Who you become during the process
Snippets from podcasts we think you'll enjoy, ours and a few others
What goals have you set for yourself lately? How are they actually feeling?
I (Heather) have been back into structured run training this spring, after taking the last couple of years to just run for fun, and put some goals to the side. I haven’t given anything a full send yet, but I’m getting close to ready for that. Which, feels kind of scary…and feels fun.
It’s vulnerable. It’s hard. It’s exciting! It’s a privilege to choose the hard.
No outcome is guaranteed. I could cross the Finish Line and not have the exact result I’m training for, and that’s the next challenge to take on. Or, I could cross the Finish Line elated by the results. Either way, it’s not really about that one day, it’s about who we became—or what parts of ourselves we returned to—in the process. I’m reminding myself of that often, and found the following podcast episodes helpful as I do so!
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“The most fulfilling goals are when you come out the other side…becoming the person you did along the way.”
Kristen Faulkner, on the “Mentor Buffet” podcast hosted by Alexi Pappas
As I train again, what I have enjoyed the most is remembering how to be a person who goes for the hard(ish) thing, who stays as consistent as I can1, who looks at a workout and feels a little like screaming-crying-throwing-up but goes out there and tries anyway! (So far, no actual throwing up. A win!) A person who is practicing doing the workout that day, instead of pushing it to tomorrow because I feel too anxious about how it’s going to feel2.
It’s just not that serious! I’m not a professional runner, I’m not a top Age Group runner, I have about ten friends I interact with on Strava regularly. It’s not serious, it’s fun. It’s a hobby, it’s something I feel lucky to be able to do. Something I’m choosing right now, because I have the bandwidth for the challenge and the time commitment, which isn’t always the case.
And I’m choosing it because I like finding out who I become in the process. I like remembering how to show up for myself when it gets hard. I love the practice of getting to that hard place, and staying there for a bit, building that window of tolerance. I love how I feel when it’s over, and I’m proud of myself.
I’m not choosing it because the time on a Finish Line clock will change my life. It won’t, at all. Not even a tiny bit. But the process of going for it will change me, and I’ll let it.
“I’m doing runs like Cocodona to see if I like the person who emerges when things get hard.”
Rachel Entrekin on the “Welcome to the Party” podcast hosted by Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, and Billie Jean King
The quote above, and sentiment, is going to stick with me for a long time. During that episode, Rachel shared a story about the first time she competed at Cocodona (2024), coming up the last climb, a 9,000ft peak. “I just fell apart…I became this really grumpy person and ungrateful and I didn’t recognize what was happening in that moment.” She says, “The person I was when I finished that race [in 2024] is somebody that I did not like.”
Going into 2025, she shares that one of the goals she set was to have a better attitude at the finish line. “I did a lot of work in that year between races, like therapy….by the time the finish line came around [in 2025] I was happy with the person that I was.”
As you probably know by now, she won this year’s race (2026) outright (!!!), breaking the 250-mile course record by many hours.
This episode is full of reminders that 1) we are not always the best versions of ourselves and that’s OK! and 2) outcome goals are only one type of goal. She wanted to work on showing up for herself when it got hard, and being a person she liked on the other side of that hard—win or not.
“I’m allowed to be a work in progress.”
Amy Sams, on our “Lane 9 Podcast”, episode 90
We got to chat with Lane 9 community member Amy Sams on our podcast, about her decades-long eating disorder history, setting big goals in the Marathon, and finally reaching out to a Lane 9 clinician for support with fueling last fall. During that marathon (CIM), which was her 25th time running 26.2 miles, she ran a 7-minute PR and dipped into the 2:40s.
The time on the clock was one outcome, but finally having a fueling strategy that worked for her, trusting the process, and being brave enough to reach out to another clinician are all things she’s proud of, too.
All the while, reminding herself that she doesn’t have to be perfect to chase these goals or even to have them in the first place. That we’re allowed to be a work in progress.
So here’s to setting goals to see who you become in the process, practicing showing up for yourself with compassion with things get hard, and allowing yourself to be a work in progress.
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Whether you’re in eating disorder treatment, rehabbing an injury, getting your period back, and/or working toward a goal in sport, we’re here to support you and cheer you on! If you are looking for nutrition, mental health, or healthcare providers who specialize in women’s sports and health, go to Lane9Project.org/directory
Perfectionism isn’t the goal! Consistency can happen without being a “no days off!” or “NEVER veer from the training plan” kind of athlete. Just out here doing what I can!
In a previous season of life, I did this SO many times. No judgement!
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