What does it mean to be fit? Deadlifting your body weight? Running a 10K? Doing an Ironman? Most of our notions about fitness spotlight the big thing we want to do while glossing over all the smaller, equally important, but less “sexy” stuff like joint mobility, breathing practices, balance, and nutrition it takes to get you there strong and injury-free. Kind of like wanting to climb Mount Everest without spending any time at Base Camp. This week’s guest, Juliet Starrett, co-author of the new book Built to Move is all about the Base Camp, especially in midlife and menopause. We dive into Juliet’s personal story (including a hippo attack!) as well as the vital signs and foundations menopausal women need to tune into so they can be strong, able, and pain-free for the rest of their active lives. 

Juliet Starrett is an entrepreneur, attorney, author, and podcaster. She is the former co-founder and CEO of San Francisco CrossFit, one of the first 50 CrossFit affiliates. Juliet is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Deskbound and co-host of The Ready State Podcast. Before turning her attention to The Ready State and San Francisco CrossFit full time, Juliet was a professional whitewater paddler, winning 3 World Championship and 5 National titles. Her latest book, co-authored with her husband and mobility pioneer, Dr. Kelly Starrett is Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully. You can learn more about her, The Ready State, and Built to Move at thereadystate.com

 Resources

Built to Move: thereadystate.com/product/built-to-move/

Juliet’s blog on preparing for menopause: thereadystate.com/blogs/how-i-am-preparing-for-menopause/

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2022 Ultraman World Championship winner and new course record setter Dede Griesbauer will be the first to tell you, age is definitely more than “just a number.” It’s real, and the training, recovery practices, and dedication it takes to accomplish such feats at 52 is radically different than it is at 32 or even 42. But it’s possible, and you should not put an expiration date on your dreams, because with hard work and smart training they can come true. We talk all about what it takes to conquer 320 miles (515 km) of swimming, biking, and running around the Big Island of Hawaii, how she’s experiencing the menopause transition, and much more.

Along with her latest achievement, longtime professional triathlete Dede Griesbauer is a 3-time Ironman Champion, 2-time 70.3 Champion, and a 12-hour Time Trial World Champion. Dede is also a part of the Ironman live commentary team, providing color commentary and race analysis for Ironman races around the world, to fans via Facebook Watch and Outside TV. You can learn more about her and her amazing feats at dedegriesbauer.com.  

Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

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Whether we’re trying to make muscle, perform our best, or avoid the dreaded GI distress during long endurance events, women in and beyond the menopause transition have special needs. But the sports nutrition and supplement landscape is rife with conflicting and confusing information. This week we cut through the noise with scientist, exercise physiologist, and sports nutritionist Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan. We dive into protein, carbohydrates, essential amino acids, fasted training, macronutrient usage during phases of the menstrual cycle and during the menopause transition, creatine, sports supplements, and a whole lot more!

Abbie Smith-Ryan, Ph.D., CSCS*D, FNSCA, FACSM, FISSN is Professor of Exercise Physiology, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, and Co-Director of the Human Performance Center in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. You can learn more about her and her work at www.asmithryan.com

Resources:

Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective

Active Women Across the Lifespan: Nutritional Ingredients to Support Health and Wellness

Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

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Sarah-Jane Nichols is a BMX cycling legend. The Hall of Famer was a 7-time British Champion, 4-time European Champion, and a World Champion as a teen in 1986. Now, at age 52, 34 years after retiring from the sport, Nichols is back on her bike despite being in the throes of extremely challenging perimenopausal symptoms. In fact, Nichols is returning to the sport in part because of the physical and emotional challenges she’s experienced during the menopause transition. We talk all about her history with traditionally male sports, how menopause just about knocked her down for the count, and how she’s getting back on her feet to gun for another BMX British National Championship.

Along with being an avid BMXer, Sarah-Jane Nichols is a black belt in Shotokan Karate. She played ice hockey for 35 years during which time she represented Great Britain and the England ladies, playing in Ukraine and France. Sarah-Jane also had a role in a TV Show called Ice Warriors, where she played Taaraz the Renegade. You can learn more about her at the British BMX Hall of Fame website and the BBC feature on her return to BMX.

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What does equity mean in sport? Yes, it's women being included, but it's also resources for racing moms, supporting the inclusion of Black folks in historically white sports, having size-inclusive athletic gear, and SO much more. Feisty Media welcomes a panel of women with intersectional identities to celebrate International Women's Day and discuss why equal opportunity is no longer enough. Hosted by Selene Yeager and Sara Gross, guests Khadijah Diggs, Marley Blonsky, and Alison Tetrick share the inequity they've faced in their athletic spaces, and what equity would truly look like for them individually.

Follow Marley on Instagram @marleyblonsky

Follow Khadijah on Instagram @khadijahtriathlete

Follow Ali on Instagram @amtetrick

Pat Spencer couldn’t help but think she’d be faster if she were lighter. After all, that’s what everyone in endurance sports tells you. But instead of gaining speed, Pat went from being a competitive age group triathlete to not being able to do any endurance sports because of a profound case of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) she suffered while training for her 4th Iron distance triathlon in 2016. She still suffers the consequences today, seven years after she found herself in that hole. We talk all about her journey and how it can be easy to confuse perimenopausal symptoms with low energy availability (LEA) because the two mimic one another, and how LEA can make perimenopause worse.  

Pat Spencer is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), a therapist with a private practice in central New Jersey, and founder of Getting Your Mind in Gear, a mental coaching company specializing in female and LGBTQIA+ cyclists and endurance athletes. She is a former long course triathlete, marathoner, and open water swimmer. Pat is also an avid gravel cyclist, loves resistance training, and has a passion for scuba. You can learn more about her and her work at gettingyourmindingear.com

Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

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Record-holding runner Anabelle Broadbent thought she’d blow right through menopause…until erratic, uber-heavy periods, body composition changes, anxiety, and a major drop in speed told her menopause had other ideas. As a scientist, she did what she knows best: research and problem-solving. And last year, at age 55, she was awarded the 2022 USATF GOLD Phidippides Award for Excellence in Long Distance Running. Though her body is different now in her mid-50s than it was in her mid-40s, her competitive drive still burns hot, as does her desire to help others, and she believes in many ways, her best days are still ahead of her. We talk all about that, her cultural experiences with menopause, her plant-based passion, and much more.

Anabelle Broadbent is a NASA-trained pathogenic microbiologist and is CEO and founder of Verde Ops, a company that provides food science operational knowledge, execution, and support to plant-based food companies. She is also an accomplished runner, running coach, vegan athlete, commercial fashion model, creative artist, photographer, horsewoman, certified equine massage therapist, cyclist, skateboarder, and yogini. As a runner, she has represented Puerto Rico and the U.S. at international competitions and has amassed 15 Puerto Rico National Records as a masters runner in 4 different age groups in 7 different distances. In 2022, at age 55, she was awarded the USATF GOLD Phidippides Award for Excellence in Long Distance Running. You can learn more about her and her work at verdeops.com

Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

Join the Feisty Strong STRONG Club: https://feisty.co/training/strong-club/ and use code:  HITPLAY15 to save 15%

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Previnex: Get 20% off your order with code FEISTYBRAIN at https://www.previnex.com/

Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Past trauma–big or small–and daily stress can take a toll on the nervous system, and many of us spend our days largely in a state of fight or flight. When we hit menopause, our nervous system becomes even more nervous, and life, along with everything that happened up until that point rises to the surface and demands to be dealt with. We can run, lift, or ride away from it all…to a point. But we often end up feeling tired but wired. That’s where this week’s guest Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan, author of Finding Inner Safety comes in. She explains how the real peace and renewed energy comes from allowing ourselves to be still and by building physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual recovery into the day to calm our nervous system, improve our energy, and help us sleep. We talk about all that and more this week.

Nerina Ramlakhan, PhD, is a renowned physiologist and sleep expert with over 25 years of experience in helping people and organizations thrive by using her unique blend of physiology, psychology, philosophy, professional, and personal insights to create profound shifts in awareness and consciousness. She’s completed 7 marathons and over 40 triathlons, and is thriving despite a history of abuse, trauma, and breakdown. You can learn more about her and her work at drnerina.com

Resources:

Dr. Nerina’s book:  Finding Inner Safety: The key to healing, thriving and overcoming burnout. 

Support our Partners:

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Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

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Many women start exercising to lose weight–to get smaller and chase a number on the scale. This week’s guest powerlifter Michelle Carlson is no stranger to those goals. She took up running in her early 30s and in her own words “spent a ridiculous number of years chasing the number on the scale and living in a chronic state of energy deficiency”--a state she likened to a prison of her own creation. But when a terrible accident left her shaken and shattered, she picked up weight lifting to help her bones heal and fell in love with feeling strong. She developed a healthy relationship with food and her body and a level of peace and confidence that set her free. Now, at 51 and solidly in perimenopause, Michelle is stronger than ever and recently set the International Powerlifting League (IPL) World Record in the Bench Press for her age group and weight class. She talks all about what she’s learned and how powerlifting has been the best medicine for her during these menopausal years. 

Michelle Carlson is a strength coach, strength athlete, and Masters Raw Powerlifter with records in squat, bench, and overall total. She is also a nutrition coach with a focus on plant-based nutrition for athletes and the general population. She has training, nutrition, and pain-free performance certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. You can learn more about her and her work at her coaching site Strength Elevated at www.strengthelevated.com.

Support our Partners:

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Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

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Do you struggle with feeling you’re not enough? Fit enough? Successful enough? Lean enough? Enough, enough, enough. By the time we reach menopause, many of us have spent years, even decades, of our lives chasing enough. And, as this week’s guest, coach, trainer, and athlete Kristin DiDomenico knows, that relentless pursuit of perfection can take us down some pretty dark roads including addiction, eating disorders, and sometimes much worse. Kristin shares her own personal journey through all of it and what she learned after an extraordinary episode during a 10 mile race made her re-evaluate what matters most.

Kristin DiDomenico is a certified integrative health and nutrition coach and personal trainer with an expertise in women's hormone health. Kristin's mission is to help women navigate the menopause transition and find relief, healing and fulfillment with nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes. For more than 25 years, she has been creating personalized health and fitness programs and helping women reclaim their strength, joy and well-being. She is also the author of Dying to Be Enough, her personal story of navigating life, death and learning to live in between. Follow her on instagram @kristinfitness to get her menopause tips, recipes and workouts. Learn more about her coaching programs at kristinfitness.com and menopausepartner.com. 

Support our Partners:

Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/

Previnex: Get 20% off your order with code FEISTYBRAIN at https://www.previnex.com/

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Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://www.wetravel.com/trips/feistyfest-feisty-media-1943243299#about-this-trip

Join the Feisty Strong STRONG Club: https://feisty.co/training/strong-club/ and use code:  HITPLAY15 to save 15%

Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/

Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/

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Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause

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