In This Episode:

midlife podcast, midlife transformation, women over 40, endurance events, personal growth, 29029 trail, everesting challenge, finding purpose in midlife, grief and growth, self-discovery journey

🎙️ Show Notes:

What happens when you voluntarily climb the equivalent of three mountain marathons in three days? You cry, curse, question your life choices… and maybe, just maybe, find out what you’re really made of.

In this episode of The School of Midlife podcast, Laurie takes us on the trail with her at the 29029 TRAIL Challenge in Park City, Utah. From a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call to a literal emotional breakdown when she realizes it’s her late father’s birthday, Laurie brings you with her—every painful, beautiful, sweaty, soul-expanding step of the way.

You’ll hear:

• How training for six months changed her body and her brain
• The emotional gut punch of racing on the anniversary of her father's retirement… the day he never got to enjoy
• The unexpected power of community on the trail (hello, Team LFG!)
• Why doing hard things on purpose is a non-negotiable part of midlife growth

This is not just a story about hiking. It’s a story about healing, honoring, and showing up for the life you say you want—even when it hurts. Especially when it hurts.

Resources & Mentions:

• Ep. 123: The Real Midlife Crisis? Thinking You Have More Time
• Best Life Retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho

Takeaways:

• "Preparation is the event. What happens before the start line is where the real transformation begins."
• "You don’t need to be the fastest—you just need to keep going."
• "Midlife isn’t too late. It’s the exact moment you start climbing your own mountain."

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In This Episode:

midlife women podcast, 29029 event, endurance events in midlife, personal growth in your 40s and 50s, finding strength in midlife, midlife transformation, women who hike, overcoming limits

🎙️ Show Notes:

You’ve trained. You’ve climbed. You’ve cried. And you still have another mountain day ahead of you.

In this powerful conclusion to Laurie’s 29029 Trail Challenge recap, she brings us into Day 3 — the longest, hottest, most grueling stretch of the entire event. And yet… it’s also the most meaningful.

From GI issues (real talk: diarrhea at elevation is not glamorous) to the final unexpected hill before the finish line, Laurie shares every honest, gritty, and hilarious detail of how she kept moving. More importantly, she unpacks the life lessons that only show up when you push your body and soul to the limit — and still choose to keep going.

You’ll learn:

• Why you can train alone, but you finish with a team
• The truth about fear in midlife — and how to stop mistaking it for a stop sign
• Why recovery is just as important as effort (yes, even for high-achievers)
• How to stop waiting for “someday” and start living the life you say you want now

If you're in midlife and wondering what’s next — or if you're simply trying to remember who you are outside of your job, your to-do list, and your roles — this episode will move you, motivate you, and make you laugh-snort at least once.

👟 Plus: Cheese quesadillas. Porta-potties. And why trusting a fart on Day 3 is never a good idea.

Resources Mentioned:

• Part 1: The 29029 Trail Challenge Recap – Start Here
• Best Life Retreat in Sun Valley

Quotes to Share:

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Topics Covered: Midlife crisis, running out of time in midlife, living your best life now, midlife women coaching, Top 100 list

Episode Summary:

You know that insatiable urgency you feel in your 40s and 50s — the sense that you’re running out of time and need to do all the things before it’s “too late”? You’re not imagining it. But here’s what host Laurie Reynoldson wants you to know:

In this raw and honest episode, Laurie shares the story that cracked her wide open — losing her dad at 66, just five months into his retirement — and the wake-up call that made her realize someday isn’t a strategy.

You’ll learn:

• Why so many high-achieving midlife women keep waiting for “someday”
• How deferring your dreams until the kids are grown or the mortgage is paid is the real crisis
• Why the passage of time hits different in midlife — and what to do with that clarity
• How Laurie’s Top 100 List is not a bucket list, but a living blueprint for your best life
• How adding physical challenges (like her three mountain marathons in three days!) helps her live her best life, not just dream about it
• Why putting in the reps now means you won’t wake up at 65 asking, “Who am I?”

One Big Takeaway:

Your Challenge This Week:

Write down one thing you’d put on your Top 100 — not a “bucket list” thing to do before you die, but a life list thing to do while you’re alive and becoming the woman you were always meant to be.

DM Laurie your Top 100 item — she wants to hear it!

Links & Resources:

✨ Join the waitlist for the next Gap Year cohort
✨ DM “GAP YEAR” or “TOP 100” to Laurie on Instagram: @schoolofmidlife

Share This Episode:

Know a woman who keeps postponing her life for “someday”? Send this episode to her. We’re done waiting. Now is the time.

📩 JOIN MY MAILING LIST
https://www.schoolofmidlife.com/newsletter

👉 CONNECT WITH LAURIE:
📩 Email Laurie

💻 Website

On Instagram

On LinkedIn

Work with Laurie