A Thousand Tiny Steps

How Running Made me Confident


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I never expected to start running track and field in high school with severe asthma. When I began running, I discovered I was great at it and went on to break records. Through the ups and downs, running helped me to solidify my identity, feel confident within myself, and set goals. In this episode, I tell the story of breaking the mile in under 5 minutes which took me on a lifelong trajectory of achievement.

Key Takeaways:

[1:55] How my ex-husband and I dealt with the separation

[4:04] Wanting my children to have a sibling

[8:09] Officiating track races and timing road races

[11:35] Dealing with bad asthma and not doing PE

[15:45] Signing up for track and field

[18:34] Making a breakthrough with running

[22:37] Advancing in my running career and shaping my identity

[24:35] Loving my body while running and feeling confident

[26:55] Running becoming my main identity and finding my people

[30:15] Continuing to break records

[32:59] Struggling to keep it together mentally

[33:58] Having a setback with pneumonia

[34:58] After 2 years of work, breaking the mile in under 5 minutes

[39:21] Running made me feel supported, confident, and let me work towards my goals

[41:44] Running made me see my body as strong

[43:19] Keeping my head above water and anxiety at bay

[46:01] Learning to take a chance on something that seems unlikely

[48:35] I did an interview with Sean Wright

Resources from this episode:

  • The Body Keeps the Score
  • The Body Keeps the Score Workbook
  • The World According to Garp
  • Sean Waight

Connect with Barb:

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A Thousand Tiny StepsBy Barb Higgins

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