Ep. 153 *BEST OF EPISODE* Choosing a Life of Adventure, Redefining Athleticism, and Embracing the Body We’re In with Mirna Valerio, aka The Mirnavator
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Happy #SeekTheJoy Tuesday!
On the podcast this week is Mirna Valerio, aka The Mirnavator. Mirna is an ultramarathon runner, full-time adventurer, author, former educator, mom, kind, full of love and joy, and all around inspiration (and that’s barely scratching the surface!)
Image provided by Mirna Valerio
Mirna is a force of nature and I’m so excited and grateful to be able to bring you her story, her voice, and her mission of empowerment, body positivity, and adventure.
This episode originally aired on October 9, 2018 and we can’t wait to share it with you again!
We cover so much in this week’s new episode, I don’t even know where to begin!
On this week’s episode we chat all about Mirna’s love for running and adventure, and why curiosity is an essential part of our growth. Mirna shares with us the epic race she just completed - the Transrockies Run, a six day stage race covering 120 miles across the Colorado Rockies - and how her perseverance, spirit, and community lifted her up and pushed her to the finish line. She opens up about living her life publicly and how being vulnerable has inspired others to push outside of their comfort zones and choose adventure too. We also chat redefining athleticism, the inspiration behind her blog Fat Girl Running, the REI documentary, and her book A Beautiful Work in Progress. Mirna shares with us how she deals with negative comments, why it’s so important to embrace the body we’re in, the challenges she’s taking on next, and SO much more!
“I’m always searching for what’s going to take me that extra step. What is going to show me something new about myself. What is going to make me just a little bit stronger. That’s what I’m looking for. ”
Mirna fell in love with running in high school, but ultimately it was a health scare that pushed her back into running. She started slowly and worked herself up to 5ks, half marathons, and eventually she ran her first marathon in 2011. She loved the experience of training and how it made her feel, and she kept pushing herself.
Mirna isn’t just a runner, she’s an ultrarunner - someone who runs marathons longer than the standard 26.2 miles (they’re usually 50-100 mile courses . . . like, WHAT!?) Over the years Mirna has completed several marathons, ultramarathons, and obstacles races. She is truly a force and an incredible inspiration to so many - runner or not. In 2013 Mirna ran her first ultramarathon, and she’s been hooked ever since.
2011 was also the year she started her blog, Fat Girl Running. It was a way for her to chronicle her training and share stories with friends and family about running long distances in her body. It was a way to connect with others who were also pushing their bodies and their minds beyond what they believed was capable for themselves. Over time her following grew, and people were tuning in week after week to read Mirna’s thoughts and reflections.
It’s become part of her lifestyle finding ultramarathons, marathons, and super long distance events. It’s about testing her body, testing her mind, seeing what she can do and how far she can push herself.
What motivates her? Curiosity, pure love of sport, running trails, being outdoors, and challenging herself.
Mirna is a full-time adventurer, and she loves being out in nature for hours at a time and getting lost in the trails. For her, curiosity is an essential part of adventure and pursuing our goals. We have to be willing to look around and explore possibilities - no matter the goal or the circumstance.
What I loved so much about our conversation about curiosity is what Mirna shared about its connection to fear. Even though the fear is always present, for Mirna her curiosity is often greater than her fear. She will continue to walk towards the fear, towards the things that scare her - looking in, being cautious - all while pushing herself to become a little more comfortable with having that fear present. I think this is so important because we often allow our fears to block us and to stop us from pursuing our dreams. Mirna’s words on this are just golden, and she shares a really great story about the role fear has played in her life (and what happened to her at a tough mudder obstacle course event!)
Mirna’s words on fear and failure, and why it’s been important for her to show people that they can have fear, and you can fail, but you can still keep living and trying new things - will encourage you to do the same. Her reflections on what we gain from failure - the lessons learned, a new perspective on our hearts, our spirits, our determination, and our lives - will encourage you to lace up your running shoes and head outside and choose adventure in your own life.
“The more that I live my life publicly, the more that I can show people that you can do really awesome, crazy, hard stuff in the body that you have.”
“I have to remind myself that people are dealing with their own limited perspectives of who an athlete is and what athleticism is. If something is particularly negative or hurtful or shaming, I have to remind myself that those people are dealing with their own darkness. That is not my darkness. I can choose to take that darkness into my own world. or I can choose to just let them deal with their own thing.”
Living life publicly and being so vulnerable has had its highs and its lows. Mirna is without a doubt redefining what athleticism looks like - she’s showing everyone that there’s more to athleticism than just what one body represents - but not everyone is on board with this. She’s been dealing with negative comments and trolls on the internet for years. Comments like “she doesn’t look like a runner” and “is this even possible?” have flooded her Instagram comments and e-mails. Mirna has learned how to deal with those comments - especially the ones that are incredibly hurtful, shaming, and negative.
During this week’s episode Mirna opens up about the e-mail she received while she was out completing a race - and how that negative e-mail, and her response to it, inspired an article she wrote for Women’s Running Magazine, and how that is what inspired the REI Documentary.
Mirna and I also chatted about body positivity, embracing the body that we’re in, and how we can continue to encourage women and men to step into their truth and be exactly who they are. You guys are going to love her words on this - trust me.
Mirna is on a mission to empower women of all shapes and sizes to proudly embrace their bodies, expand their horizons, and own their truth. She unapologetically owns who she is, her joy, and her truth. When we live in our truth, we serve as an example (without even realizing it) for others to pursue their passions despite size, disability, or background.
“The human body is a really incredible machine. If you’re constantly out testing your body and doing great things with your body, you appreciate it more.”
Mirna has unapologetically owned her joy, her story, and her truth - and you guys are going to fall in love with her. I cannot wait for you to check out this episode.
To learn more about Mirna, visit her website themirnavator.com and you can find her on Instagram @themirnavator on Twitter @themirnavator and on Facebook @themirnavator her blog Fat Girl Running here and you can find her book A Beautiful Work in Progress here and the REI Documentary “REI Presents: The Mirnavator” here
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