Episode 68May 18, 2026· 10:26

I Cried on a Mountain Last Week: How Should I Celebrate 1 Year of Maximum Effort?

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About this episode

Ashley Grant reflects on approaching her one-year fitness anniversary after going from under three hours of exercise per week to averaging thirteen, documenting emotional moments like crying at a mountain overlook during a hike she couldn't have attempted a year prior. She recalls the chaotic first week of her fitness overhaul, the unexpected origin of her podcast as a personal digital diary, dropping four pants…

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AleksMay 20, 2026

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Who this episode is for

This episode may resonate with you if:

You've recently done something physically that you genuinely couldn't have done a year ago, and the feeling hit you harder than you expected — maybe even made you cry.

You've been putting in serious effort for months and you're not sure how — or whether — to mark it. Celebrating yourself feels awkward but also like something you genuinely need.

You spend your energy building things for other people and have quietly let your own stuff slide — and you're starting to feel the gap between what you do for others and what you do for yourself.

You went from barely moving to suddenly doing a lot, and you remember that first week of shock and exhaustion and pride like it was yesterday — and you want someone else to understand what that felt like.

Someone told you that something you shared motivated them to actually start moving, and that landed differently than you expected — and now you're trying to figure out what to do with that feeling.

Questions this episode wrestles with

Does celebrating fitness milestones actually matter or is it just self-congratulation?

answered

Ashley says celebrating every milestone matters because it's what keeps her from losing momentum — it's what fuels her, not vanity.

"every single milestone because it matters. Like it really matters to, to show up for yourself. You don't want it to become a complacent thing. You don't want it to be something where you lose momentum. You want to keep like enjoying those moments because It's it's what fuels me. It's"

Is it weird to cry over a hike?

answered

Ashley describes getting emotional at the top of a mountain and says it wasn't really about the view — it was because she literally could not have done that hike a year ago, and that's what hit her.

"like whenever I got up to the top and I was able to see the overlook, I got really emotional. And it's strictly because like, yes, okay, the view was absolutely gorgeous. But the fact that I was able to get up there is what made me emotional. Because I couldn't have done that this time last year. I literally could not have done it. And"

What happens when you finally start doing something for yourself after years of doing it for everyone else?

open question

Ashley names the tension — calling herself 'the cobbler who doesn't have shoes' — and says she's been actively working on changing that, but she doesn't resolve whether the shift will stick.

"There's been a joke a lot of times that I'm like the cobbler who doesn't have shoes, because I do so much for other people that like, I don't do much for my own, my own brand. But I've been really actively working on changing that, not just through this podcast, but you know, through the through the last year, like as I'm getting clear on what I want to do and where I'm headed."

Can a fitness habit actually change how you show up in your career?

answered

Ashley shares that one of the things she never would have imagined coming from getting serious about fitness was starting a podcast and getting clearer on her career — things she says she now sees that she didn't see before.

"one of the things that I never in a million years would have imagined came from this was starting a fitness podcast. That wasn't even on my radar"

Setting expectations: This episode is not a fitness guide, a workout plan, or advice on how to build an exercise habit. It's Ashley talking through how she wants to celebrate her upcoming one-year anniversary of going all-in on fitness, including crying at the top of a mountain she couldn't have climbed a year ago.

Tone & style

Ashley started barely working out 3 hours a week and couldn't attempt demanding hikes; she went all-in on July 14th, 2025, shocking her body with as many classes as possible; the turning point arrives when she reaches the top of a mountain she couldn't have climbed a year ago and cries at the overlook. She's now settled into 13 hours a week, started this podcast as a digital diary, and is approaching Day 365 — forward-looking but unresolved, still deciding how to celebrate and what comes next.

Personal experience and lived reflection. Ashley is narrating her own journey, not offering fitness advice or prescriptive methods.

toneWarm & celebratory

focusAshley is less than two months from her one-year fitness anniversary and is figuring out how to celebrate — while reflecting on going from barely 3 hours of exercise a week to averaging 13, crying at a mountain overlook she couldn't have reached a year ago, and what all of it has meant.

stylesolo_monologue

energymedium_high

complexitybeginner

pressure Levellow

emotional Texturegrateful, proud, forward-looking

Notable quotes

"on another hike that It would have been laughable for me to even attempt to do the hike that I did because it was a lot of effort required to get up to the top of that mountain. And the view, like whenever I got up to the top and I was able to see the overlook, I got really emotional."

— Famous Ashley Grant

"view was absolutely gorgeous. But the fact that I was able to get up there is what made me emotional. Because I couldn't have done that this time last year. I literally could not have done it. And"

— Famous Ashley Grant

Episode transcript

Organized into 6 chapters — open any part to read the full text.

0:001. Approaching One Year of Maximum EffortAshley introduces the episode by explaining she's less than two months from her one-year fitness anniversary, describing how she went from barely 3 hours of exercise a week to averaging 13, and how she's been celebrating every milestone along the way.1:552. Crying on a MountainAshley recounts a recent hike she completed — one she couldn't have attempted a year ago — and getting emotional at the overlook because reaching the top proved how much she's changed physically.3:263. Remembering the First WeekAshley recalls the chaotic first week of going all-in — barely eating, drinking water constantly, shocking her body — and how proud she felt by the end of it before settling into her 13-hours-a-week routine.5:104. How the Podcast Started and What Else Has ChangedAshley reflects on unexpected changes over the past year, including starting this podcast as a digital diary, getting clearer on her career direction, and actively building her own personal brand after years of doing it for others.8:275. What Should the Celebration Look Like?Ashley shares responses she got on Facebook about how to celebrate Day 365 — including ice cream, 365 squats, and her own idea of an espresso martini and tiramisu cheesecake — and confirms she plans a full day of movement at the gym.10:266. Why Sharing It Matters and What's NextAshley explains why she keeps publicly showing up — someone told her this podcast motivated them to start their own maximum effort — and shares plans for a fitness planner, a book, and growing the show beyond a podcast, before inviting listeners to reach out.

Open full transcript

Mentioned in this episode

websitefamousashleygrant.com/fitness

Ashley's personal website where listeners can find past episodes, send feedback, share their fitness journey, or drop a voice note to appear on the show.

personFamous Ashley Grant

The host of More Movement Please, who is approaching her one-year anniversary of what she calls 'maximum effort' in fitness and reflecting on how much has changed.

Key themes

One year of maximum effort

Ashley is approaching the one-year mark of going from barely 3 hours of exercise a week to averaging 13, and is actively thinking about how to mark Day 365 on July 13th, 2026.

Celebrating every milestone

Ashley has marked 30 days, 100 days, 100 classes, 200, 250, and 300 classes, and explains that celebrating keeps her from losing momentum and going complacent.

Crying on a mountain

Ashley got emotional at the top of a hike she couldn't have attempted a year ago — not just because the view was gorgeous, but because reaching it proved how much she'd physically changed.

The chaotic first week

Ashley recalls barely eating, drinking constant water, and shocking her body during the first week she went all-in on July 14th, 2025, and how proud she felt by the end of it.

The podcast as a digital diary

Ashley started recording as a way to document what she was feeling and going through, and only went public after her instructor agreed to be interviewed.

The cobbler who doesn't have shoes

Ashley describes spending years doing content creation, ghostwriting, and social media management for other people while neglecting her own personal brand, and actively working to change that.

Physical transformation as evidence

Ashley points to concrete markers — dropping four pants sizes, going from 3-pound to 20-pound dumbbells, 624 classes logged — as the proof that the year of effort was real.

How to celebrate Day 365

Ashley is openly undecided and crowdsourcing ideas — Facebook suggestions ranged from ice cream to 365 squats — while her own instinct is espresso martini, tiramisu cheesecake, and a full day of gym classes.

Inspiring others to move

Someone told Ashley this podcast motivated them to start their own maximum effort, which she says made her day in a way she wasn't expecting and is the reason she wants to grow it into a planner, a book, and more.

Connected episodes

Shared experience

Concrete physical proof of progress

#62A Letter to the Version of Me Who Was Afraid to Start

Shared experience

Concrete physical changes as proof

#16What 150 Days of Consistent Workouts Actually Looks Like | Real Beginner Fitness Transformation

Contrast

Private diary vs. public movement

#38What's in My Gym Bag? The Essentials That Keep Me Safe and Sweating