Another Mother Runner

In this epic episode, Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin chat and laugh with four mother runners who chose to celebrate banner birthdays or anniversaries with running races! First up is mom of four Angela Rodriguez, who is fete’ing turning 40 by running her first marathon. Listen as Angela and Sarah bond hard at being rule-followers when it comes to training plans. Next is Malia, who chose to celebrate her 40th by running 40 races in the year following her bday. She shares how the scheme came to her while running a race on her birthday last October, knowing she wanted “more of ‘this’” in her life. Malia talks about the importance of doing races with family members and friends, including a tale of how she ran every step of a half-marathon with a posse of 10 gal-pals. Find out how doughnuts figured prominently in her year of races—and gain great racing advice from Malia. Then comes Kim who, get this, ran 40 marathons by her 40th birthday after only taking up running at age 30. This fitness/strength instructor opens up about how the Boston Marathon bombing profoundly changed her perspective on running. Kim tells the wonderful tale of her 40th ;marathon—and how it was the birthday party this Yankee Doodle Dandy had always longed for. (Complete with Diet Sunkist and Swedish fish.) Last but most definitely not least is Holly, who tells of marking her 25th wedding anniversary by holding a 25K race—and baking 25 pies to share at the finish line! There’s lots of talk of pies (be prepared to drool along with SBS) and some about running. Finally, find out what “KTMA” stands for and where it’s engraved. In the intro, Sarah shares tales of badassery in the final stretch of her marathon—and a chilly local pond. The super-fun interviews kick off at 12:02. To save $50 off a Burrow sofa, use promo code AMR at burrow.com To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, enter promo code AMR30 at HelloFresh.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Ellison Weist delight in chatting with professional runner Alysia Montaño, a 2012 Olympian and 7-time (!!!) U.S. Champion in the 800-meters. Due with baby #2 next month, Alysia talks about busting the long-standing myths of staying active during pregnancy. Alysia shares how she is navigating her “shifting” body—and how she schooled her regular UPS driver in the power of a pregnant woman. She tells why she wears a flower in her hair when she runs—as well as how she gained her childhood nickname of Icebox! Find out what “drain the dragons” means in this pro mother runner’s life, and delight at her gotta-grab-life-by-the-horns approach to motherhood. Sarah is awestruck by an insight from Alysia, borrowing the phrase to fuel her marathon. Alysia even shares a bit of her birth story, complete with a BOSU ball. In the intro, Sarah relates a bit more about her Twin Cities Marathon run, and Ellison talks about the books she’s read lately (see list). Dear Alysia joins the conversation at 26:50. My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent Brewster by Bruce Slouka The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold The Child Finder by Renee Denfield Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AMR co-founders have been on the road! First the Retreat, then the Twin Cities Marathon, so in this episode they pause and play catch-up and share details of both fun-filled weekends. The conversation veers from great race signs to fire drills. Sarah gives a race report about her 14th marathon: Find out why she’s so proud of her effort in the final 10K of the 26.2, and how the music fueled her. (Tay-Tay to the rescue!) Sarah tells the tale of running with several mother runners, including across the finish line with her tank-top twinsie. Learn how rain didn’t dampen Dimity’s exuberant cheer-leading for TCM participants. Also, Sarah shares an update on Team AMR member Maggie Palmer, from Episode #277, whose family lived through Hurricane Irma mere weeks after moving to Saint Maarten. To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another recorded-in-front-of-live-audience episode: Listen in as Sarah, Dimity, Coach MK, and Coach Amanda share advice and anecdotes about how to have the best race experience you can. The ladies remind it’s not necessarily the time on the clock that equates to success or enjoyment. They talk about the importance of going out conservatively, then stepping on the gas if you’re feeling strong mid-race. At the end of the episode, the panel takes questions from some of the attendees of the AMR Run + Refresh Retreat in Spokane. No matter what distance race you’re stepping up to the start for, you’ll find in this episode pearls of wisdom to use pre-, during, and post-race. To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dimity hosts a live podcast from the Run + Refresh Retreat, recorded at the wonderful Fleet Feet Spokane! Done in the style of NPR quiz show Wait...Wait...Don't Tell Me, Dimity grills the panelists and audience members on all things running. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin converse candidly with four women who fell out of their running groove to learn how they are finding their way back—or discovering a new way. The first guest, Maggie Palmer, was just starting to get in a post-move groove when disaster struck—literally: She and her family endured Hurricane Irma on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. Maggie shares how she and her family are getting back on their feet after being evacuated and landing in Chicago, including how Maggie is enviously eyeing women runners staying at same hotel. Then Jen Rucker tells how back surgery sidelined her. She and Sarah dive into a discussion about the lies we sometimes tell ourselves to get through a challenging situation. Now on the road to recovery (she’s up to running two miles!), Jen stresses the importance of being kind—and patient—to yourself. Next up is Ariel Garl, who shares how she’s been battling severe asthma and collateral health issues for the past two years. Ariel explains how, despite numerous stays in the intensive care unit, she is still striving for a Boston-qualifying marathon time. This mother runner who “falls hard but bounces well” reveals why she sets a 15-minute timer to vent her emotions, and how every day, she chooses to move forward. Finally, Tarleen Weston, a new mom who talks about getting repeatedly “knocked on her bottom” during pregnancy and post-partum. Hear how triathlon training pulled her up and out—and laugh along with the trio when Tarleen tosses out mermaid and Snow White references! The inspiring interviews in this extra-long podcast start at 11:05. To save $30 on purchase of AfterShokz Trekz Titanium headphones + get free sport belt, go to amr.aftershokz.com and use code AMR at checkout. To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Dimity dive deeply into Dimity’s long-term injury—and the fact it’s going to keep her from running for the foreseeable future. With her signature candor, Dimity talks about why her quarter-century of running has come to a close—and how she is coming to accept that prognosis for the next six months (or longer). Discover why it’s a relief for the AMR co-founder to deliberately take control of her non-running situation, and how she’s remaining active and strong despite the lack of miles on her feet. Hear the determination in Dimity’s voice when she says she’s not going to stop being an athlete, and learn what athletic adventure she’s scheming with a friend. Dimity talks about the importance of “thinking beyond the daily release” running provides and the need to “widen the lens” to see the long-term landscape. Whether you’re in the same proverbial shoes now or know it’ll come one day (hello, aging!), this is an episode we all need to experience. In the intro, Sarah elaborates on the smoke-situation in Portland, and Dimity humble-brags (as well she should!!) about her daughter’s volleyball experiences. The meat of the conversation starts at 22:42. To save $30 on purchase of AfterShokz Trekz Titanium headphones + get free sport belt, go to amr.aftershokz.com and use code AMR at checkout. To enjoy a free month of Bark Box with order of 6- or 12-month subscription, visit barkbox.com/AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Adrienne Martini dig deep for a highly informative (and entertaining!) conversation about pelvic floor health with Julie Wiebe, a physical therapist specializing in women’s health and sports medicine + a mom of two. Julie starts by telling of her decade+ mission to find solutions for women athletes for a host of issues and injuries—and how so many of the answers lie in what’s called the “core stabilizing system.” She explains how the three components work together to maintain stability at your center—a crucial element of running form. Julie tells how to improve access to your system, allowing you to regain energy and get more propulsion in your running stride. (Score!) Find out why you should “blow before you go.” And, yes, there’s a lot of talk of leakage, including Julie explaining how incontinence can be a signal of a problem in the system that can lead to (or be the cause of) a host of injuries. She also tells how to find a pelvic floor physical therapist. Laugh out loud at the hashtag the gals bandy about—and delight along with Sarah when Julie gives her full-throated approval of looking for #foundchange while running! To save 20% off registration to Julie’s online course that she talks about at the end of the interview—it’s called The Pelvic Floor Piston: Foundation for Fitness--use discount code MotherRunner20 before midnight PDT on September 15, 2017. (Code is case sensitive.) The convo with Julie begins at 16:20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin are here to help you get moving more quickly and how to get yourself (and maybe your kids!) out the door, back at your desk, or off to bed after a workout. This episode is all about trimming time and simplifying your routine to fit in your runs. First up, Sarah and Amanda share tips and hacks from other mother runners plus anecdotal advice from their own decades of running (and, in the case of Amanda: coaching!). Ways to wake up--and get out of bed--more consistently and how to start putting your miles as soon as possible after your feet hit the floor. How to remove obstacles that slow you down, like contact lenses or having to prepare a pre-run snack (thank you, GoGosqueeZ!). Then the duo talks to Sally Kuzemchak, the genius behind the websiteReal Mom Nutrition and author of the time-saving cookbook, Dinnertime Survival Guide. A font of great advice, Sally suggests figuring out your mealtime “pain-points” are (no, she doesn’t mean the kids constantly bickering!!)—then offers solutions to eliminating that barrier. (Including this website and downloadable handouts from Sally’s site.) Sally offers loads of lunch-making guidance, plus ideas for healthy snacks for mother runners. Laugh along with Sarah’s slip of the tongue for another name for a slowcooker, and find out what YoYo Night is—and why it’s a brilliant idea! The advice-giving from Sarah + Coach Amanda starts at 08:22. Special thanks to GoGosqueeZ for sponsoring this episode.  Go to www.gogosqueez.com for product details Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This show is almost like a trio of co-hosts: Sarah and co-host Molly pick the brain of Coach Amanda for insight into training slumps—and advice on how to pull yourself out of one. The coach asserts that, despite what it may feel like, mostly likely the source of your ennui is mental, not physical. She breaks things down, assuring you feeling “tired, hungry, and harried” is to be expected when training for a race, then she outlines how to discern those symptoms from overtraining. Discussing the common conundrum of wanting to skip a run due to exhaustion, Coach Amanda grants you a hall pass to skip an occasional run. Talk turns to the seasons of life—and why sometimes it’s just not the right time to run a race. Molly introduces the notion of “the pleasure of discomfort,” and both she and Sarah give anecdotal advice on how to lean into that feeling. Learn the Rx for missing a week of training, plus the value of a throwing in a benchmark run or workout to re-kindle your enthusiasm. In the introduction, Sarah and Molly talk about #OReclipse mania. The conversation with Coach Amanda kicks off at 12:40. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices