Episode 142: Who gets to feel like they belong? with Daniella Chong

This week, Corrine Malcolm and Hillary Allen dig into one of the most important — and sometimes overlooked — parts of an athlete’s support system: finding the right coach. They talk about what actually makes a good coach-athlete fit, from communication and collaboration to goal alignment, professionalism, and whether a coach is truly invested in you as a person rather than just your performance.They also explore the red flags that can emerge once a coaching relationship is underway, why athletes should pay attention to how a coach responds when things get hard, and what it looks like when a relationship simply reaches its natural end. Plus, they walk through what to do if a coach exits at a difficult moment, how to rebuild trust in a new coach, and why self-advocacy and a broader support team can make all the difference.It’s a practical conversation about building the right team around you, asking better questions early, and remembering that you’re allowed to want a coaching relationship that actually fits.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm sits down with Chelsea Sodaro, Ironman World Champion, mother, and founder of Unlocking Yes, for an honest conversation about what happens when the things you want most in life seem to compete with one another. Chelsea traces her path from professional running to triathlon, the decision to become a mother at the height of her athletic career, and the uncertainty that came with wondering what pregnancy might mean for her future in sport.They also dig into the much messier reality behind Chelsea’s remarkable postpartum return and 2022 Ironman World Championship win — from breastfeeding and childcare challenges to serious mental health struggles that existed alongside tremendous professional success. Chelsea shares what she learned about the support athletes actually need, why maternity policies are only the beginning, and how projects like Unlocking Yes are helping her turn her own experience into something bigger.It’s a thoughtful conversation about motherhood, ambition, identity, and what sport could look like if women didn’t have to be extraordinary just to have the freedom to choose more than one thing.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm and Keely Henninger dig into one of the most common questions they hear from endurance athletes: how should runners actually strength train? They break down why lifting can improve running economy, force production, muscle recruitment, tendon strength, and durability — and why those benefits matter just as much for ultrarunners as they do for athletes chasing faster speeds.They also get practical about what strength training should actually look like, including how often to lift, where to fit it into a running week, why heavier weights and lower reps may offer runners more benefit than endless high-rep exercises, and how plyometrics and eccentric work can prepare the body for the demands of technical trails and long descents. Plus, they talk about fueling for muscle adaptation and why strength becomes even more important across different stages of life, including perimenopause and menopause.It’s a science-heavy but highly practical conversation about getting stronger, running more efficiently, and building a body that can keep doing this sport for the long haul.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm is joined by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys to talk about two kinds of endurance: returning to UTMB after a heartbreaking race, and continuing the long-term work of making trail running a more inclusive sport.They talk about what Sabrina learned from last year’s UTMB, why she’s coming back, and how her work with Black Trail Runners has shaped the way she thinks about belonging, representation, and responsibility. It’s a thoughtful conversation about resilience, community, and what happens when an athlete who spends so much time creating space for others asks what she wants for herself.Sabrina's Website: https://sabrinapacehumphreys.com/Sabrina's book: Start Where You Are (The Beginner’s 5k Running Guide for Women)Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, after a Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift debrief, Corrine Malcolm and Hillary Allen take on RED-S and low energy availability through Hillary’s own recent experience with injury and recovery. What started as overreaching and under-recovery became a bigger lesson in how training stress, work stress, life changes, sleep, fueling, and healing all draw from the same finite pool of energy.They talk about:why RED-S can affect athletes at any sizewhy it isn’t synonymous with disordered eatinghow low energy availability can slow injury recoveryand why even athletes who understand the science can still miss the signs in themselves.It’s a candid, practical conversation about listening sooner, fueling enough, and learning that stress is stress — no matter where it comes from.Forbes Article: Why It Took 119 Years To Build A Tour de France For WomenFollow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm is joined by Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy to talk about the evolution from chasing your own big goals to helping other people chase theirs. From thru-hiking and FKTs to coaching, mentorship, and race directing, Joe has built a career around both pushing his own limits and creating more opportunities for others in trail running.The two dig into the All In Coaching Collective, accessibility in coaching and youth sport, what makes a great mentor, and why Joe has recently added race director to his growing list of roles. It’s a conversation about adventure, community, and what it means to invest in the future of the sport you love.

This week, Corrine Malcolm and Keely Henninger step back from training plans to talk about something endurance athletes rarely discuss: how our relationship with running is supposed to change.Corrine reflects on IVF, pregnancy, and becoming a mom, while Keely shares what it feels like to make room for medicine, a demanding new career, and a different version of athletic life. They explore identity, uncertainty, the pressure to be all in or all out, and why allowing sport to evolve doesn’t mean it matters any less.It’s an honest conversation about who we become when the lives we’re building grow bigger than running.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm is joined by Nicole Ver Kuilen — endurance athlete, cancer survivor, advocate, and National Campaign Lead for So Every BODY Can Move — for a conversation about access, innovation, and what true inclusion in trail running really looks like. They talk about Nicole’s relationship with sport after losing her leg to bone cancer as a child, what drew her to trail running, and the very real barriers adaptive athletes still face long before they ever reach a start line.The two also dig into Nicole’s advocacy work, her recent milestone as Salomon’s first American para athlete, and what it meant to race MaXi-Race while helping shape the future of adaptive trail running through the Salomon Adaptive Project. It’s a thoughtful conversation about representation, equipment, design, and why building a more inclusive sport starts with making movement possible in the first place.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comGood Ranchers: Subscribe and get $25 off your first order with the code IRON at goodranchers.com rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm and Hillary Allen catch up on life, running, and the realities of pivoting when a season doesn’t go to plan before diving into a wide-ranging conversation about big adventure days. From FKTs and fastpacking trips to multi-sport missions and personal route projects, they explore how athletes can dream up meaningful goals outside of traditional races.Along the way, they talk about planning logistics, finding community support, managing safety in the backcountry, and what gear matters most when heading into big terrain for long days or multi-day efforts. It’s a fun, practical episode about creativity, curiosity, and building adventures that feel exciting, personal, and fully your own.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected] our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comProBio: Use code Trail20 for 20%-off orders (30%-off + free shipping w/ subscriptions) at https://www.probionutrition.com/rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.

This week, Corrine Malcolm sits down with Daniella Chong for an episode that goes far beyond race results. They talk about:The L.A. run community and Daniella's work with the Good Vibes Track Club and Renegade RunningBeing a coach and community builderThe role of identity in shaping who feels like they belong in trail running — and the whiteness of running spacesPlus, they dive into Daniella’s Western States journey — what it meant to earn her place on the start line and what she learned during (and preparing for) the race.Support our Partners:Use the code FEISTY2026 for 20% off at https://www.tifosioptics.comGood Ranchers: Subscribe and get $25 off your first order with the code IRON at goodranchers.com rabbit: Visit https://www.runinrabbit.com/ use code: SEPTEMBERTRAIL10 for 10% off.Follow Us:Courses and Coaching: https://livefeisty.com/courses/@[email protected]