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How to Balance Epic Outdoor Adventures and a Career (Kathy Beasley)

Few careers are as demanding and all encompassing as military service. Your time, where you live, where you’ll be tomorrow and how long you’ll be there are not your own. So how do you prioritize an outdoor-adventure focused life around those things?

The lessons Kathy Beasley learned about that effort over her career in the U.S. Navy and a dedication to staying active have guided her to incredible heights — literally — and aren’t only applicable for those who work for Uncle Sam. Listen to this episode with Kathy Beasley for insight into not only how to build outdoor adventures into regular life, but how to keep them a priority for a lifetime.

Some of the good stuff:

[1:29] Kathy’s happy place

[3:23] The city vs. the parks

[4:17] Kathy’s Navy story

[8:55] Kathy’s outdoor story

[11:46] Katyh’s trip to Patagonia

[12:15] How to decide where you want to travel

[14:18] How to balance outdoor goals with career demands

[20:22] What it’s like going to Everest base camp

[21:40] Why Kathy decided to tackle the 7 Peaks

[22:18] Why doing things no matter your age is important

[23:33] How to stay healthy

[25:10] Kathy’s advice for picking activities

[29:38] How to make adventure a priority

[33:22] Kathy’s favorite gear

[34:50] Kathy’s most essential outdoor gear

[37:15] Kathy favorite outdoor moment

Connect with this episode:

Bio Bio Expeditions

Kathy’s favorite gear: Gortex wind pants and a headlamp (links to ones we like)

Kathy’s most essential outdoor gear: knife and a Patagonia gear bag

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Outdoor Diary: When Everything Is Not OK, How Do You Deal With ‘Floor Time?’

Listen as Amy Bushatz explains why she calls being in a funk “floor time” and how she recovers.

Some of the good stuff:

[:37] Amy’s two emotional states

[1:00] What is floor time?

[1:50] How to put a stop to floor time

[3:06] How Amy got outside this week

[4:06] Outdoor Hero

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Outdoor hero: Patagonia Sling Bag

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How to Do It All, Not Do It All and Get Outside (Rachel Brenke)

If all you know of attorney and entrepreneur Rachel Brenke is her online presence, you might be tricked into thinking she literally does it all. Her boutique law firm specializes in supporting small businesses nationwide with their brands, providing legal resources for digital entrepreneurs, photographers and gym owners. But she’s also a mom, spouse, runner, ironman and thyroid cancer survivor.

But behind the magic is a finely tuned system of hard work, maximizing what she spends her time on — and hitting the outdoors to help the whole thing work. In this episode Rachel talks about how the outdoors helps her make it happen, how she fits it in with her multiple jobs and hobbies and tips for others looking to balance it all.

Some of the good stuff:

[2:28] Rachel Brenke’s favorite outdoor space

[3:33] Is Rachel a human or a robot?

[4:49] How Rachel got to apparently doing everything

[9:03] Does she have it all together?

[12:12] Rachel’s outdoor story

[17:04] The murder of her dog, Archer

[18:52] How the outdoors helped with her trauma

[22:37] Fitting nature in with running a small business

[26:54] Balancing the schedule

[35:46] The problem of multitasking

[37:31] Rachel’s favorite outdoor gear

[38:33] Rachel’s most essential outdoor gear

[41:52] Rachel’s favorite outdoor moment

Connect with this episode:

Learn more about Rachel Brenke

Follow Rachel Brenke on Instagram

Eden Law

The Lawtog

FitLegally

Rachel Brenke, Team USA Triathlon

Rachel’s favorite gear: a great visor
Rachel’s most essential gear: Garmin running watch

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Outdoor Diary: Adapting and Finishing With Pride + Our Van Name

As promised, we have received names for our new camper van based on our your suggestions — and picked a winner. But before we go there, we have to talk about Amy’s new challenge.

That’s right, not despite having surgery but rather because of that, Amy needs a new challenge. But what is “challenge?” And how does a challenge differ person to person? And how does doing something with purpose impact it?

Some of the good stuff:

[:52] The Marine Corps Marathon

[2:12] Amy’s new goal

[3:10] What is a challenge?

[4:22] The new van name

[5:20] This week’s Outdoor Hero

Connect with this episode:

Learn about the camper van

Hear about wear blue: run to remember

Outdoor hero: Bogs boots

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How Movement and a Connection to Culture Saved Her (Carol Seppilu)

After a suicide attempt almost took her life and left her with a tracheotomy, Carol Seppilu ultimately made the choice to pursue mental health through ultra trail running. If you think running 100 miles sounds hard, imagine how hard it must be when breathing is a challenge under even non-running circumstances.

But Carol is relentless in her pursuit of doing great things. Listen to her share her journey and why staying in touch with her Indigenous Alaskan culture is an important part of that on this episode of the Humans Outside podcast.

Some of the good stuff:

[2:15] Carol’s favorite outdoor space

[4:19] About Nome Alaska

[6:54] Carol’s story of suicide and healing

[11:16] Why Carol got into running

[16:28] Carol’s advice for mental health

[20:45] The importance of being outside and movement to Indigenous culture

[28:00] What it’s like to run 100 miles in Alaska

[32:20] Why deciding matters

[39:42] Carol’s favorite outdoor gear

[41:10] Carol’s most essential outdoor gear

[41:54] Carol’s favorite outdoor moment.

Connect with this episode:

Follow Carol Seppilu on Instagram

All about Nome, Alaska

All about the Resurrection Pass race

Carol’s favorite outdoor gear: a running watch

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Outdoor Diary: The Most Exciting Buy In a Long Time, Plus a Contest

On this week’s Outdoor Diary, find out what Amy’s big purchase of the week was – and how it is going to be a major game changer for her outdoor time this winter!

Some of the good stuff:

[:28] What can happen when you shop online

[:45] How Amy decided she wanted a conversion van

[2:08] The big purchase

[2:24] All about the van

[3:10] Updates to the van

[3:27] A contest

Connect with this episode:

All about our new camper van

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Embracing Adventure in a Far Off Place (Military Wild)

When Hannah Wolt and Jennifer Everheart found themselves stationed really far away from home in the kind of exotic location most folks only dream about, they knew two things: that had to make the best of it, and they needed some new friends. Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, is a whole other world for mainlander Americans, complete with exotic waterfalls, amazing hiking and tree snakes (yes, tree snakes).

Their solution? An outdoor group for military families, Military Wild. Hear about friendship in the outdoors and some of the peculiarities of Guam (like the need for a “spider stick” — we wish we were kidding) in this fun episode.

Some of the good stuff:

[1:44] Hannah and Jennifer’s favorite outdoor spaces

[3:23] Why they want to spend time outside

[5:06] What is Military Wild?

[13:08] What it’s like heading to Guam

[20:26] How other people react to Guam

[24:23] Why the outdoors helps them make new friends

[29:03] Advice for heading to a totally new place

[32:01] Favorite and most essential outdoor gear

[36:17] Favorite outdoor moments

Connect with this episode:

Wild Military

Wild MIlitary Facebook group

Hiking trails in Guam

Hannah and Jennifer’s favorite outdoor gear: Solomon Trail Running Shoes; Solomon Boots

Osprey Backpack; North Face women’s hiking pants

Hannah and Jennifer’s most essential outdoor gear: First aid kit; Camera

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Outdoor Diary: Surgery and Getting Outside Anyway

Major hip surgery is a great reason to hang out on the couch for a few days and not go outside … unless, that is, you’re working on a more than three year 20 minutes-per-day outdoor streak. Amy didn’t let hip surgery get her down. Hear how she continued to get outside and what she needs from you on this week’s episode of the Humans Outside Outdoor Diary.

Some of the good stuff:

[:36] Amy’s outdoor reaction to her surgery news
[1:10] Update since surgery
[1:34] The real work post-surgery
[2:00] How Amy is getting outside post-surgery
[3:23] This week’s outdoor hero
[4:15] Amy’s ask for help (from you!)

Connect with this episode:

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Get a free outdoor habit tracker when you register for the Humans Outside newsletter

Outdoor hero: Goodr Sunglasses

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How to Use the Outdoors as Therapy (Judith Sadora)

What’s the difference between wilderness therapy and just, well, going outside? Judith Sadora, a licensed therapist based in Oregon, practices wilderness therapy with clients outdoors and is an expert in how spending time outside can help us work through trauma. Hear why the outdoors is a great “container” and how to create your own therapeutic experience outside in this thoughtful and insightful episode.