230: The 20,000-Mile Mindset: What Keeps Us Going When Motivation Fades with Savannah Schuring

When initial excitement wears off and you are left with endless miles or endless work, how do you actually keep going?In this episode, I chat with Savannah Schuring, a long-distance hiker, researcher, and author who has logged over 20,000 miles on trails across the U.S. Savannah pairs her own deep lived experience with qualitative research from nearly 100 interviews with thru-hikers to examine how endurance, motivation, and trail community shift under sustained pressure. We dive into the psychology of long-term persistence, why solo adventures rebuild self-perception, how trail families pull us through dark moments, and how to navigate the messy process of reintegrating into everyday life after a massive physical feat.Connect with SavannahBetween the Miles: Inside the Minds of Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers Instagram: hiker_sav