Brittany and Tiff wrap up season 5 by answering their own warm up questions and reflecting on 2024 at Terra Running Company and the Terra Girls Podcast. Listen in for lots of laughs and to learn some surprising tidbits about the Terra Girls themselves.

In this episode, Brittany and Tiff sit down with the one and only Braxton Brazell! If you have been in or around Terra Running Company in 2024 Braxton will be a familiar face. Braxton started as one of our employees in January and has quickly become an invaluable member of our team! Listen in to learn more about Braxton, his love for shoes, and how he handled starting work at a running store when he didn't particularly love running.

This episode is not our most polished or eloquent. We rambled (more than usual) and had a lot of "umms" and long pauses. We tried to find statistics to share but couldn't find a lot of relevant material. We waffled back and forth between trying to be empowering while also emphasizing that taking safety measures is important. We tried to help put things in perspective while not being dismissive or even more depressing because, "you're more likely to be attacked in regular life than while running," isn't exactly a comforting message.

Then, a couple weeks after we recorded this episode, 34-year-old runner Alyssa Lokits, was killed on her afternoon run on a path outside of Nashville. All of our fears about how inadequate this episode exploded.

Alyssa did everything right and still this.

Frankly, we almost didn't release this because we were worried it might even feel insensitive after what happened to Alyssa.

But of course, here is the episode in all of its imperfection. We realized that to shy away from the topic would be giving in to the same kind of scared, resigned defeat that leads women away from running.

So we dedicate this episode to Alyssa Lokits.

We honor her courageous, loving, and generous spirit. We are thankful for her light and her love of running. We are thankful for the way that she lifted others up and continues to inspire. And we hope that this imperfect episode continues an important conversation.

As Alyssa's sister-in-law writes, "We just can't be afraid because I know that she would not be afraid. She was fierce and strong and she would get back out there. And know it feels scary to get back out there. We have to. We have to keep moving and loving each other."

The Terra Girls host their first returning guest -- Jeff Salyer! This time, Brittany and Tiff talk to Jeff about his most recent epic running adventure, tackling the Grand Canyon with friends for a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim attempt. For those who don't know, Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim is when runners go from one rim of the Grand Canyon to the other rim and back. The complete route has over 11,000 feet of elevation gain with extreme weather conditions from the freezing top of the canyon to the sweltering floor. Listen in to hear how Jeff trained and prepared, what the outcome was, and what happened that made him feel like he was quite literally going to die on this adventure.

Though Dave Greer didn't start running until his 40s, he has no shortage of running accomplishments. Accruing almost 30 marathon finishes and counting -- including the Boston Marathon and multiple ultra marathons -- perhaps, Dave's greatest running victory has been his recovery from a stroke in 2020 and his grit to run despite dealing with a degenerative disc disease. Learn more about Dave's running journey, his stroke recovery, and a little bit about his experience as a pilot in the Air Force, all on this episode of the Terra Girls Podcast.

McKenzie Parris knew that that she wanted to run 26.2 miles for her 26th birthday; not one to do things halfway, she decided to enter the iconic Chicago Marathon supporting the non-profit World Vision. But, as anyone who has trained for a marathon knows, the build up to race day is fraught with challenges. Some plantar fasciitis, a sprained ankle, and the doubt that comes in the wake of injuries later, McKenzie wondered if she would even make it to the start line. Listen in to this episode to hear how she got back on track, what it has looked like to raise money for a charity race, why audio books are her go to, and why we linked two different books and a popular clip of marathon runner Sifan Hassan. And don't forget to give to McKenzie's fundraising page as she gears up to take on the Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2024!

Donate to McKenize's World Vision race fundraiser!

Sifan Hassan being the most relatable. The book Tiff kept referencing. The book McKenize and Brittany kept referencing.

In this episode of the Terra Girls Podcast, Brittany and Tiff sit down with their friend Melissa Steve. Though originally a basketball player, Melissa got recruited to run for her college team after the coach observed her run one too many miles on the treadmill. In this episode, hear how getting connected to running has led to many memorable experiences for Melissa, like taking part in a fundraiser run from Cleveland, Tennessee, to Boston, Massachusetts, connecting with coworkers, and, best of all, the joy of sharing health and fitness with her kids.

Brittany and Tiff sit down with their first guest of the season, Melan Sunscreen founder, Brandi Corbello! In 2020, at the age of 30, Brandi was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. Not knowing much about skin cancer or sun care, Brandi's journey to beating her diagnosis included lots of learning about sunscreen, chemicals used in skincare products and what is and isn't approved for use in the USA. This ultimately led Brandi to decide she needed to start a sunscreen company instead of a buy a house! Listen in to meet Brandi and learn more about her incredible story on this episode of the Terra Girls Podcast.