#122 Abigail West | Motherhood, Creativity, & Building an Artist-Athlete Life

The MidPacker Pod is part of the Freetrail network of Podcasts. Join the Newsletter at:⁠ ⁠MidPack Musings SubStack⁠⁠ Support the Pod Directly: https://troymeadows.substack.com/subscribe ⁠ Check Out MPP Merch ⁠ Make sure you leave us a rating and review wherever you get your pods. Looking for 1:1 Ultra Running Coaching?  Check out ⁠Troy’s Coaching Page ⁠ STOKED TO PARTNER WITH   KILA - $50 off your order ⁠GO BREWING⁠ - 20% off your first order USE MIDPACKER TO GET THAT DISCOUNT FRIENDS RENDEZVU.CO - Check out the Gear I love your purchases support me directly "I don't think I'm a different person. I'm just a more expanded person." What happens when your passions stop competing with one another and start working together? In this episode, Troy Meadows sits down with artist, entrepreneur, trail runner, and new mom Abigail West. Abigail shares how an unlikely start in competitive rowing eventually led her to trail and ultrarunning, where she found the perfect blend of adventure, competition, and creativity. The conversation goes far beyond racing. Abigail talks about balancing motherhood with a return to training, what pregnancy and postpartum taught her about patience, and why she believes being an artist and an endurance athlete require many of the same qualities. She also shares how trail running transformed her artwork, why Southern Appalachia continues to inspire both her running and printmaking, and how she and her husband have built a life around creativity, entrepreneurship, and taking calculated risks. Whether she's preparing for another attempt at the Bartram Trail FKT, creating artwork inspired by the places she runs, or embracing life with a new baby while spending the summer in Italy, Abigail offers an honest perspective on building a life that reflects your values instead of someone else's expectations. In This Episode Discovering endurance sports through competitive rowing Falling in love with trail running in the Southern Appalachians Why ultrarunning feels more like solving puzzles than simply running fast Balancing motherhood, training, and entrepreneurship Returning to running after pregnancy and postpartum The mindset behind "careful but not afraid" Building an art business inspired by adventure and wild places How creativity and trail running fuel one another Preparing for another Bartram Trail FKT attempt Why having "no Plan B" became a source of freedom Abigail’s Links IG: @upinthewoods Website: Abigail West Studio Relevant Links Bartram Trail Partner Links:  KILA - https://kilarun.com Run Longer In Custom Insoles Use MIDPACKER for $50 off your order ⁠ Go Brewing⁠ - ⁠https://gobrewing.com/discount/MIDPACKER⁠ NA Beers for people that enjoy brews that taste great and are better for you. Less alcohol, fewer calories, and more productive tomorrows. Use MIDPACKER for 20% off your first order Rendezvu.Co - https://www.rendezvu.co/troy-meadows Check out the Gear I love our purchases support me directly ⁠Vacation Races⁠ - ⁠https://www.vacationraces.com⁠ Epic Races on public lands near the most iconic National Park in the US. Use MIDPACKER at checkout for 15% the registration of any Ultra, Half, or Trailfest ⁠⁠ Run Trail Life⁠⁠ - ⁠https://runtraillife.com⁠ Find Official MPP Merch on RTL!! Visit RunTrailLife.com to check out our line of Hats and Organic cotton T's. ⁠⁠ Freetrail⁠⁠ - ⁠https://freetrail.com⁠ Visit Freetrail.com to sign up today. Abigail West, MidPacker Pod, trail running, ultrarunning, artist-athlete, printmaking, entrepreneurship, motherhood, postpartum running, Bartram Trail, Bartram Trail FKT, Southern Appalachians, Athens Georgia, Tuscany, Italy, University of Georgia, Cortona, creativity, endurance sports, trail art, running community, Megan Roche In This Episode