Another Mother Runner

Sarah and Dimity help Erica from Illinois ease into a half-marathon conservatively—then the duo debates what’s the best mile-marker to step on the gas. They talk acclimatization (easier to spell than to say, as you’ll hear!) in response to a question from Marianne in New Jersey. The BAMRs provide Julie with blister-prevention advice, then go through a range of speed-building tactics for Jamie in St. Louis, who is transitioning from marathon training to tackling shorter summer races. Freshen up your running gear with a Mercury Mile box: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at checkout at MercuryMile.com Go to ThirdLove.com/amr to find your perfect-fitting bra—and get 15% off your first purchase! Get 20% off your personalized performance sleep products with code AMR at Bedgear.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea and Amanda Loudin team up to talk to a trio of runners motivated by the Boston Marathon. The guests weren’t inspired to necessarily run Boston, but inspired by it—the size and scope of the marathon or by the tragic 2013 bombings. The first guest is Julia Gibson, a mother runner of three, who vowed she’d never run 26.2—until she “watched that Boston Marathon documentary with tears in my eyes, and I wanted to be a part of something that historical.” Julia offers advice for other BAMRs looking to BQ. Next is repeat-guest Erin Wright, who was so moved by the Boston Marathon bombings, she registered to run her first marathon the very next day! Erin shares how the event colored the 26.2 miles she ran in October 2013 at Twin Cities Marathon. Then YiOu Wang rounds out the conversation, telling how she morphed from a couch potato to a 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials participant (!!) after spectating Boston as a student at MIT. While watching thousands of runners and spectators, she told herself, “This is

Wake up: It’s time to talk about sleep! Sarah Bowen Shea and her BRF, Molly Williams, chat about all facets of sleep, answering questions from the AMR Facebook page, with two guests: Ellen Wermter, a family nurse practitioner at Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, then professional distance runner Stephanie Bruce. First up is Nurse Ellen, who reveals the optimal average of hours we should be sleeping (the number might surprise you)—and she offers welcome reassurance that it’s normal to have one or two interruptions during the night. (Is that a baby crying we hear—or our partner snoring?!) She shares ways to get deeper sleep plus tips for staying asleep. The sleep-nurse also reveals ways to break the habit of recurring middle-of-night fret sessions. Find out what a “worry window” is—and why taking a daily one can improve your slumber sessions. Next on the sleep train is pro runner Stephanie Bruce, who tells why she was able to set personal records in both the 10K and marathon in 2018. This mom of two

Ellie + Dimity are celebrating spring, and want you to join them! In this short podcast, they talk through the details of Living Nourished Like a Mother: Spring Focus, a four-week program that integrates seasonal nutrition and lifestyle tips. You'll learn what soil-forward means--and how you can bloom into your best self. The program runs from April 8 to May 5; register at trainlikeamother.club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AMR duo directs Devon from Chicago on how to get out of her mid-cycle blahs as she trains for a marathon, in hopes of finding renewed enthusiasm for running. They tell Jess in Pennsylvania how to try out trail running. Jean in New Jersey, planning ahead, gets advice on how to work around a two-week summer vacation while training for the New York City Marathon. Dimity and Sarah counsel Atlantan Whitley on ways to regain speed, reminding her it’s not all physical. In the intro, marvel along with Sarah at Dimity’s genius in doing DIY workouts wherever she finds herself. Freshen up your running gear with a Mercury Mile box: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at checkout at MercuryMile.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dynamic duo of Sarah + Dimity dive into a conversation about triathlon with two enthusiasts: First is Meredith Atwood, a.k.a. SwimBikeMom, who is excited about the recent publication of the second edition of her book, Triathlon for the Every Woman. Meredith speaks candidly about how triathlon saved her from work stress and alcohol abuse. Nod in empathy as she details her first run (eight minutes), then laugh along with the trio as she describes her first swim session as an adult. Meredith reveals what triathlon taught her—and how it helps her accept her weight. Meredith and Dimity (also a triathlete) bond over praise of shorter races and women’s events. The second guest is Jackie Kahuna, a mom of two from San Diego who just celebrated the one-year anniversary of her first triathlon. Yet find out why she’s already completed a 70.3 (half-Ironman) event! Jackie and Dimity give guidance on getting used to clip-in pedals and toss around gear advice. Jackie’s enthusiasm for the variety of three sports is infect

Sarah Bowen Shea and Amanda Loudin chat with three mother runners who let their avocation be their vocation, turning their love of being active into their work (or at least a side gig). First is Eleni Drake, who launched Mile Markings, a company that creates inspirational temporary tattoos for runners. Eleni details how a need to let out her creative juices, plus a desire for motivation while on a race course, prompted her to launch Mile Markings with her husband. The next guest is Cynthia Vissers, who started working at a running specialty store after her youngest son started kindergarten. Laugh along with the trio as they commiserate that while there’s no job that entails eating bonbons on the couch, at least Cynthia can get hired because she likes to drink a beer post-run! Cynthia also shares advice on becoming a brand ambassador for favorite brands. The final guest is Paula Johnston who, last year, started fitness coaching and teaching group fitness classes. She describes what an “interesting puzzle of lo

Special episode: Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell answer questions lobbed at them on a Facebook Live! They offer fueling advice for half-marathons and marathons. The duo are in agreement on the ideal first marathon. They give suggestions for cross-training with young kids, plus getting grumpy kids on board with mom’s race training. Several queries related to the Boston Marathon, with Dimity revealing whether she’ll be on the sidelines spectating her husband run the race and SBS dispensing advice for an optimum Boston experience. Lots of shared laughs plus a few jinx-say-same-word-at-same-time moments. Fun! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea is joined in this special crossover episode by a male co-host (a first!), Yuri Hauswald of the GU Pinnacle Podcast: The duo interviews Katie Arnold, the 2018 winner of the prestigious Leadville Trail 100 Run, at a live recording party at GU HQ. The author of a just-debuted memoir, Running Home, and fresh off setting a 50K PR in a race two days prior to podcast recording, Katie details how progression is crucial in her book, running career, and life. Katie, a mother runner with two school-age daughters, details how the motion of running helped her get out of “that worry brain” after her father’s death from cancer and during the early years of motherhood. Katie talks at length about the state of hyperattention she is able to attain while running and how tapping into that intense “flow” state—as well as the power of nature—propels her in trail races. Katie discusses the importance of taking something big and breaking it into manageable chunks (classic AMR advice!). Laugh along as Katie details w

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell offer long-run nutritional advice to Renée from Naperville, Illinois, including the importance of eating well the day before the big effort. (In the answer, find out what SBS sometimes does in the shower!) They talk through dynamic stretching drills for Lindsey in South Carolina and give Kelly in Boston loads of advice for her first ultramarathon. The duo wrap up the show talking Emily in Sherman, Illinois, how to rejigger the days of a training program with Dimity tossing out the brilliant phrase, “wavy intensity.”  Living Proof: Experience beauty products developed by MIT scientists! For a free sample of their award-winning dry shampoo with a purchase, visit LivingProof.com/amr and use promo code AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea and Maggie Palmer have a ball gabbing with Ali Feller, host of the “Ali on the Run” podcast and a new first-time mom. The laughs start when Ali talks about how pizza factored into her transformation from a life-long dancer to a runner. From there, the blogger shares secrets of a great action-shot selfie. Ali, whose darling daughter is almost five months old, tells the tale of running a 10K race at 38 weeks pregnant, including why the Central Park jaunt stands as one of her favorite races ever. Bonding with Maggie over working out at OrangeTheory Fitness, Ali details why it was ideal while she was pregnant. The new mom offers return-to-exercise post-partum tips, and she shares how her marathon training for the New York City Marathon will be different now that she’s a mother runner. Learn the biggest thing that’s helped the guest deal with mommy-guilt—and find out how it involves Beyoncé’s alter ego, Sasha Fierce. After the laughter subsides, Ali talks candidly about how pregnancy helped her st

Sarah Bowen Shea and Maggie Palmer dive into a candid conversation with Mirna “The Mirnavator” Valerio, the author of A Beautiful Work in Progress, which was an extension of her Fat Girl Running blog. Mirna, a plus-size ultramarathoner of color, talks about how she feels about the public attention she garners, including how she shuts out naysayers. She reveals how she feels about “failing pretty publically” in some races. Mirna shares how she practices visual and visceral self-love. A finisher of 22 marathons and ultras, Mirna offers loads of advice for ultrarunners as well as giving a suggestion for an ideal first-time marathon. Find out how bacon enters the conversation. And applaud what she says about walking in a running race.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join elite ultra runner + Train Like a Mother Club coach Stephanie Howe Violett and Dimity as they talk through training for—and finishing!—your first 50k or 50-miler. Among other things, the duo cover how to pick the right race for you; what kind of prereqs, both mentally and physically, an ultra requires; and why conservative (not crazy!) mileage is actually key for a great training cycle. On March 2-3, 2019, use code ULTRA2019 in the Train Like a Mother Club to receive 20% off the 50k + 50-mile plans, 24-week, comprehensive programs that will get you primed to run a long, long way! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea and Tish Hamilton chat with three single mother runners about how they juggle all the demands of parenting, running, work, and life. The first guest is Bethany Mazura, a mom of two young sons in Albany, New York, where she works as an attorney. Bethany reveals she re-started a stalled running habit because she “needed a goal to restart” her life post-divorce. Marvel at how she then not only knocked out a marathon, but also a 50K! She shares her secrets of a yin-yang balance of tight scheduling, yet also being flexible. Bethany also talks about why a coach is such a worthwhile investment. Next is Susan Landolt of Hillsboro, Oregon, who also runs ultramarathons. This widowed mom of four, including two youngsters, confesses seeing a treadmill almost makes her cry as it reminds her of the countless pre-dawn miles she put in on a ’mill in her garage. Susan tells how she manages to tackle 60 miles in a week (!!) in addition to working full-time, finishing a business degree, and solo parenting. (“I

 Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell counsel Kara in southern Indiana on starting a running group, plus organizing runs for people of various paces. They offer differing advice for Marcella from Arizona on the best ways to utilize a pacer in a race to hit a goal time. Dimity sheds light on why Leah in Fort Collins might be particularly susceptible to a “cold bum,” then Sarah and she offer suggestions on how to keep her bootie warmer on a run. The mother runners tell Diane in Chicago how to tailor her marathon mileage to help ensure a prime training cycle. (Spoiler alert: Substitute some junk-miles with strength training.) In the intro, SBS explains how she discovered suddenly she herself is on a training plan (surprise!). The duo shares their favorite classes at the recent AMR Retreat at Rancho La Puerta. Make over your beauty routine with Wander Beauty! Save 20% at wanderbeauty.com/amr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell welcome Christie Aschwanden, author of the just-released GOOD TO GO: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery, to talk about, you guessed it, recovery. Christie, a former competitive runner and Nordic skier, tells how people undervalue recovery—and how that oversight can limit people. Learn what she deems the most important recovery “tool,” as well as why runners should have something ritualized that helps them recover. A “coffee nap”: Find out how this seeming-oxymoron can be beneficial (and how to take one!). Christie stresses the importance of accepting stress and how it can impact your body and mind. The trio talks about why you don’t want to disrupt the inflammatory cycle after a hard workout or race. After trying myriad recovery methods and tools, for her book, Christie shares her favorite—and least favorite—therapies, including the one that finally quieted her “monkey mind.” In the intro, the AMR duo recounts some of their favorit

In the intro, Sarah goes co-host-free in favor of a catch-up conversation with prolific Portland runner Paula Harkin, who just passed the 10-year mark of her running streak. (Yowza!) Paula details what constitutes a running streak—and how to make it official. (Who knew?!) She also confesses her daily run is “a challenge every single day.” Paula shares all sorts of Portland race news, including the scoop on the new Portland Marathon, plus her reclaiming two popular half-marathons. Loads of laughs are shared between these two mother runners (who ran the 2007 Nike Women’s Marathon together, when Paula coached SBS!). Then, at the 22:22 mark, is the 2017 conversation with Sarah, Amanda Loudin, and Paula: The trio share ways to stay safe while running in the dark. They debate street v. sidewalk running. A long-time group-run leader, race director, and co-owner of Portland Running Company, Paula explains her street-smart practice of Defensive Running; she also talks about the importance of using all of one’s skills

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell try to relate to extreme-cold conditions by sharing a collegiate rowing mishap. Keeping with the weather theme, they tell Andrea from near Toronto (but who is headed to Florida for vacay!) to tune into effort while working out during her balmy break, rather than worrying about acclimatization. Dimity tells Courtney, a mom of two littles in Red Lodge, Montana: “If you have the marathon-itch, scratch it.” For looking-to-get-faster Beth from Easton, Maryland, the duo stresses the importance of communication with a coach—and dynamic drills and stretches. Finally, they give advice to Lisa from Connecticut about training for and running (or not!) a multiple-loop-course event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea and co-host Maggie Palmer chat with three dynamic women who head up (and, in two cases, founded) running groups for moms. First up: Karissa Johnson, founder of Moms on the Run. Learn how this self-described “introvert” went from leading one 26-woman running group (promoted by paper flyers she stuffed in mailboxes!) to overseeing MOTR franchises in soon-to-be eight states. Karissa talks about the breadth of programs MOTR chapters offer, including yoga for runners and strength-training boot camps. Find out what Olympian is now designing intermediate and advanced training plans for them! Next is Pam Burrus, the can-do woman behind Moms RUN This Town. Laugh as she details her first forays in running (from “dreading” it in PE to copycat’ing a friend’s training posts on Facebook!), then how she launched this nationwide organization. Learn how MRTT chapters branch out beyond running to do good in their communities. Find out what’s the what with magnet flipping—and how it serves as motivation to memb

Sarah and Dimity sat down in person in Houston with Megan Saloom, a 2016 Olympics Marathon Trials runner who is now a new mother, then the AMR duo gabbed with Calum “Cal” Neff, a super-speedy father runner who holds two world records for pushing a running stroller in races. The two were hours away from running the Houston Marathon (Megan) and Houston Half-Marathon (Calum. Spoiler alert: He PR’d!). With her adorable 6-month-old son in the audience with his dad, Megan shares details of running while pregnant, including oversharing that “every day was a different experience” with her bladder! She gives advice about returning to running post-partum. Megan talks about DNF’ing the Olympic Trials; reminding us “running is not an overnight success,” she talks about the importance of patience. Next up is father of three Cal, who describes who how pushing a stroller in races allows him to combine his passions for running and being a father. He shares stroller-running tips that apply to any pace runner as well as cold-w