Today on the show I have Hillary Allen, a professional trail ultarunner, speaker, and author. Hillary grew up always thinking she would be an academic, following in her father's footsteps by pursuing a PhD in a scientific discipline and settling in to life as a college professor. That all changed when in graduate school, Hillary discovered trail running as a way to relieve stress and in turn found the thing that brings her most alive and would shape the rest of her life. Shortly thereafter, a friend talked her into doing her first race where she not only won, but set a course record. Since then, she has gone on to become a world champion and one of the most accomplished high altitude trial runners of all time.  As a collegiate tennis player and clearly a natural athlete it might seem at first glance that Hillary is simply athletically gifted, and while that may be true, we uncovered a much more tangible and accessible lesson behind her success: A lot of grit, determination, and really hard work. There’s no better testament to Hillary’s character than her attitude towards a major setback to her career,  a set back that almost cost her her life. If you’re a sucker for the feels or simply enjoy a healthy dose of bad ass inspiration, look no further than this conversation my friends.  Show Resources: Hillary’s Website Hillary's Instagram Hillary’s TED talk Trail de Mount Blanc races  US Skyrunning Series Skyrunning world circuit Adam St. Pierre - Hillary’s running coach Ragna Dabats (champion sky runner) Why We Run - book by Ern Heinrich Deep Survival - book by Lawrence Gonzalez Hard Rock - big mountain trail running race in Colorado Sierra High Route Lavaredo - Race in Italian Dolomites Dirty Kanza - gravel bike race in Kansas