https://chasingsummitswithlisa.com/

Chasing Summits with Lisa, 111 E Jefferson Rd, Pittsford, NY (2026)

06/17/2026

One Year Later: Redefining What’s Possible
One year ago today I stood atop Mount Rainier.
24 weeks of training. Early mornings. Sacrifice. Doubt. Effort. One step at a time until I found myself on a mountain I once thought was beyond my reach.
It was one of the proudest moments of my life.
What I didn’t know was that the summit would become one chapter in a year filled with adventure, lessons, friendships, and growth.
The greatest gift from Rainier wasn’t the summit itself. It was the people. David, Louis, Connor and Nina became treasured friends. Sharing that experience created a bond that comes from working hard together and achieving something meaningful as a team.
The year continued with more adventures. I stood on Half Dome and Mt. Hood with my friend Jane. Together we created memories I’ll treasure forever.
Not every mountain ended with a summit.
On Kilimanjaro I reached 18,000 feet before developing high altitude pulmonary edema. That experience taught me an important lesson: sometimes the summit is not worth the risk.
As much as I love mountains, I love my family more.
Watching my family help get me down safely reminded me that none of us gets through life alone.
Reflecting on this year allows me to be proud of the effort and grateful for the people who helped me along the way.
I learned that my capacity for growth continues to expand. Curiosity is one of my happiest places. I learned that I can bet on myself, fall down, and get back up.
At 65, I’m curious about what is possible.
How do we redefine what we’re capable of?
I think it starts with dreaming bigger than our current abilities and then doing the work required to close the gap. Not talking about it. Doing it.
For me, the magic is found in the work I’m avoiding. The mentally uncomfortable and physically demanding work. That’s where growth lives.
Consistency remains my superpower.
A great year doesn’t mean the work stops. Rent is still due every day, and at 65 it is a privilege to pay it.
So today I reflect, celebrate, and move forward toward another year of growth, friendship, adventure, and discovering what is possible. David Kaulfers Conner Claffey Louis Eisinger Nina Bridges

06/17/2026

Happy 5K Tuesday: Choosing the Attitude

I’ve decided to let go of my dislike of running.

Not because running suddenly became easy. Not because every step feels great. But because I’ve realized that so much of the experience comes down to perspective.

The truth is, you learn more about who you are when things get hard.

Whether it’s a 5K, a mountain climb, or a difficult season of life, challenges have a way of revealing character. They show us how we talk to ourselves, how we respond to discomfort, and what attitude we choose when things don’t go according to plan.

Attitude plays a role in performance.

We don’t always get to choose the weather, the altitude, the uncertainty, the fatigue, or the obstacles that show up along the way. We can battle sore legs, self doubt, rumination, and unexpected setbacks. But even in the middle of all that, we still get to choose our attitude.

Every mountain I’ve climbed was a mountain I chose to climb.

I signed up for it. I committed to it. And I made a decision that despite the difficulty, I wanted to enjoy it. Not because it wasn’t hard, but because it was hard.

When I’m hiking or climbing a mountain, there is honestly nowhere else I’d rather be. That’s why I keep showing up. That’s why I keep training. And if I’m not finding joy in the process, then I need to stop and reconsider why I’m doing it.

The same applies to running.

So today, on this Happy 5K Tuesday, I’m choosing gratitude over resistance. I’m choosing to appreciate what my body can do. I’m choosing to enjoy the experience instead of focusing on the discomfort.

Maybe the goal isn’t just reaching the summit.

Maybe the goal is arriving at the summit with a better attitude than when you started.

Maybe the goal isn’t simply finishing the race.

Maybe the goal is crossing the finish line grateful for the opportunity to run it.

The challenge will always be there.

The choice of attitude is ours.

What attitude are you choosing today? Lisa Billard Lander 🏃‍♀️💪👟💦🔥

06/15/2026

Max Effort Monday: Control What You Can

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from the mountains applies just as much to everyday life.

When you come face to face with a problem, an obstacle, or a challenge, the first question isn’t “Why is this happening?” The first question is, “What is within my control?”

My attitude is within my control. The energy I bring is within my control. The training, preparation, knowledge, and experience I’ve accumulated are all within my control.

Then there are things I can influence. I can influence my perspective. I can influence the design of a trip, the itinerary, the pace, and the decisions I make along the way.

And then there are the things I cannot control.

The weather. The conditions. Other people’s choices. Unexpected setbacks.

For those things, I have only two options: adapt or accept.

Anyone who spends time in the mountains understands this. We can’t control the weather, but we can control how we respond to it. I’ve always loved the saying, “There are no bad weather days, only bad clothing choices.” The weather may not cooperate, but we still get to choose our mindset.

What helps me most is keeping the result in mind.

What result am I trying to achieve?

In the mountains, the result is never simply standing on the summit. The result is getting home safely. Every decision I make is filtered through that lens. Sometimes that means adapting. Sometimes it means accepting that the summit isn’t the right choice that day.

The same principle applies to family.

When I’m with my family, the result I’m after isn’t perfection. It’s showing up as the best version of myself. It’s bringing happiness, energy, patience, and a willingness to help. When I keep that result front and center the important things become clearer.

Life gives us plenty of obstacles. Some we can control. Some we can influence. Many we simply have to accept.

The challenge is knowing the difference and having the wisdom to focus our energy where it matters most.

So today, when you encounter a problem, ask yourself one question:

What is within my control?

Then put your energy there and let the rest go. Lisa Billard Lander 💪🥾🔥🙏❤️

06/11/2026

Standing on Top Was Never the End Goal

One week ago today I stood on the summit of Mount Hood, the highest mountain in Oregon. Today I was back on Bristol Mountain, and a few things felt very different.

For starters, my lips were not blue. There was no altitude and no shortage of oxygen. Who knew Bristol Mountain could feel so good?

When I arrived, the forecast called for thunderstorms and lightning. I could have decided not to train. It would have been easy to find an excuse. Instead, I followed the plan. I removed the metal dumbbells and kettlebells from my pack, carried only water weight, left my trekking poles behind, and managed the risk instead of avoiding the work.

Bristol Mountain was kind enough to have mowed the Double Black Diamond trail, so I headed straight up the steepest part of the mountain. As I climbed, I found myself thinking about last week. Looking up that slope reminded me of climbing with an ice axe on Hood. The steepness felt surprisingly familiar.

The temperature was another story.

It was 91 degrees in Upstate New York today. Last week on Hood I was bundled in layers, battling 35 mph winds, and grateful for every piece of clothing I had packed. Today there was no wind, just heat and humidity. Different mountain. Different challenge.

Without the extra weight in my pack, I covered Bristol’s 1,100 feet of elevation gain in under 38 minutes, a personal best for me. It was a nice reminder that the training works.

As I climbed, I realized something important.

I never train for just one summit.

The summit gives purpose to the work, but what I am really training for is a life well lived.

For me, that means having the energy to do the things I love. It means staying strong enough to say yes to adventures. It means having the fitness, grit, and determination to tackle hard things when life asks me to.

Mount Hood was a gift. Bristol Mountain was a reminder.

The work doesn’t stop when you stand on a summit. It continues because the goal was never just the mountain.

The goal was never just standing on top.

The goal is becoming the kind of person who is ready for whatever mountain comes next. Lisa Billard Lander 🥾🔥💪⛰️

06/11/2026

Move Like a Champion. Think Like a Champion.

How do you speak to yourself when things get hard?

When your lungs are burning, your legs are tired, and the finish line still feels far away, the summit seems straight up, what is the conversation happening inside your head?

Is it a conversation built on power, discipline, and optimism?

Or is it one filled with doubt, excuses, and reasons to quit?

The truth is that self talk does not magically appear on game day. It comes from repetition. It comes from consistently putting yourself in difficult situations and learning how to respond. It comes from showing up day after day, doing the work, and proving to yourself that you can handle hard things.

For me, the mental resilience behind 24 weeks of training is simple. I want training to be harder than the mountain. I want to carry more weight. Move faster. Push longer. Since I know that when I get to altitude, less oxygen becomes the great equalizer. But I also know that my preparation gives me confidence because I have practiced being uncomfortable.

One lesson I’ve learned is that our minds usually quit before our bodies do.

The voice in our head often wants to stop long before we have actually reached our limit.

That is why training the mind is just as important as training the body.

And isn’t it funny how often the same workout can make us say, “This is awful. This is disgusting. Why am I doing this?” Only to find ourselves later wondering, “When can I do it again?”

I hate it.

I love it.

I hate it.

I love it.

That’s where growth lives.

So bet on yourself.

Believe that you are capable of more than you think.

Trust the work you have done.

Trust the person you are becoming.

And if you’re struggling to believe in yourself today, borrow my belief.

I would bet on you. Lisa Billard Lander 🔥💪🥾⛰️🙏❤️

06/10/2026

It’s All in the Frame! The Lens You Use!

As I’ve reflected on summiting Mount Hood last week, one lesson keeps rising to the surface. How you frame something is often how you approach it.

The mountain was full of obstacles. Steep terrain. Uncertainty. Fatigue. Changing conditions. But I never looked at those things as problems. I looked at them as challenges to work through. That simple shift in perspective matters. When we reframe life’s hardest moments, we often discover strengths we didn’t know we had. The situation may not change, but our response to it can.

I’ve also been reminded that training is a privilege. I flew home Friday night at midnight. Saturday I lifted for an hour. Sunday I ran a 5K. Yesterday I completed Max Effort Monday, lifted for another hour, and finished with 20 minutes in the sauna. Today was TRX.

At 65, rent is due every day.

Some days I feel motivated. Many days I don’t. But motivation isn’t the goal. Showing up is. I’m not training for next week or even next year. I’m training for my 80 year old self. I’m investing in the future version of me who still wants to hike, play with grandchildren, travel, explore, and live fully.

The mountain reminded me that perspective is powerful. Challenges can become opportunities. Work can become a privilege. And showing up, day after day, is often what makes the impossible possible. 🔥🌎⛰️🥾

06/08/2026

Happy Max Effort Monday

Today was hard.

But as we like to say, rent is due every day. There is no free ride. No shortcut to the top. The work still has to be done.

As I pushed through today’s effort, my thoughts drifted away from the workout and toward something else. I started thinking about the parts of ourselves that have gone dormant. Not because we gave up on them. Not because they are unimportant. Sometimes life just gets busy and we stop giving them attention.

Maybe it’s a dream. Maybe it’s a relationship. Maybe it’s your creativity, your confidence, your faith, your sense of adventure, or your commitment to your health.

What is something inside of you that needs to be awakened?

Awakening something important takes effort. It requires intention. It requires showing up when it would be easier not to. There will be obstacles. There always are. But obstacles are not just things standing in our way. They are opportunities to learn something about ourselves. They reveal our strengths, expose our weaknesses, and teach us what we are capable of becoming.

So this week, don’t just go through the motions. Wake something up. Give your energy to something that matters to you.

Then get to work. 💪🔥🌎💦🙏

06/05/2026

More Than A Summit!

As I sit on the plane flying home and look out my window at Mount Hood rising through the clouds, I am humbled by its beauty, its power, and how untouchable it seems. Honestly, the question of “who would climb that?” comes to mind. But I know the answer. If it’s a dream I’d love to come true. I’d work hard to make it a reality. I’d love to leave this world with more me memories than dreams I’ve wished I’d had the courage to go for.

Just a short time ago Mt. Hood was a goal. A source of excitement, nerves, planning, training, and uncertainty. Today it stands below me, breaking through a sea of clouds, reminding me of the incredible beauty that exists in this world.

Coming home from a big climb is always emotional. I am filled with gratitude, not just for standing on the summit, but for the opportunity to attempt something hard in the first place. Whether I reach the top or not, the real gift is having a goal worth working for. The summit is never guaranteed. In fact, I am never completely sure I can achieve it. The challenge is becoming the woman who is physically and mentally capable of standing on top.

A few days ago, Mount Hood was something I hoped to climb. Today, I can look at it from an airplane and remember the cold wind, the steep snow, the sunrise, the effort, the fear, the joy, and the gratitude of sharing the experience with Jane. There is something special about seeing a mountain after you have climbed it. It is no longer just part of the landscape. It becomes part of your story.

I know I am a different person than I was before I stood on the summit.

I have always been filled with wonder, but standing on a big peak reminds me just how small I am, in an incredibly big and beautiful world. And somehow that feeling doesn’t make me feel insignificant. It makes me feel inspired. Inspired by how much there is left to see. How much there is left to learn. How many adventures still wait beyond the next horizon.

As Mount Hood slowly disappears behind me, I am carrying home much more than a summit. I am carrying perspective, gratitude, and a renewed sense of wonder for this beautiful world and my small place within it. 🏔️❤️

06/05/2026

We Did It.

Today Jane and I stood on the summit of Mount Hood.

It was crazy hard and incredibly fun. I have climbed a lot of mountains, but I have never climbed anything quite as steep as this snow and ice route. It was impressive, intimidating, exhilarating, and absolutely worth every step.

The weather gave us a chance. We started in cold temperatures with winds around 35 mph, but as we climbed higher the winds eased and conditions became manageable. We ascended the Old Chute and descended the One O’Clock Chute, which made for a pretty amazing experience.

This summit also marked a special milestone for me. Mount Hood became my 25th high peak summit. Looking back at all the mountains, training days, early mornings, and lessons learned along the way makes me appreciate this one even more.

I am so proud of Jane for completing her first major mountaineering summit. What a mountain to choose for your first one. We trusted our training, our preparation, and our guide team, and everything came together. Best of all, I felt strong all day long.

Today I am grateful for the summit window, grateful for the adventure, and grateful for the reminder that hard work really does prepare you for hard things.

Mount Hood, you were unforgettable. A big thanks to Adam at Timberline Mountain Guides! 🥾🙏⛰️💪❤️

06/04/2026

Awesome day of training today! Summit day tomorrow. Up at 11:30 pm to begin our day. Should summit on or around sunrise. 🙏❤️ 💪🥾⛰️

Chasing Summits with Lisa

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

06/15/2026

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

06/10/2026

06/08/2026

06/05/2026

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category