41- Emily Infeld- On “no days off”, recovery tips, and coping from injury with Bon Bons

In today’s episode, I interview professional long distance runner Emily Infeld. Emily grew up running track in her hometown of University Heights. At Georgetown University, she set the school record in the 3000m and 5000m, and notched a first place 3000m finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. After college, Emily decided to pursue her dream of running professionally. She became one of the first women to join Jerry Schumacher’s Portland-based running group, the Bowerman Track Club, which encompasses some of the best runners in the world.

One of my favorite things about our conversation, is that despite Emily’s bubbliness and positivity, she candidly shares her internal struggles-including when she suffered a stress fracture just months before the Olympic trials (the race she’d been training for the past four years). In her lowest state. after a couple weeks of coping via snarfing down peanut butter and bon bons in bed, Emily persevered by accepting where she was and giving her best on that given day. Her strategies worked, as she competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and earned a 3rd place in the World Championship finals.

In our conversation, we talk about:

-The benefits of high altitude training and other running “hacks”

-Her college track days (with Portland Thorns FC Emily Menges) attach link to Emily Menges podcast

-What it’s like training with her childhood idols, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher

-Why she takes just one full day off every two months

-How she recovers from training sessions

And a lot more.

Enjoy my conversation with the upbeat, very fast human, Emily Infeld

Show Notes

:50 Who is Emily Infield?

3:10 The benefits of altitude training

6:57 What running hacks does Emily use? Cyrotherapy

8:20 Has Emily always known how to rest her body?

10:24 Emily’s recovery day

12:20 What does Emily do to release from the pressure of running?

13:50 Emily’s ombre hair & baking

16:02 Emily Menges’ Georgetown running

18:10 How did Emily choose Georgetown?

19:54 What other sports did young Emily participate in?

21:55 When did Emily start specializing in running?

23:15 Emily’s first Olympic dream

24:40 Emily’s path to the Bowerman Track Club

27:45 Her training partners:  Shalane Flanagan & Kara Goucher

29:39 What made the recruiting visit to Portland special?

30:52 Is Emily an analyzer or go with the flow personality?

31:49 Emily’s 1st training session with her idols

33:50 What is the training team like?

34:50 Is everyone’s training regime the same?

37:05 How helpful is training in a small team atmosphere?

39:12 World Championship experience 2015

42:23 How did she qualify for the Olympics?

43:37 Emily’s stress fracture recovery

45:49 How did Emily emotionally react to her setbacks?

49:38 What did it feel like for Emily to run in the Olympics?

52:50 Balancing competitiveness, setbacks and the appreciation of the sport

55:37 How does Emily get thru a mediocre track workout?

57:06 What would Emily tell her 12 year old self?

58:41 What are the best ways to recover after a run?

59:53 What music does Emily listen to while she runs?  Her obsession with Blink 182

1:00:47 Is running a form of mindfulness for Emily?

1:02:10 Emily’s morning routine

1:03:21 What body or mental prep does Emily do before training?

1:04:26 Biggest misconception that people have about Emily?

1:06:26 How does Emily get herself out of mental slumps?

1:08:12 Emily’s favorite failure

1:11:20 What is Emily’s favorite accomplishment?

1:13:38 What is Emily’s one simple tip for female athletes?

Follow Emily:

On Twitter: @emily_infeld

On Instagram: @EmilyInfeld

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4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

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Arrow Liver: Rachel Lowell

Let me introduce you to ArrowLiver, Rachel Lowell. I met Rachel after a Thorns FC game in our autograph line. Fans often ask us to sign scarfs, roster pamphlets, and jerseys, but Rachel had printed off the Arrow Living logo and quote. Later that night, she sent me an email. Here’s a portion of it:

“I also just gotta say thank you so much for creating the Arrow Living podcasts and the idea behind it, your podcasts and motto of Arrow Living single handedly kept me somewhat sane and also motivated me throughout my concussion recovery.

And I listened to the first podcast and my mindset towards my concussion and really life in general was completely changed- it put my injury in perspective, I realized that if you could get through a concussion as bad as yours then I could get through a mild concussion. And the quote also helped me realize that this injury wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing- I was capable and I had the opportunity to turn such a setback into a positive and productive experience.

And so I snuck my laptop into my room and printed off the quote and your logo and taped it up above my bed as a constant reminder that this wasn’t the end of the world and that i had to keep aiming towards my goals rather than giving up all hope and so I started doing a lot of thinking and planning.

Even though I’m being pulled backward, you have inspired me to create daily plans and to start doing the little things, so when I return I feel and hope that I’ll be better able to help my team reach something great.”

I asked Rachel what her instagram handle was so I could tag her in this post, and she responded that she doesn’t have one because she listened to the EP 10 Interview with Emily Menges, when Emily mentioned why she deactivated hers, and it resonated.

This is why I play. Rachel is an #ArrowLiver.

Do you have any friends who are Arrow Livers?  Friends who have endured setbacks but make the most of them? If so, tag them in the comments!
P.S.  Anyone dealing with concussion symptoms check out Headway Foundation, a nonprofit run by athletes that offers the best concussion resources and support.

EP 33- Arrow Tip Tuesday: Love Yourself in the Mirror

I recently watched the above youtube video, of a young girl, Jessica, who  is standing on her bathroom counter, looking into the mirror, and shouting all the things she enjoys about her life. “my whole house is great! I can do anything good….I like my hair! I like my hair cuts! I like my hair ties! I like my pajamas!  I can do anything good!”

It made my heart smile. The video has received over 19 millions views.

What would people think if the video content was the same, except the child was instead, an adult?

My guess is the video would not go viral, understandably, because adults just aren’t as cute. But I believe the behavior would be labeled as childish, self-absorbed, egotistical,  and borderline psycho.

I have a confession: I’m addicted to talking to myself in the mirror. Yes, I am crazy,

but I’d rather be a crazy person who gazes deeply into my own eyes every morning and loves myself, than a crazy person who walks around acting like I’m okay all day, but inside I feel worthless.

It simply feels good. And it feels good to feel good.

There is research up the wazoo about how self-love leads to more happiness, better health decisions, less risk of depression and anxiety, enhanced academic performance, increased problem-solving skills, reduced procrastination…the list goes on (Huffington Post article with scientifically backed benefits here)

I’ve noticed that practicing self-love translates into other areas of my life, including my sport.

I bounce back quicker from an inaccurate pass on a day where my energy feels off, and when I receive criticism. Instead, of swearing at myself and asking what the hell is wrong with me, I send myself some love, and move forward.

Loving ourselves as a child comes naturally, but as we age, it becomes increasingly difficult. We are constantly being influenced by our environment on what is “good” and “bad”, and if we aren’t doing “good” then it’s easy to self-criticize. We have to consciously practice self-love every day or we fall into the comparison trap, and perceive ourselves as inadequate.

Loving myself in the mirror is the single greatest exercise I do to gain confidence.

Our relationship with ourselves is the only one that is guaranteed. We cannot escape the conversations that we have in our own head every day. I don’t know about you, but I personally prefer to talk with kind-hearted souls, rather than bullies.

The Mirror Exercise

1. Look look in the mirror, and stare deep into your eyes. Not in the way you check to make sure your toothpaste isn’t smeared on the sides of your mouth, or that your nose isn’t symmetrical with your lips. But in the way that you would look at the one and only love of your life.

There’s something about looking into your own eyes that forces you to be present and realize that you are a human being who is doing the best they can, just like every other human in this world.

1. Look into your eyes until you feel that you have connected with your true self. You’ll know when you know.

2. Talk to yourself as if you are your best friend. Tell yourself what you love about yourself. I say things like, “I love you. I believe in you. You are the hardest worker I know. I am so proud of you for all you’ve been through. You are a champion. You are the hardest worker I know. Your dreams are coming true.” This is your time to tell yourself what you want to come to fruition, for yourself, and not anyone else.

3. Continue speaking to yourself in the most compassionate, genuine tone, until you feel the way that you want to feel.

4. Repeat this exercise as often as you like (anytime you’re alone with a mirror). I perform it as part ofmy morning routine, after I visualize, make my bed, and move. I find this exercise most effective when I’m feeling low or want to get myself pumped up on life.

This exercise for sure feels bizarre and uncomfortable at first, but I believe you can’t grow without some discomfort. 
If you’re bold enough to try it, let me know what you think. Did you notice a difference in your mood? What kind of things did you say to yourself?

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Resources

Video of girl loving herself in the mirror

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

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EP 31- The Most Effective Way to Dominate Life

As an athlete, being told to rest is one of the last things that we want to hear. Typically, if there is something wrong in my life, I react by working harder. But when I got my concussion,  my doctor told me that the fastest way to get back on the pitch was to do nothing. So I headed his advice. And the craziest thing happened. I loved it…

“My pure happiness stemmed from tapping into that presence. From being exactly where I was. Unconcerned about what I “had to do” to set me up for success. I did things because I felt like it, because they elevated my well-being, and I trusted that the mental break would get me back on the field sooner.

This joy didn’t come from just relaxing. I have had plenty of “recovery days” over the years. It stemmed from being exactly where I was, and no where else.

Nature has this nonjudgmental way of awakening my soul. It happens when I’m around authentic people, and when I’m immersed in a soccer game. I am more alive and see the world brighter.”

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

EP 30- Arrow Tip Tuesday: Move in the Morning

When I have a killer workout planned, the worst part is hardly ever during the exercise, but rather the anticipation. It’s the mental chatter:  Ughh, this is going to suck, i just want to get this over with…but once the workout begins, even if I’m gasping for air and praying I make it out alive,  the pre-chatter still was the worst part.

The same thing goes for mornings. Mornings have the potential to be the King of mehhhh-like thoughts.

But like workouts, this pre-chatter isn’t serving us.

And when anything is not serving me, I like to nip it in the bud ASAP.

Tony Robbins, a master of the human psyche,  holds seminars to get people amped up on life. I attended one of his speaking events.  Consistently, people leave feeling like they are on top of the world. One of the main ways he gets people  to change their beliefs is through movement. He says that the mind is the weakest part of our body. This is because our brains are programmed to survive, which can cause us to see things as more threatening than they are in reality… like getting out of bed.

Tony explains that the quickest, most effective way to change our internal state is to move. Physical activity changes the biochemistry in your body. It sends endorphins into the brain and regulates your mood.

One of the exercises Tony had the audience do was to celebrate like it was the greatest moment of your life. To get as into it as possible, throw your arms up in the air, hug people, jump up and down. At this event there were thousands of people screaming like little kids and the energy I felt was outrageous.

When you full on celebrate, extending your arms up, this movement opens up your diaphragm and fires off neurotransmitters into your brain that make you happier.

This is why my morning routine always includes some type of movement.

In episode 27, I detailed the first part of my morning routine, in which I visualize while half-asleep. After this visualization, I get my move on!

My Morning Movement

I stretch out my entire body and yell a positive statement to myself like “let’s goooo kendall, today’s about to be a beautiful day, I love you!!” I’m 110% fully aware that this sounds cheeseball with extra swiss, cheddar and mozzarella, but it works for me. When I yell, rather than whisper, these affirmations radically alter my sleepy state and make me feel more alert. I then get out of bed, and do some sort of exercise.

Moving is powerful stuff. As athletes, there’s a reason we all love moving. It makes us feel good.  I love moving, as long as it’s not the beep test, or a run exceeding 10 miles, or burpees, or hills or…. just kidding, sort of.

But my movement in the morning, takes less than 5 minutes,  and it without fail gets me juiced up.

Prior to my concussion, I had a routine in which I would do 20 push-ups and a one minute plank each way.

But the movement doesn’t even have to be that extreme. I now take a more gentler approach to wake up my body, I begin with some neck and back stretches, and then I finish with whatever movement I’m feeling lunge squats, jumping in the air Tony Robbins style…I do it until my heart rate is elevated my breath quickens, and my body warms.

Then after that, I’m in a way more lively state and ready to seize the day.

I recommend experimenting with what movement works for you. You may like to ease into it with yoga or just get down and dirty. If you want,  try my push-up plank series. The first week I started this program I did 10 push-ups, and then a 30 second plank each way. Each week I added 1 push up and 5 extra seconds to each plank, until I worked my way up to 20 push-ups and 1 minute plank each way.

This would get me Ronda Rousey-fired up to start my day.

Except that I don’t have any desire to beat girls up. I prefer to throw hugs and not punches.  That’s just me.

If you try out my plank/push-up series let me know how you like it! Do you have a morning movement routine? Do you have any suggestions on how I can improve mine?

Let me know!

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Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

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Garga Caserta-Thorns FC strength and conditioning coach-on maximizing speed, injury prevention, and the Brazilian capoeira

In today’s episode, I interview Garga Caserta. Garga is the Thorns FC performance management consultant and strength and conditioning coach. He is the owner of GC Strength,a sports performance center specifically for soccer players. He is also the father of two dogs, and soon-to-be human father, as he and his wonderful wife, Molly, are expecting a baby boy.

In this episode, we talk about how Garga grew up playing futsal in the streets of Brasil and how as a child, he had already calculated how many World Cups in which he was going to play in his lifetime. We discuss how Garga first gained interest in the power of movement through the capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music.

In the second portion of the interview, we dive into technical aspects of speed, agility, strength, and all things mobility.

Garga talks about:

-the most common mistake athletes make while training

-the importance of a meaningful warm-up

-how to prevent injuries, particularly acl tears

-the key components to increasing your speed

– why he makes Thorns FC players, wear gps and heart rate monitors every training

-why coach Mark Parsons and he plan out every single training session before our season starts

and more.

If you stick around to the end of the interview, Garga has a special gift for you!

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Garga Caserta.

Shownotes

:50 Who is Garga?

4:00 Garga’s art of coaching

5:21 His upbringing in Brazil

7:47 How and why did Garga move to the US.

10:07 What inspired his interest in movement?

17:00 When did Garga stop playing soccer?

22:06 Why did Garga come to Portland?

23:18 Garga’s transition to the Thorns conditioning coach

24:45 How does Garga prepare for Thorn’s pregame warmups?

27:35 What is central nervous activation response?

30:09 Benefits of warmups

30:48 Biggest mistake of running form

33:24 Tip for increasing running speed

36:08 Is speed and agility innate or taught?

37:47 How much does weight training influence speed?

41:01 Does Garga like heavy or light lifting?

43:46 Why is doing more not always better?

48:41 Importance of building fundamentals

51:00  biggest mistake rushing preparation

51:50 Garga & Mark Parson’s preplanning training sessions

55:07 Garga’s lighter day schedule

57:16 GPS systems & heart rate monitors

1:03:04 Garga’s video replay analysis

1:07.41 Garga’s new company

1:11.54 Fan questions

1:13.45 How can female athletes decrease the possibility of ACL injury?

1:16.35 What is the best method to increase speed and stamina?

1:18.04 How important is stretching?

1:20.01 What is one of Garga’s craziest beliefs?

1:21.38 Is there a body prep you do every day?

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

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3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Click HERE for Garga’s Free 1 month strength and speed workout

Click HERE for Garga’s Instagram & HERE for his Twitter

Click HERE for Garga’s Website

EP 25- Arrow Tip Tuesday: Why Making your Bed Changes the World

I never used to understand people who made their bed. Why bother taking the time when you are going to be getting back in and making it messy at the end of the day anyways?

As I mentioned in episode 17 in the article I wrote, Throwing Away 9 Trash Bags of Clothes Changed my Life, I am inherently a slob and tend to be suspicious of those whose living space smell of Windex and resembles a vacated crime scene. .

What are they trying to hide??

But, awhile back I read a quote from Commander Navy Seal, William H Mcraven, that peaked my feathers.

“If you want to to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do one task and then another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed and It will reinforce the idea that the little things in life matter.”

Ohhh snapp. Did he just equate making your bed with changing the world??

I’m down to change the world, so I figured it was worth a shot.

I did. And now I always, always, always make my bed. Here’s why:

Charles Duhigg, author of bestseller The Power of Habit, calls this kind of habit, a “keystone habit” because it creates a positive change that will then set in motion your ability to perform other good behaviors.

Once I make my bed, it symbolizes that my day is starting, and it is my first opportunity to demonstrate that I am taking control of my day.

There are so many uncertainties in life. Even if you begin the day with the best intentions, things can go sideways fast.

You could slip on a banana peel on the way to training, get side swiped in your car,  yelled at by your coach, miss the game-winning shot…. the possibilities are endless.

But, no matter how crappy your day is, when you come home and all you want to do is sleep, you will see that at the very least you made your bed. Not all is lost.

It’s such a small habit, but  I am learning that I am a highly visual person. If I see a distraction in the my outer life, I’m going to feel off internally. So making my bed is one action I can take to help me reduce that stress.

Also, think about when you stay at a hotel. When I am traveling with my team and enter my hotel room, I get giddy when I see the bed covers are tucked in crispier than a newly minted dollar bill.  Sometimes I do think the covers are so snug they make me feel like I’m going going to lose circulation, however that’s just a personal preference. The beauty about making your own bed, is you call the shots.

If you’re a science-based person, a recent study showed  “71 percent of bed makers consider themselves happy, while 62 percent of non-bed-makers admit to being unhappy. Bed makers are also more likely to enjoy their jobs, own a home, exercise regularly, and feel well rested, whereas non-bed-makers hate their jobs, rent apartments, avoid the gym, and wake up tired.”

There’s something to be said about making beds.

Arrow Tip: Make your bed

If you still feel you are too lazy to make your bed, then here’s a video on how to make your bed while you are still in it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD8y1kRpMqw

No excuses to at least try it! if you don’t like it, you can go back to crumpled sheets.

Do you make your bed? Does it make you feel as happy as me? Let me know in the comments

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

EP 24- Jacqueline Wiles: US ski team Olympian- On chasing snow and dreams, with a side of medicinal mushrooms

In today’s episode, I interview US downhill and super G ski team member and Olympian Jacqueline Wiles, aka Janky Lil’ J . Take a look at Jackie’s Instagram and you’ll see beautiful snow-capped mountains ranging from Chile to New Zealand to Switzerland. Jackie is living her dream, but her life isn’t always glamorous. Behind those photos are grueling traveling schedules, hours spent in the gym, and races lost by just .01 of a second.

Jackie wouldn’t want it any other way and is grateful for her journey.  From the moment Jackie started skiing at age 2, she had a need for speed. By age 3, Jackie distinctly remembers being upset that her 5 year-old brother was able to start ski racing, before herself. All her life Jackie knew that she wanted to make the US ski team, and held onto that image despite people doubting her.

After years of climbing the ranks, Jackie became one of just a handful females in the entire United States to be a part of the U.S ski team.  But her journey was just getting started.

Only certain members of the team are fully funded, and at the time, Jackie needed to find $25,000 to continue her dreams. She was able to raise the money through sponsorships, including one from her teammate Lindsey Vonn, through the Lindsey Vonn foundation. Also, Jackie’s teammates and her came up with a creative fundraising strategy, and sold “An Under The Suit: Bodies of the Ski Team”  calendars in which they posed naked on the mountain.

Jackie’s sport is filled with ups and downs, but she’s always learning from them and eager to keep improving.

In our conversation, we dig into:

-how Jackie qualified for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics just weeks before the event
-why Jackie posed naked on the mountain to assist her in raising the $25,000 needed to pursue her dreams
-becoming the first ambassador to her teammate Lindsey Vonn’s foundation, The Lindsey Vonn Foundation 
-how Jackie deals with skiing’s uncontrollable factors such as weather and slope conditions
-Jackie’s specific visualization technique before races
-Competing in World Cups (which are a lot different different than soccer World Cups)”
-how Jackie  travels and lives out a suitcase for the majority of the year
-Medicinal mushrooms and why Four Sigmatic Mushroom Tea  is  one of her favorite products to improve her performance
-what she’s thinking about when she’s  bombing down the hill at 70mph
-And a lot more

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

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3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Shownotes
:49           Who is Jaqueline Wiles?
4:07         Where did her nickname come from?
5:08        Jackie’s favorite song and music she listens to while skiing.
7:11          Jackie’s childhood skiing days
8:33         What other sports did Jackie play?
9:55          Angry 3 year old Jackie and her goal at age 5 to always ski.
11:27         What speed does Jackie ski at in competittions
12:28        Does fear intensify Jackie’s focus in skiing?
14:23        What does Jackie prepare for in each new terrain?
16:50        How much training is done on slope vs. gym?
18:38        How does Jackie incorporate visualization into her training?
21:38        How is it training for hours for just an 1 1/2 minute race?
24:03       What’s is Jackie’s prerace preparation?
25:33        Jackie’s decision to not attend college
27:57         What age did Jackie not see athletic progress and how did she change that?
20:04        Does Jackie spend more training time on the mountain or in the gym?
30:47         How did Jackie’s new training (Facebook@ BODY by TROY ) change the path to the  US Nat’l   team?
32:54        Training abroad experience
36:20        Does Jackie enjoy the individual competition or the team experience?
37:17          How important is equipment?
38:53         How does Jackie get back from a bad race experience?
40:17         Does Jackie journal?
42:13         Jackie’s blog  http://www.jacquelinewiles.com/blog/
46:38         Jackies naked calendar experience  http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/suit-calendar-features-nude-portraits-u-s-ski-team-gallery-1.2921503?pmSlide=1.2921600
51:48          How does US ski team sponsorship work?
53:38          Lindsey Vonn Foundation  https://www.lindseyvonnfoundation.org
56:17           Jackie’s morning routine
1:00.09       Has Jackie had a bad spill?
1:01              What’s the biggest misconception about Jackie?
1:02.17        What is one of Jackie’s craziest beliefs?
1:06.47        Does Jackie follow any type of diet?
1:08.26       What does 18 year old self Jackie wish she knew?
1:09.35        Jackie’s favorite failure
1:11.08        Jackie’s favorite accomplishment
1:12.53        Jackie’s one tip for female athletes

Jaqueline Wiles    http://www.jacquelinewiles.com
Jaqueline Wiles ski camp  http://www.jacquelinewiles.com/skicamp.html
Jackie Wiles instagram https://www.instagram.com/jankylilj/

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Click HERE to check out Jackie’s Blog

Click HERE to support Jackie and her dreams

Click HERE to follow Jackie on Twitter & HERE to follow her on Instagram

Click HERE to sign-up for Jackie’s 6 day camp at Mt Hood

EP 21-Katherine Reynolds: Professional Soccer Player- On working hard, striving to be your best, and picking a wedding dress

Professional soccer player, Katherine Reynolds has played in 79 out of the 86 National Women’s Soccer League matches. However, her path to becoming a consistent starter did not come without it’s challenges.

After attending Santa Clara University, Katherine was drafted to the Boston Breakers. Just days before the beginning of the season, she was unexpectedly cut from the team. Katherine ended up getting picked up by the the Philadelphia Union. That season, she seldom saw the field, and considers that year one of the most challenging ones of her life. But, Katherine is someone who prides herself on working hard, and the following year, her career took off. Katherine has played every minute of every game in multiple seasons. It’s incredible feat just to stay injury-free at the professional level, and testament to her reliable, consistent play.  

In our conversation, we talk about the responsibility that comes with being the oldest of four sisters, how she became an 8 time state champion in track by her sophomore year of high school and then decided to quit, the crazy story on how she very-last-minute got recruited by her dream school Santa Clara University, how she deals with the stress of playing professionally, her recent engagement and what she’s looking for in a wedding dress.

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EP 20- Losing Someone Close to Your Heart

Today on the podcast, I share a piece I wrote as a reflection to process the first time I lost someone really close to my heart; my grandma.

As athletes, we invest our heart and souls into our sport. We become obsessed with being the best. And we get in this routine of waking up every day wanting to be faster and stronger and better and better and better and when things aren’t aligning the way we’d like, it can be stressful. We get worked up when our coach yells at us for messing up a drill, or we have to run extra sprints, or we show up late for training because of traffic…. We can fall into this rut for days, or months or even years and question, “why is this happening to me???”

And then, out of nowhere, something unexpected happens that jolts you back into the present. It makes you realize that what we were worrying about was minuscule and meaningless in the grand scheme of life.

The above  picture perfectly encapsulates everything my grandma means to me. I just finished playing a game at Providence Park, and ran over to my family’s seats to give them some love. I was greeted by my grandma, who’s grin I can still feel beaming down on me today.  She’s wearing  the purest smile. No verbal exchange is necessary. I can see her genuine excitement to be in that moment. She carried this demeanor with her every day. Fully invested in the the now. Her smile reminds me of the power of presence. We do not have to wait for some life-changing loss, injury, or tragedy to gain perspective. Every single day, we can choose how we want to show up for life. I choose to be grateful and live fully. What do you choose?

Full written article with images here: dear-nonie-one-last-letter-on-love-and-traveling-every-day/

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EP 17- Throwing Away 9 Trash Bags Full of my Belongings Changed my Life

Not to brag, but growing up, I played on some pretty baller teams. With stellar teams, came our fair share of tournament championships. And with tournament championships, came a lot of free tournament championship t-shirts.

Winning free garments is infinitely more exciting as a kid than if you bought it yourself. For about a week, I would be high as a kite repping my new swag. My friends and I would ecstatically plan a certain day to wear our shirts to school. “Ok guys, on Wednesday’s let’s all wear our Chinook Cup Champions shirts!”

 After that day, without fail, the shirt would be chucked into the back of my closet with all of the other virtually identical uncomfortable stiff-materialed, generic-fonted, cheesy soccer ball-adorned tournament t-shirts.  

And then 10 years later, at the age of 25, when I still have a room at my parents place because I’m a professional soccer player, who happens to be female #equalplayequalpay….that’s when I realized I’ve been hoarding these t-shirts for my whole life.

The only reason I discovered my hoarding problem is because I read this book called The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

And, dare I say it, for a slob like myself,  it was indeed life changing.

I swear, tidiness makes  your head feel so much clearer and freer, especially when you get home after a long day of training. I believe any amount of stress, even it’s outside of the game, will affect your performance.

I posted before and after pictures of my room  in the full written piece HERE .  The insane amount of wardrobes I collected is equally shocking and impressive.If you are a fellow slob, I urge you to check this book out. At the time of reading the book, my messiness didn’t bother me, but once I went through this process and was living in a tidy place, I never wanted to go back.

30 DAY CHALLENGE to win Free Gift!

If anyone tries out the “kon marie” method described in this piece within the next 30 days (By May 6, 2017)  I’ll send you a free gift. All you have to do is send me a before and after picture of your room  (you can see an example of pic from the written piece HERE attach full written article link ) . Send me the pictures of the before and after via social media @arrowliving   or email me @arrowliving1@gmail.com and I’ll send you that gift.

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Resources

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EP 14- A Once in a Lifetime Flight-How to Deal with Losses

I’m going to be honest with you. Losing games freaking sucks. When I was younger, I would give everyone the silent treatment (except my dog),  shut my room and tell my parents to leave me alone, unless dinner was ready, of course. But as I’ve gotten older, I have lost more and more games, and I want to tell you something. Losing, actually, believe it or not….doesn’t get any better. It still SUCKS. In the heat of the moment, it feels like you’ve gotten your soul ripped out. When you fully invest your time and heart into something, and circumstances don’t turn out how you’d like, naturally it’s feels crappy.

But, a couple years ago, my team and I boarded a plane filled with World War II veterans and my my perspective of losing has changed.

Whenever I’m feeling down, from a sports loss or anything in life, I like to think back to that moment. All it takes to snap myself out of my funk to think of all of the people who have sacrificed their life for my teammates and myself to be able to live out our dreams.

There is always someone who has it worse than you. And there’s people in this world who no doubt would kill to be in your exact place now.  Even when we lose, we always have something to be grateful for. Full written article with video footage HERE. 

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If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

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Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

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Chelsea Handler-Never burn out someone's candle, to make yours bigger

You are the only YOU in in this entire world. There is room for everyone to shine. Never blow out someone else's candle to make yours bigger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zEYScSec0Q 

Carli Lloyd's Road to Greatness

Dream to be the greatest. Devise a bulletproof plan to be the greatest. Relentlessly execute the plan to be the greatest. Become the greatest.  Carli Lloyd.

Full article:

The Exciting Times of Carli Lloyd

Do Not Cross Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard went absolutely mental in the Blazer’s last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored  17 points in the final three minutes , leading  his team to a 115-110 come-from-behind victory. Lillard has come up clutch so many times that when the game is on the line,  Portland now points to their wrist and calls the closing minutes “Lillard time”  How does he consistently come up big? Through training with a  “yellow tape mentality.”  This is one of my favorite articles on the importance of always training with a relentless, confident game-like mentality.

Do Not Cross Damian Lillard

Die Young as Late As Possible

Steph Curry: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Let the haters hate. As long you believe in and know your potential, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

Hold yourself Accountable First

Whatever It Takes-Andrew Hawkins

August 12, 2015

Cleveland Browns wide receiver, Andrew Hawkins is the definition of relentless. Coming out of college as a “nobody”, he had a burning desire to make the NFl. Despite the odds, He made the decision to go after his dreams. He created a pseudo email account,  posed as an Toledo assistant coach, he attached clay to his heels and put weight in his pockets during Pro Day weigh-in,  he stocked Dallas Cowboy’s owner, GM, and President, Jerry Jones,  he entered a reality TV contest, he played in the CFL, he got cut from multiple teams. He did all of this and still had yet to make an NFL team.

Four years later, all of his efforts paid off and is now the leading wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns.

When you have a burning desire and the determination to do whatever it takes to reach your goals, anything can happen.

Andrew Hawkin’s two part story from The Players Tribune:

Part 1: Coming Up Short

Part 2: Whatever It Takes