Ever wondered how a professional ultra trail runner overcomes obstacles? I’m pleased to announce that today Krissy Moehl is sharing her thoughts on perseverance with us.   Learn how she keeps running despite the setbacks along the way.

I have interviewed many people for my “Profiles of Perseverance” series about how they persevere through many types of obstacles.  After watching Krissy's TEDTalk online, I had to ask her to be part of this series.  I'm so blessed she agreed to take part. She really inspired me!  I'm so glad I heard her speak.  Krissy Moehl is a Ultra trail runner, event promoter of Runner Girl Races, Coach,  Patagonia Ambassador,  and a 2 time Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc champion. She is an awesome woman!  I love the work she is doing! I really respect her and think she has a powerful mission. Thanks, Krissy, for sharing with us the lessons you have learned throughout your life! Keep running, smiling, and sharing your story!

Read her interview with me after watching her powerful TEDTalk!

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? To SMILE!

Who did you receive it from? My Mom.

How important is mentorship in terms of your success?

Mentorship is very important in life, both being mentored and mentoring. So many lessons are learned on either side.

What has been the best moment in your life so far?

That is probably the most difficult question out there. There are so many amazing moments to live and the ones that are the best are the ones where I feel the most present. I travel a lot and feel like I am constantly moving, planning and responding. It's those moments when I am not thinking about yesterday or tomorrow or any aspect of time is when I feel the moments are the most special. 

What tips would you have for living a healthy life?

Move every day. Big movement. Make it something you will be happy that you did.

How do you motivate yourself to persist despite setbacks?

A good friend of mine says "it always never gets worse", the nonsense of it makes me smile. Sometimes life is harder than other times and it is more difficult to motivate when times have got me down. I have found that if I can keep present, acknowledge my feelings and move forward from that point I can work through just about anything. To help get me to this place of being present I have found that reaching out to family and close friends and spending time with people that know me best (whether speaking about the "setbacks" or not) is very grounding and reminds me of what is important.

What has been your biggest setback?

2009 was probably one of the toughest years of my life. I made a big commitment in a move for a relationship, which then was quickly over. I raced two difficult 100 mile races with everything that I had and left myself physically drained. Three weeks after the second race a friend of mine committed suicide. The triple whammy left me dark.

How did you deal with it?

To be honest I didn't really deal all that well with it for a while. I couldn't run (my normal coping mechanism) because I was drained, I dove into my work all year and wasn't present to feel and cope with each hit, and I think because of all of these the healing process took a long time.

What did you learn from it?

See the answer to #5 ;)

How do you deal with critics?

I am not quite sure. I am not a fan of conflict and probably take things too personally, but in the end I try to see it as an opportunity to learn. Whether that is to learn about the situation, or about myself.

How important is social support in overcoming obstacles?

Social support is hugely important to me. I feel lucky to have great relationships with my family, with friends all the way back to grade school and to have found a great community through trail and ultra running. People that will help get you back on your feet whether they know they are doing it or not, are key and the gems of life.

What advice would you give others about goal setting?

I think goal setting is important as it does help motivate. One piece with that would be to remember that each day working towards that goal is just as important as the goal.

What life lesson have you learned that you would like to pass along to others?

Smile.

Thank you Krissy for sharing your life lessons with us! Keep up the amazing work.  Don’t stop smiling :)

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!