If you’ve ever wondered what kind of woman signs up to run 50, 62, or even 100 miles on purpose… this episode is for you.

In this episode of Shelaborate, we sit down with Emily Hanson – an ultramarathon runner, mom of two, marketing pro, and fierce woman committed to her sobriety who found herself on the trails. What started as “just training for a half marathon” during Covid turned into a life built around community, nature, and doing really hard things on purpose. Shout out to Charm City Run who helped Emily find her way. 

Emily walks us through how trail running became:

•  a lifeline during depression, anxiety, and early sobriety
• a moving meditation that checks every box: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual
•  a way to model grit, boundaries, and self-respect for her kids
• proof that “no” doesn’t have to mean never — sometimes it just means not right now

We talk about race days that go beautifully, like her first ultra with a first-in-age-group finish; and the ones that don’t, like breaking her foot at mile 0.5 of a 70.5-mile qualifier, DNF-ing, and choosing long-term health over ego. She shares the wild magic of overnight races: aid stations lit up like the North Pole, chocolate chip cookies in the middle of the woods, and her incredible  family pacing her under the stars.

Emily also gets real about:

• shifting from running as punishment to running as selfcare 
• why ultrarunning and drinking “cannot coexist” 
• how her trail friends became her people
• women’s safety on the run (pepper spray bracelets, scary-looking dogs, bone-conduction headphones, live tracking, all of it)
• why you don’t need fancy gear or a perfect plan to start — just one mile and some curiosity

If you’ve been ultra-curious, stuck in a rut, or just need a reminder that you can do hard things, grab your headphones, a bag of gummy nerds, and listen in! 

For the girls. From the girls. See you on the trail.