Steph:
I’ve been pretty active most of my life. I love playing sport.
But I tell you what — COVID got me good, and with two little kids, I could not get off the bloody couch.
I’d tried everything. I just could not get moving.
A friend of mine, Rhonda Ho — shout out to Rhonda — said, “You’ve got to do the Run With Taria program.”
So I did it.
I ran 10Ks in eight weeks.
I don’t know what magic you’re wielding, but it works.
Turia:
Thank you. Amazing.
Oh, I’m stoked you enjoyed the program.
And I love Rhonda as well — she’s one of our OGs.
I think it’s really important because it’s so hard as a mum, right?
So often you’re looking after everyone else — your kids, your partner, your family, work, colleagues.
And we kind of forget we need to fill our own cup too.
I’ve found that if I just get out of my own way and go for a run — it doesn’t have to be long, even if it’s just 15 minutes — I feel less irritated, less stressed, less resentful.
Steph:
It’s so true.
And I’m guessing you hear this a lot because the program really helps.
You’ve helped hundreds of women, mostly mums.
Do you hear similar stories — women who are exhausted, being pulled in a thousand directions, ready to throw a stool and move to Barbados?
Turia:
If only we could move to Barbados.
I think it’s because we want to get through everything in the day, right?
Cook dinner. Do the laundry. Tick off the to-do list.
And we think:
“Once I get through everything, then I’ll do something for myself.”
But you never get through the list.
There’s always more.
So you end up putting your life on hold, waiting for this magical spare time that never comes.
In Run With Turia, we flip that.
You make time for yourself first.
Then whatever else you get done — great.
And when you start doing that, when you go for those runs, you realise you feel more energised, more productive, and in a better headspace.
You’re less shitty and annoyed with everyone else.
Or maybe that’s just me.
And you feel more capable of taking on your day.
Steph:
Exactly.
Because we do put ourselves last, don’t we?
Turia:
We do.
And I hate the oxygen-mask analogy, but it’s true.
You’ve got to take care of yourself before you can properly care for anyone else.
Your cup has to be full.
Steph:
And I love that with the program too — you don’t need the fancy watch.
You don’t need all the gear.
Just get out the door.
Turia:
Exactly.
I hate that expectation.
People think to participate in a sport, you need the expensive watch, the latest gear, all of it.
For running?
A pair of joggers — even old ones — great.
A sports bra for most women.
That’s basically it.
If you want to run in your nightshirt and baggy old shorts, fine.
Just get used to the process.
Sure, if cool workout gear makes you feel good, go for it.
But I never wanted women — especially mums — to feel they had to spend a heap of money before they could even begin.
Because they might try it and realise:
“Actually, running isn’t for me.”
And that’s totally fine too.
Steph:
Where did the idea for the program come from?
Turia:
Honestly, it was for me.
After my first child, I signed up for a 30-kilometre mountain run.
People would say:
“That’s not that far. You’ve run way further.”
And it really annoyed me.
Because I was like:
“Well, fuck you. It is hard. I’m training for this race and I’ve got a one-year-old. Lay off.”
Then after my second child, it was almost the opposite.
People had zero expectations of me.
Like because I was a mum, obviously I couldn’t maintain fitness, exercise, or do something for myself.
And I think society tells women that if you’re not physically with your kids, you’re somehow a bad mum.
So if you drop them at school and go to work, guilt.
If you go exercise by yourself, guilt.
And honestly?
I don’t think men feel that way.
My partner would never feel guilty going to work, fishing, diving, seeing mates.
But I was always feeling guilty.
And then I realised when I did make time for myself, I felt better.
And that’s where the program came from.
That recognition that there’s something really powerful in making time for yourself.
He’s very happy to go to work, go fishing, go diving, do his own thing, hang out with his mates — and he never feels guilty, whereas I was. I was always feeling guilty and like shit.
But then when I tried to do things for myself, I’d feel a little bit better.
And so I think that was the genesis of the program, because I recognised that there was something really powerful in that. I feel like when we make that time for ourselves — when we leave the house, when we do something for ourselves, when we’re working towards a goal that benefits us — like you said at the start, Steph, it helps women with confidence and how they feel about themselves.
And I really think running improves those things.
Steph:
Well done. Congratulations. I love it. And it’s such a nice community inside as well.
Turia:
Oh, that’s my favourite part.
There are so many women’s groups online where you feel like, These chicks are judging me. I’m not cool enough.
I think we might be one of the daggiest, most non-judgmental groups out there — but that’s why I love it. Everyone’s supportive.
Steph:
You can be yourself and no one cares. I really like that.
And there’s such a range of women in there too — women doing the 21k, women returning to running, women just starting out.
Turia:
Yeah, that’s my favourite part.
Steph:
I also like jumping on with you and Coach Bel and everyone’s having a wine, talking about running.
Turia:
Hot chips and everything.
I may have set that precedent of drinking wine.
Steph:
Well, it’s nighttime. We’re unwinding.
Do you drink wine, Taria?
Turia:
Yes — and margaritas.
Steph:
Same. Margaritas are my fave.
Taria:
Me too. Red wine as well.
Steph:
We’ve got more in common than we thought.
You really are the mindset queen.
Your story is so inspirational. Surviving a grass fire during an ultramarathon, 65% burns across your body — the doctors didn’t give you much of a chance, and you’ve absolutely blitzed it.
You talk about mindset a lot in the running program. What are your best tips for changing our mindset when we’re in that real funk and just can’t get off the couch?
Turia:
I think what happens is we set these really high expectations for ourselves.
We say:
“That’s it. Tomorrow I’m starting this crazy plan. I’m getting up at 5am, doing an hour of meditation, two hours of yoga, drinking activated-charcoal air, no alcohol…”
You might do that for one day.
Maybe even two or three.
But by the end of the week, chances are you’re on the couch with wine and Netflix.
And then we feel terrible about ourselves.
We tell ourselves:
“You can’t stick to anything. You always fail.”
What I’ve found is: just focus on showing up.
Showing up is half the battle.
If you want to get fit, join the gym. You don’t need to smash it every time.
Some days will be great. Some will be average. Some will be shit.
That’s fine.
Because when you keep showing up over time, that’s when you improve.
That’s the same methodology we use in the running program.
People say, “I had a terrible run.”
We don’t care.
If you’re still running, you’re still improving.
And I think people underestimate the power of consistency.
Especially as adults, it’s rare that we try something new.
And if we’re not instantly good at it, we think:
“I’m not good at that. I’m shit at that.”
But you’ve got to give yourself permission to be a beginner again.
That’s where growth happens.
Look at my three-year-old. She just has a go. If she’s bad at something, she doesn’t beat herself up.
Adults could learn from that.
When women in the group give themselves permission to be slow — to do the shuffle, to be beginners — that translates into other parts of life too.
You start asking:
What else have I told myself isn’t possible?
What else could I do?
Maybe it’s a promotion.
Maybe it’s learning a language.
That’s really powerful.
Steph:
It was a huge shift in my life. I really needed it during COVID.
You also talk a lot about “Brenda” — that nagging voice in our heads.
Turia:
Yeah.
We all have that voice.
You miss your alarm and immediately think:
“You’re useless.”
So what I tell women in the group is:
Talk to yourself the way you’d talk to your child.
If your three-year-old made a mistake, you wouldn’t say:
“You’re pathetic.”
You’d say:
“That’s okay. You had a go.”
I always think of little Taria inside me.
She needs kindness too.
Steph:
Did you have to really develop that coming out of hospital?
Turia:
Absolutely.
At the end of each day, I’d think of three things that went well.
Sometimes it was:
You did two laps of the hallway.
You wore your compression mask for two hours.
And some days I couldn’t think of anything.
On those days I’d say:
Taria, you survived. You’re still here. Tomorrow’s a new day.
That practice helped shape my mindset.
And I still do it now.
Because otherwise we default to replaying everything that went wrong.
Instead, I ask:
What went well?
What were the pockets of joy?
It sounds corny, but it works.
Steph:
Your resilience is incredible.
Turia:
I’ve gotten better because this is my job.
If you’re an engineer for ten years, you’d hope you’d get better at engineering.
This is what I practice.
Michael gets annoyed because at dinner I’ll ask:
“What were everyone’s pockets of joy today?”
He’s like:
“Do we have to do this every meal?”
But the kids love it.
And I think that builds resilience.
I also think positive mindset includes acknowledging when things are shit.
Sometimes people say:
“Look on the bright side.”
But sometimes it’s healthier to just say:
“This sucks.”
You can’t polish a turd.
If you feel crap, say you feel crap.
All feelings are valid.
We’re not supposed to feel amazing all the time.
Yeah, they like it.
And I also think a big part of having a positive mindset is just acknowledging when things are shit.
We often go, “Look for the silver lining, look on the bright side, focus on the positives.” And I think that’s helpful sometimes.
But sometimes it can actually be refreshing to just call it how it is.
You know, you can’t polish a turd.
So if something’s shit, just say:
“Yeah, I feel like crap.”
Or:
“This happened and I don’t feel good.”
Or:
“I feel out of sorts.”
All of our feelings are valid.
Obviously, it’d be great if we always felt happy and excited and energetic and enthusiastic — but that’s just not realistic.
Some days we’ll feel shitty, resentful, tired, stressed, angry.
That’s all part of the spectrum.
And I think we have to allow the good feelings and the bad ones.
Steph:
Along with the running program, I love your podcast, I love your books, and I get your newsletter.
Turia:
You’re a good fan, Steph.
Steph:
I’m a consistent fan.
Turia:
You are. You’re nothing if not consistent.
Steph:
I’m shuffling. One foot in front of the other.
I read a recent article you wrote about growing up in Ulladulla and your dad.
I could really relate to that.
I grew up on a farm with a dad whose whole motto was:
“Just have a go. Get up and try again.”
I loved your story about going out on the ocean and him pushing you out in the kayak.
Turia:
Yeah.
My dad is pretty eccentric.
Sounds a bit like yours.
He never really allowed excuses.
He’d always say things were “character building.”
And I never really got it.
I’d think:
How is paddling a kayak in freezing rain good for my character?
But now I get it.
It’s only when we do hard or uncomfortable things that we become more resilient.
Whether that’s learning to run, or being a ten-year-old paddling a kayak in rough water.
That discomfort builds something.
Steph:
Are you trying to pass that onto your boys?
Turia:
I don’t know.
I might be a bit soft.
Steph:
Same with my girls.
Turia:
That’s because we’re mums.
Although my mum’s here at the moment, and if the boys don’t want dinner, I’m like:
“Sweet. Don’t eat dinner. No dessert.”
And Mum’s like:
“No, they need to eat! Do you want eggs? Yoghurt? Snacks?”
Then she’s hand-feeding them grapes on the couch.
Steph:
How’s the move to Far North Queensland?
Turia:
It’s been good.
We moved up here for Michael’s work — he’s a helicopter pilot.
Being away from family and friends back in Ulladulla has been hard.
But honestly, what scared me most was making new friends.
As an adult, it’s rare you have to start again socially.
That felt daunting.
But I just got out of my own way.
I said yes when people invited me places.
I made the effort.
And having young kids helps — you’re at the park and you naturally start chatting.
That’s helped me build a really lovely community up here.
Steph:
I’m coming towards the end.
On this podcast, we talk a lot about finding your voice — speaking in public, being on camera.
You’ve done your podcast, keynote speaking, Celebrity Apprentice Australia…
Do you still get nervous?
Turia:
Absolutely.
I was way more nervous at the start.
I remember my first speech.
Dad drove me there.
I got on stage, my mind went blank, and I basically mumbled for ten minutes and rushed off.
I got back in the car and asked:
“How was that, Dad?”
And he said:
“Pretty shit. You’re going to need to work if you want to get better.”
Steph:
Thanks, Dad.
Turia:
Exactly.
But it was good feedback.
So I worked on my story.
I worked with a speech coach.
I practised.
And I got better.
Same with podcasting.
The first interviews were rough because I had no idea what I was doing.
But you improve by doing.
By taking feedback.
Sometimes criticism.
That’s how you get better.
So if people want to write a book, speak publicly, start a podcast — just start.
If you want to write a book, sit down for ten minutes a day and write.
What you write might be amazing.
It might be terrible.
Doesn’t matter.
You’re building the habit of being a writer.
Steph:
Do you love writing?
I love your newsletters and books.
Turia:
It’s my favourite way to spend time.
Do you like writing?
Steph:
Love it.
It’s just me, my thoughts, and usually a glass of wine.
It’s therapeutic.
Turia:
Same.
Sometimes when I’m speaking, I’ll say something and think:
That’s not actually what I meant.
Writing lets you refine and clarify your thinking.
Steph:
I interviewed Lisa Messenger recently, and we agreed:
I don’t really process or understand something properly until I’ve written it down.
Turia:
Exactly.
Although some people love talking things through.
Weirdos.
Steph:
I know.
I do like talking, but there’s something about the written word.
Turia:
Storytelling is such a fundamental human thing.
The spoken word came long before the written one.
That’s why writing matters.
Steph:
I’m much more eloquent in writing than speaking.
Turia:
Same.
As you just saw when I tried explaining that very simple concept.
Steph:
Alright, I’ll let you go.
See you in the next round of Run With Turia.
Turia:
See you there, babes.
Steph:
I finished the 10K, but I’ve got unfinished business.
I want to go faster.
I don’t know if I can do the 21.
Turia:
That’s totally up to you.
Do what feels right.
Steph:
Thank you so much.
This has been wonderful.
If you’d like to join the next round of Run With Turia, head to Turia Pitt’s official website and sign up.
We’ll also pop all the details in our show notes.
And if you’ve enjoyed this episode, I’d love to hear from you.
Send me a message on Instagram or Facebook and let me know where you’re listening from.
And We’re Rolling is produced by Habari Productions and Stephanie Hunt Media.
You’ll find more interviews, insights and our newsletter there too.
And as Turia reminds us:
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
Thanks for listening.
More soon.
