Another Mother Runner

Sarah and co-host Molly Williams are joined by writer/coach Matt Fitzgerald for a conversation about mental fitness, based on his latest book, How Bad Do You Want It: Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle. Along the way, Matt admits for him, “the whole dang enchilada is mental,” and he talks about why he prefers the term “mental fitness” over “mental toughness.” The trio doesn’t shy way from tough topics, diving right in with how the fear of suffering and failure holds back some athletes. Find out why Matt believes every runner should develop “a coach within.” He points out that you bring the mental skills you possess in real life to running—and how they can help or hinder you; he also shares steps for dealing with negative thoughts. Matt reveals the single most common mistake in endurance sports, as well as the most important quality to have as a runner. Great news for newbies: This marathon man wraps things up focusing on the importance of using experience, not just having it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From popsicles to perceived effort, Sarah and co-host Coach Christine Hinton offer up all the advice you need to survive sweltering summer runs. The mother runner answer questions submitted via Facebook, including the definition of getting acclimated to heat and how to do it. Christine talks about the vicious cycle of humidity and how to beat heat from the inside out. The coach spells out the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and she gives advice for preventing heat headaches. Sarah addresses air quality issues, a concern especially in Western states during wildfire season. Find out how whiskey and vodka work their way into the conversation, as well as Sarah’s latest peeing-on-the-run trick. Laugh along with the gals about the kooky side business they scheme up mid-show. Puns (and laughter) abound in this hour+ episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To mark Father’s Day, Sarah and co-host Adrienne Martini are joined by Tom Foreman, a CNN correspondent and author of My Year of Running Dangerously, which chronicles his return to running to train for a marathon with his older daughter. Tom talks about what it meant to have the shared language of running with his daughter, as well as the quality time together away from distractions. This now-ultramarathoner shares advice about keeping relationships strong and lines of communication despite hours spent running. A newly minted empty-nester, Tom shares how he and his wife (the proud finisher of her first half-marathon!) are “re-setting” who they are as a couple. While he admits he no longer runs “dangerously,” he’s still striving for a big goal: a Boston-qualifying marathon time. Sarah and Adrienne give this father runner plenty of advice, including selling him on hiring a coach and counseling him on BQ race choice. Find out what this Emmy-award winner calls “the cayenne in the recipe of life.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To get a view from the back, host Sarah Bowen Shea and co-host Coach Christine Hinton are joined by three runners who are often finishing last in a race. First up is Donna Lehmann, who tells of running a half-marathon slow and steady—and high-fiving pretty much any upheld spectators’ hand along the 13.1-mile course. This New Hampshire mother runner shares an epiphany she had when she thought she might end up be dead-last in a race, as well as a great analogy on how running is like a mullet. Next up is Rachel Franco of St. Paul who gives a brilliant race-selection tip. (She’s also in search of a best running friend, if you know of any 14:00-15:00 minute milers in the Twin Cities!) Then Kelly Keating-Caraway, a Weight Watchers leader training for the New York City Marathon, regales with several race stories, including one involving a police car escort and another on why she’s begrudgingly grateful to another runner for her current mantra of, “the body achieves what the mind believes.” Kelly is full of great... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just as Ramadan is about to commence, Sarah and co-host Adrienne Martini welcome two guests who are both newer runners—and Muslims—to talk about being a female Muslim (a.k.a. a “Muslimah”) and running. First up is Monica Wallace, one of the co-founders of the group Muslimahs on the Run (MOTR). Monica tells how the seeds for MOTR were photos she shared on social media of herself and friends running in hijab and other modest running attire in keeping with their Islamic faith. This mother runner of three talks about how Muslim women can look 10 different ways when they hit the pavement, and why (and where) she felt “free and fancy” in the United Arab Emirates while exercising. Monica explains how she surprised herself at being able to run during the month-long Ramadan, despite fasting during daylight hours. Finally, Monica shares two stories about how running and Muslimahs on the Run changed the lives of two women, including her own mother. Then Muslimah and mother-of-two Doaa Elhaggan joins Sarah in the... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Molly Williams explore the topic of finding money while running with three mother runners, including two who donate their #foundchange (and often paper money!) to charities. Interestingly, all three guests were what one of them describes as “late-onset runners.” First up is Krista Rider, a mom of one who donates her moola to Every Mother Counts, tells the tale of recently finding $15 in one fell swoop. Then Samantha Hopkins, a mom of two and Sarah and Molly’s money-finding idol, shares her theories about why it seems the streets she runs in San Antonio seem strewn with dropped money (and the occasional “pimp ring”—find out how much that find netted her). Like Krista, Samantha donates her annual hauls to a worthy cause. Samantha shares money-finding tips, which she says explain why her route-maps on Strava often look so unusual. Last but not least, Molly and Sarah share laughs and anecdotes with Jennifer “JMart” Martin, an ultrarunning momma of two. Despite logging many miles, JMart isn’t... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Dimity welcome to the show Danny Dreyer, co-creator of ChiRunning and author of several books, including ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Efortless, Injury-Free Running and Chi Marathon: The Breakthrough Natural Running Program for a Pain-Free Half Marathon and Marathon. Danny tells the genesis of ChiRunning, which morphed him from a custom woodworker to an internationally renowned running instructor who helps people find a better way to move. In his soothing voice, Danny talks of the importance of alignment and relaxation in running. Find out which habit Danny thinks, “is the new smoking.” In an analogy every mother (and father!) runner can relate to, learn how listening to your body while running is like listening to a totally engrossed little child speak; gain encouragement when Danny assures Sarah and Dimity the body will always have an answer. Then Danny talks about his two tracks on a new album called Running Deep: Guided Meditations for Runners: You’ll never look at (or smell or... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With summer 5Ks and 10Ks on the horizon, along with training for fall races in the near-future, Sarah and co-host Coach Christine Hinton detail how to embark on a training plan. Whether you want to finish with a smile on your face or with a new personal best, the advice these gals impart will get you primed. Coach Christine, in her infinite wisdom, reminds you a nagging injury is your body sending you a message you need to listen to; find out the gals’ new aphorism about running friends and injury. If you are wondering about an ideal racing weight, Coach explains why you should go by percentage of body fat instead of a number on the scale. Discover why Coach Christine spent a year being “loosey-goosey” about training—and why that’s not always a bad thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In honor of Mother’s Day, Sarah and co-host Ellison Weist talk with writer Jen Miller and Jen’s 61-year-old mother, Mary Miller, who just ran her first half-marathon. Three days post-marathon, Jen dishes the deal on the Hanson Method of training, which propelled her to a 37-second PR despite a host of maladies. Mom Mary admits she hurt worse during training than in her 13.1-mile race, and she talks about her reasons for having a coach for the last four years. Find out how Jen got paid $750 to fun her first 5K, and listen to the gals compare notes about napping during the workday. As she does in her new memoir, Running: A Love Story, Jen shares why running let’s her find answers to problems in her life, whether related to work or her love life. Finally, for a dose of TMI, Jen talks about why she can’t train for fall marathons, opting instead to lift weights and train for sprint events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Molly Williams sit down for a special episode to talk with Sarah’s coach, Briana Boehmer, about the 2016 Boston Marathon. This is the first conversation between Sarah and Coach Briana after Sarah completed the 26.2-mile race, and you get to listen in! Briana sheds light on the heat, hills, and sprint to the finish thanks to the wonders of GPS technology—and Sarah is rapt hearing the insight. Molly asks some probing questions, such as Briana’s prediction for Sarah’s finish time. Briana offers practical advice for running partners training together for a race—or different races, as well as why it’s crucial for personal success to not race a training partner. She also talks about the beauty of running by rate of perceived exertion (“RPE”) instead of pace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices