast, and a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, who gets as much or more satisfaction from helping others achieve their goals as she does from reaching her own.

Here's the real deal:

This was one of my favorites in a while. I learned SO much from Stefanie about how to be the best human I can be (just hear her answer to my first question; that sets the tone!). For someone who has had a lot of setbacks, she has this beautiful approach and understanding of the bigger picture that I really admire.

Come join us.

In NYC or near it on September 24? Come join me for a mindfulness/connection run-walk with Imagine 5. I am so excited for this, and I promise pace will not be a concern...I have not run more than 5 minutes in five months and we are three weeks away!

Gonna be at:

-Chicago marathon?

-Toronto Waterfront marathon?

-NYC marathon?

Will see you there this fall. Events loading....

Watching this video about the World Athletics Road Running Championships in San Diego next year gave me chills. I still have to pinch myself that I have one of the critical roles in this event. It is incredibly exciting, but equally terrifying!

Interesting read about NYRR and their Team for Climate updates on Green Sports Blog:

If you missed my interview on Green sports blog, it is here.

Everything seemed possible when I looked through the eyes of a child.

And every once in a while, I remember, I still have the chance to be that wild.

― Nikki Rowe

Thanks to our partner, AG1

This morning I shared a "day in the life of" video on Instagram. The first thing you see me do when I walk down the stairs at 6:30 a.m.? Drink my AG1 of course, because that is how I start every day, and it not only makes me feel good from the inside out, but it is also nice to have that piece of a routine to start off every day taking care of myself. We spend a lot of our day looking out for others, but this is a quick way to put myself and my health first. It means no matter what I eat that day, I have had 75 vitamins, minerals and whole food sourced ingredients. It means I am taking care of my gut health and my immune system.

And yes, I do love the taste. Truly. Chloe also enjoys it....and believe me, four year olds are very picky eaters!!

If you wanna take advantage of my special offer of a one year's free supply of vitamin D (we are coming into the fall now!) and five free travel packs, and you live in the US, Canada, Europe, or the UK, get that deal below:

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Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours.

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