Lisa Rivera has a heart for community and it beats with a love of running. She is not only a runner and pacer with Harlem Run, but is a social worker working in child welfare, a veteran, a mentor, and a sponsored athlete with Gu Energy. She reminds us of the importance of surrounding yourself with people and experiences who challenge you and make you a better person. She embodies the ripple effect of bettering yourself and uplifting around you. Even if you don’t notice the changes at first, she talks about the importance of keeping your strength up because you never know who you are inspiring.    “Trail running, run-walking, hiking. If you're an athlete, you don't have to look a certain way. You don't have to be running by many miles. You are still a freaking athlete and people need to understand that and acknowledge that.” –Lisa Rivera     In this episode we cover… What growth means and how we experience it. It could be conversations with friends, a session with a therapist. It could be listening to motivational speeches, listening to a podcast, or having a conversation with a friend. It’s about self-awareness and continuing to evolve into your best and most authentic self.  Lisa’s experience as a run-walker and her encouragement for more people like her to join in on running. “ I want them to see, I look like you too. I am like you, I come from your communities.” She’s running the TransRockies Run in Colorado in August and is doing the three day challenge through Google. She’ll be running her first ultra of 60 miles on the trails.  We learn about the group, Harlem Run and why it’s a great group for strengthening the running community in Harlem.  “The first time with Harlem Run community was just amazing, they stayed with me, I felt seen, I felt heard I felt supported and safe the whole time,” Lisa said. She shared that people there told jokes and gave advice like maybe not running in cotton socks. It was a great experience as a new runner and now is part of her every-week running training.    Resources:  Instagram Lisa Rivera   Harlem Run     Thank you to Athletic Greens, Goodr,  and InsideTracker for sponsoring this episode.   Athletic Greens is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients. Just to help my immune system be stronger and greater! It is so simple to make and it tastes good as well. I used this for my prenatal and I am still using it while breastfeeding. Now you can get up to a YEAR supply of Vitamin D3 and K2 for free with your first purchase of  Athletic Greens through my podcast. Visit here to learn more!   I have been a fan of goodr for YEARS and I literally have their sunglasses all over my house. I recently had an episode with the Co-Founder Stephen Lease where he talks about the true and real story behind his company and I appreciate him being honest with me about it. The design behind these sunglasses really takes into consideration look and comfort. They are 100% carbon neutral and a part of 1% for the planet and protect many great organizations who care for our planet deeply. Go here to get 15% off of your order as well as free shipping on your first pair.   Have you not been feeling yourself lately? Gone down a lot of avenues but not really finding clear solutions? That is where Insidetracker can come in for you. I count on Insidetracker to help me decipher the science behind it all. I have trusted this company for years to help me show where I may be lacking and or if I just need a few tweeks here and there. I count on Insidetracker to help me decipher the science behind it all. Go here to get 25% off as a special for Running for Real listeners on their ENTIRE store.     Thanks for listening! We know there are so many podcasts you could be listening to, but we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us: Take a screenshot of the episode, and share