Amidst the weird in-between time of my young 20s, the Third Lap Podcast was born. I graduated college with my B.A. in Advertising and am now suddenly in a strange period of “figuring it out”. During this time, it’s easy to compare, to spiral, to feel like everyone else has their future aligned while I’m still searching for what’s next. The safety net of classes and practice everyday is suddenly swept away. My friends are all in different places. And while I know it's part of the journey, it's an uncomfortable in-between time.

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The more I've been sitting with that discomfort, the more it reminded me of something familiar: the third lap of the mile.

If you’ve ever run a 4 lap mile track race, or a 1500m outdoors, you know the third lap is the hardest. The adrenaline of the start is gone. The bell for the final lap hasn’t rung yet. You’re deep in the middle - the part that hurts, where it gets quiet, and it’s just you versus your own mind. Nobody can dictate how you choose to proceed in that moment, but you. But if you’re running the mile right, that’s the lap where you lean in. Where the magic can happen when it's over. You sit in the discomfort because you know it’s temporary, and you overcome all the pain and discomfort until it becomes worth it.

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This podcast was born on the basis that the Third Lap Theory is something we experience not only in running, but in life.

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On social media and in conversation, we usually only get the extremes: the promotions, the wins, the rock bottoms, the comebacks. And while those moments matter, the highs inspire us and the lows connect us, they leave out the uncomfortable middle of lap 3 that we all experience in order to get the highs.

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This is a space that opens up the conversation into something vulnerable and hopefully relatable for many of us. A space that sees those of you who are out there in the middle. Maybe not where you thought you’d be right now, maybe not loving where you’re at, but in the thick of a temporary chapter that is setting you up for something GREAT one day.

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The Third Lap not only acknowledges that, but is here to provide something for YOU as an outlet amidst whatever chapter you’re in currently. Whether you are in a job transition, a recent college graduate, or at the start of a new job, this is a place for you to find comfort in the scary “Third Lap” feelings of life. And maybe somewhere along the way, you’ll hear exactly the advice you needed, the story of someone who reminds you that you aren’t as alone as you think, or the reminder to always push through that third lap. Keep your head up. Keep trusting the process.

 

You'll be cruising into that bell lap, to the finish line, and right where you need to be soon.

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