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Denali Strabel returns to the Steep Stuff Podcast for a deeply personal conversation about her journey back to the Broken Arrow 46K Skyrace after a five-year hiatus. The Alaskan mountain runner opens up about the transformative path that led her here – through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and the heartbreaking loss of her twin sister.

From the moment she arrived at the race venue, Denali's connection to this special place is palpable. Since 2008, she's been drawn to these mountains, first for college training camps and later with her sister when they craved elevation. Her 2019 race proved she could compete with the best "down in America," finishing fifth and feeling like her career was just beginning to soar. Then came pregnancy and the pandemic, dramatically altering her trajectory.

What emerges in this conversation is the portrait of an athlete reborn through challenge. "I wasn't fueling right," she admits about her pre-motherhood approach. The demands of breastfeeding while returning to training forced a revolution in her relationship with food: "I eat a lot and my body is strong." Working with coach David Roche, she's redefined success on her own terms, building back gradually from nerve damage and hormonal challenges through a quality-over-quantity approach.

While dreams of making Team USA flicker in her mind (especially poignant given one of her final conversations with her sister), Denali approaches this race with beautiful perspective. Her strategy reflects the wisdom gained through life's obstacles – patience on the first loop, then "catch the carnage, don't be the carnage" on the second. Most movingly, she carries her sister's ashes to spread on the mountain, merging her competitive ambitions with profound personal meaning.

Join us for this intimate look at motherhood, grief, comeback, and the enduring spirit that drives mountain runners back to the places that challenge and heal them. Follow Denali and the strong Alaskan contingent as they take on Broken Arrow and demonstrate what's possible when passion meets perspective.

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