Carolyn Highland is a writer, teacher, outdoor enthusiast, trail runner, back-country skier and self-professed amateur dabbler in many things. Fun fact: Carolyn and Jonathan went to the same elementary school! In this episode we talked about: -always trying to have fun all of the time -pursing a love of the outdoors -doing things you thought you couldn’t do -pushing past limits -adventure -challenges in running preparing you for life -avoiding the comparison trap by staying present and focusing on the process -snack breaks and hill climbs -enduring in running and beyond -writing to connect with others -dialing in and slowing down for opportunities in the here and now -choosing to have fun -the practice of gratitude and staying present -therapy and mental health -overcoming disordered relationships with food and exercise   -feeling connected to your past and future selves -treating your body as a gift and not a punishment -taking things in chunks, mile by mile -easy is overrated, the lows make the highs sweeter -staying true to yourself and serving other people along the way

You can find her writing at https://www.carolynhighland.com/

Thanks to GU Energy Labs for sponsoring this episode. Initially known as THE energy gel company, GU now offers several different product lines designed to meet the needs of today’s athlete. 

It’s not just the mid run refueling option that I love, but their post run recovery protein that mixes SO well with coffee, or even the before bed magnesium and vitamin D supplement too. No other magnesium supplement has worked as well as theirs has for me. 

This season of running is a great time to try something new, so why not try GU?

For The Long Run listeners get 20% off anything on their site with the code FTLR at guenergy.com.