Hello and thank you so much for tuning into another episode of Take Off Your Shoes!
Today I’m so happy to be sharing my conversation with Arden Young!
She was an incredible conversation partner, and I’m so grateful for her openness when talking about her ongoing struggles with the word “elite”, as well as the juggling act that is having two demanding careers: professional ultra runner for Norda and dentist!
We talked about her unconventional start to running, even though she wasn’t the most athletic of her four sisters, and her path to becoming a professional athlete. I really appreciated her thoughts around becoming her own cheerleader and having self-belief, while also balancing being critical enough to push herself forward and taking time to celebrate her own wins.
She also said something that really stuck with me: “You have to make running work for your life and not make your life work for running.”
For her, running is very important, but it should always stay fun, and she keeps reminding herself that it’s for her mental and physical health.
I especially loved opening up about our respective partners and how they’re not in the ultra-endurance world. There’s something beautiful about having someone who tries to support our dreams, even if they don’t fully understand them at all times.
It was such a fun conversation, and I really admired her outlook on the sport, the balance she’s able to strike, and just her candor.
Thank you Arden for the conversation, and I hope you all enjoy it!
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Photo credit: Moe Lauchert