Episoder
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Episode Summary
Mary Johnson is a running and strength coach and Founder of Lift | Run | Perform, an organization that specializes in teaching runners how to use time in the weight room or in your own home to optimize your running performance. Mary is a USATF certified running coach, owner of Lift, Run, Perform, mother of two and she’s going after her own goals after having babies. Recurring injuries plagued Mary for years until she found strength training and it totally changed her life and training paradigm.
Today, Mary and Whitney talk about the struggles of returning to running postpartum and what that looked like for Mary. Mary shares the origin story of her company, Lift | Run | Perform, and provides some tips and best practices for strength training. Mary and Whitney explain the Five Major Movement Patterns as well as how different workout reps spur different changes in the body. Finally, Mary talks about some of the exciting projects she’s working on, including her ‘Breaking Three’ project.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:18 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Mary Johnson, who joins the show to share her experience as a runner, running coach, mother and the work she did to overcome postpartum challenges in order to become stronger
15:02 – Why pregnancy is so polarizing
19:20 – The origin story of Mary’s business, Lift | Run | Perform
22:55 – Pros and cons of strength training for runners
26:31 – The Five Major Movement Patterns, explained
33:36 – How different reps spur different changes in the body
38:19 – Mary provides her thoughts on what strength training should look like when marathon training
45:25 – Mary suggests some workout equipment options
48:25 – Proper form and technique while working out
50:10 – How strength training has changed Mary’s experience running
51:48 – Mary’s ‘Breaking Three’ project
55:32 – Whitney thanks Mary for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow him
Tweetable Quotes“I think having an easier delivery this time has made me aware of how significant and different every delivery can be.” (11:54)
“We knew that the best thing that was necessary for athletes was coaching the person as a human as opposed to coaching the person focused on a time goal. And that was our mission statement.” (21:26)
“When we’re running, we’re pounding. There’s a ton of force that’s put on our body. So, we hit the ground, it goes through our foot, to our ankle, to our knee, to our hip, to our back, and we are not stable when we hit that ground. We can absorb the shock fine but after step after step, the body doesn’t sustain that pounding very well. It needs to be strong. And that’s the simplified reason why running alone isn’t enough to keep us strong.” (23:09)
“First, I would make sure you take a month, pre-Marathon cycle, to lift. Yeah, you could run but you’re probably going to go down in mileage anyway. And this is a great time to get yourself in the gym. If you’re sore, that’s ok because it’s not gonna affect your workouts. But you have to be intentional about it.” (38:46)
“When you run without any aches or pains, it’s amazing.” (50:21)
Links MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Mary’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/itsamarython/
Lift | Run | Perform Website –
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Episode Summary
Laura Norris is a certified running coach, small business owner, writer, and content creator. She believes in a blended approach to coaching that utilizes both evidence-based methods of training and a holistic approach of coaching the runner as a person first, athlete second. Laura’s philosophy emphasizes sustainability, enjoyment, and long-term growth.
Today, Whitney and Laura talk all about how to predict your marathon time. They discuss pacing, pickups at the end of long runs, and the different types of running calculators, including Jack Daniels’ VDOT. Finally, Laura provides tips and best practices on tapering, fueling and when to heighten your focus on your marathon goals.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:12 – Whitney Heins welcomes Laura Norris back to the show to discuss her CIM Training and how to predict your marathon time
12:09 – Pacing and Jack Daniels’ VDOT running calculator
20:27 – Other popular running calculators
25:12 – Best workouts to help inform what your marathon time will be
28:01 – How to determine your marathon pace
30:52 – Pickups at the end of a long run
36:12 – The Garmin Race Predictor, easy miles, and long-run pace
43:01 – The best time to focus on your goal time and marathon tapering
46:02 – Fueling and other best practices to implement prior to race day
50:21 – Whitney thanks Laura for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“Picking an arbitrary goal time is a sort of reverse engineering that doesn’t work in training, because you’re not this robot who you can input, ‘I want to run a nine minute mile pace’ which is roughly what you want for a sub-four hour Marathon. Unfortunately, training doesn’t work that way. A lot of times people see these nice round numbers or there’s some sort of excitement around them, but you just can’t program a number into your body. It’s all dependent upon where your current fitness is and where your aerobic capacity is.” (10:26) (Laura)
“For most runners, taking a 10k or longer will give them a more accurate result than taking a mile or a 5k just because those shorter distances have more anaerobic contribution. And that’s when you’re getting into differences of muscle fiber typology. So, you can have someone who really excels in the Marathon and once they get into anything above their critical speed, they aren’t as fast as the equivalent race times would predict.” (17:34) (Laura)
“Once we get to four and a half to five hours and five and a half to six, your marathon pace is gonna have a lot of overlap with your easy pace. And, when we talk about marathon pace, it’s not always this reverse engineered X minutes per mile faster than your easy pace. It’s about the pace you can sustain for a certain duration.” (25:33) (Laura)
“One workout that I find that is really great is to do ten minutes at threshold, thirty minutes at threshold, all those ones that push the upper end of threshold and really rely on the ability to control your pacing and then kinda add to thet.” (30:36) (Laura)
“Where you are eight weeks out from your marathon is not where you’re gonna be in your marathon. And, if you’re reaching peak fitness eight weeks out from a marathon, you should probably be worried. You’re probably overtraining.” (43:39) (Laura)
“Carbs are the spark that’s gonna fuel the fire of the marathon. You need that substrate. You’re putting gas in your tank. No one’s giving out medals at the end for running the marathon on the fewest carbs.” (48:19) (Laura)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn –
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Episode Summary
Dr. Haley Perlus is a sports psychologist with knowledge and personal experience as an elite athlete, coach, fitness professional, and entrepreneur. An overall wellness enthusiast, Dr. Haley Perlus provides her clients with the necessary mental toughness tools to quickly and consistently achieve their highest level of performance. Today, Whitney and Dr. Haley talk all about how we can believe in ourselves, get and maintain confidence, and overcome our mental blocks.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:55 – Whitney Heins welcomes Dr. Haley Perlus to the show to share the remarkable story of her inspiration to pursue sports psychology
13:07 – Your ‘Three Best Words’ and giving yourself grace
20:57 – Best practices for moving on from a bad day
27:08 – Quiet confidence, achieving ‘flow state,’ and pressure
35:14 – Overcoming anxiety and mental blocks
46:06 – Three solutions for overcoming mental blocks
56:19 – The reality of sports
57:50 – Whitney thanks Dr. Haley for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“Usually when athletes call me it’s because they’ve tried everything else. They’ve tried their nutrition. They’ve tried their skillset or their conditioning. They’ve tried all of these things and nothing is helping them perform better or overcome that one thing.” (10:46) (Dr. Haley)
“You can gain the experience and the tools by doing. If you’ve been running for fifteen years without seeking out sports psychology, I guarantee you learned some mental toughness along the way. Or, you could just listen to Passionate Runner and listen to you and get educated so that you can get out on that training path and out on your run and start to utilize the tools immediately.” (11:35) (Dr. Haley)
“If you can bring back your three best words, at least one of them, often that allows you to push through a little bit more. And then, after that, if you find yourself not having your best performance, to me that’s still a sign that you put forth your best effort. And then it’s time to give yourself some grace. There’s a big difference giving yourself some grace and letting yourself off the hook.” (16:04) (Dr. Haley)
“Being upset tells me two things. It tells me, one, that you really care. And it actually, in my opinion, is a sign of confidence. If you’re upset, it means that you thought you could do better. And if you think you can do better, that’s a sign of confidence.” (21:57) (Dr. Haley)
“Pressure is earned. We don’t put pressure on ourselves for things we don’t think we’re good at. We don’t put pressure on ourselves for things we don’t care about. When we do the work - when we put in the time and the effort, and develop our skills, and see the progress - we put pressure on ourselves. It’s earned. We need to embrace it.” (34:00) (Dr. Haley)
“A mental block is also fear of success. This is huge. If you achieve a good performance, now you’ve got to keep doing it.” (45:19) (Dr. Haley)
“Every time we have a thought, we plant a neural pathway in our brain; it’s like a seed. But it’s just a seed. It’s just a thought until we start fertilizing it and giving it tender loving care. So, you have to repeat the thoughts that you like, the thoughts that help you. Repeat them and, with frequency and repetition, that seed - that neural pathway - grows. It’s a process called myelination. It grows and grows and grows and becomes your more dominant thought.” (51:11) (Dr. Haley)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club –
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Episode Summary
Ben Reale is the Founder of the personal training group, Condition One Fitness & Nutrition. He’s a Marathon runner, licensed attorney, and a former Marine Officer who has led more than 6,000 one-on-one training sessions and 600 small group classes. He is an expert in thoroughly evaluating someone to determine their ‘movement baseline,’ incorporating individualized corrective strategies into specific training programs as needed. Today, Whitney and Ben talk about making exercise a habit and how to overcome and work around all the potential life obstacles that can get in the way of making running a habit. They touch on rewards, ‘gaming your brain,’ and everything that supports making running a habit, like good eating, good sleeping, rest days, and strength training.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:00 – Whitney Heins welcomes Ben Reale to the show who shares his unique career trajectory, including his time as a personal trainer and a Marine
09:44 – Habit formation and making sustainable changes by taking it slow
15:39 – The power of consistency and overcoming life obstacles
20:35 – Finding your ‘Why,’ outcome-based goals, and behavior-based goals
32:00 – The effectiveness of rewards and ‘gaming your brain’
40:16 – Bright spots and other tools for making running a habit
46:41 – Whitney thanks Ben for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with him
Tweetable Quotes“I think that the big takeaway is that if people are in that situation and they’ve come up with a Plan A and a Plan B, and they gotta get thirty minutes in, or whatever they’re trying to accomplish for a run, if it’s consistently not happening, then it’s like, ‘Hey, that’s ok. It’s just feedback that you have to change your plan because it’s not working.’ And I think that’s a powerful piece too because being able to break away and almost from a 30,000 foot view just look down on it and say, ‘Well this is not working so I need to change it’ is important.” (16:32) (Ben)
“I think at the end of the day, if it is a priority to you, you’re gonna find a way to get it done in some way, shape or form.” (19:50) (Ben)
“So a lot of times we’ll break things down in terms of outcome-based or behavior-based goals. And so, if your outcome is to run the NYC Marathon, that’s great. We can delve into why you want to do that, but then we also want to take into account the behavior-based goals that are gonna be required to ultimately get you to your outcome.” (24:45) (Ben)
“I think the rewards can be the most effective when you have intention behind them and some specificity.” (32:23) (Ben)
“Maybe you’re training for a race, maybe you’ve got a nagging injury, maybe you’re trying to institute strength training into your program. Looking at your bright spots on either a weekly or monthly basis and then picking out what went really well that’s specifically related to something that’s difficult and then asking. ‘how can I do more of that,’ is key.” (40:30) (Ben)
“I think, generally speaking, if you’re trying to change something, whether it be lifestyle, nutrition, fitness, if you’re trying to get started with running, break things down as small as possible and think about what you can do on your worst day.” (44:28) (Ben)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Ben’s Website –
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Episode Summary
Amy Stephens is a registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports nutrition, blogger, runner and food coach. She has over twenty years of experience working with amateur and high-performing Olympic level athletes to achieve their sports performance goals using the latest science- backed approaches. Today, Whitney and Amy discuss how running affects our hormones and how our hormones affect our running. Amy delves deep into the signs you should look for that may signal that you have an imbalance and strategies to keep hormones balanced through training, recovery, and how you eat.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:04 – Whitney Heins welcomes Amy Stephens to the show who shares her expertise as a registered sports dietician and the impact hormones have on running
08:50 – Signs to look out for when monitoring your hormones and stress level
17:15 – Low estrogen and low testosterone
19:25 – The importance of diet and nutrition
29:24 – Next steps for those experiencing a hormonal imbalance
37:26 – Whitney and Amy both open up about their shared experience with hormones, having children, and how it impacted their running
42:37 – Whitney thanks Amy for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“What does it mean to balance hormones? What does this all mean? Why is this important? Hormones kinda control everything in our bodies. They regulate all of our functions such as the menstrual cycle, bone growth, heart rate, muscle growth and repair, digestion, temperature, blood sugar, mood. They control everything.” (07:19) (Amy)
“Exercise is great, but too much or maybe not recovering well can definitely impact performance. So, you asked about signs or how to know when your body is not recovered. So let’s start there. There’s some signs that are very clear that I usually ask someone. Do they feel rested? Sometimes people can say, ‘No, I feel tired all the time. I don’t feel like I’m recovering from the workouts.’ Another big sign is there’s no appetite. If you don’t have an appetite, it means those stress hormones might still be circulating.” (10:59) (Amy)
“There are some initial studies, Adam Tenforde out of Boston has some great studies that show that low testosterone can have a similar impact on men, meaning that the bone reformation after a workout can be altered with low testosterone.” (18:41) (Amy)
“Also, it’s about getting used to trying different foods. See what works for you so you know on race day what your body feels good with and what maybe it doesn’t.” (28:54) (Amy)
“Carbs are not bad. They provide energy and help us to feel better. And that’s part of a healthy diet.” (31:35) (Amy)
“Cortisol levels can be helpful, but again if you just worked out or if you’re feeling stressed at that moment, that cortisol is going to be high. The same goes for insulin. Insulin levels are high after a meal. That’s normal.” (35:53) (Amy)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Amy’s Website – https://www.amystephensnutrition.com/
Amy’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amystephensnutrition/?hl=en
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Episode Summary
Megan Robinson has been a competitive track and cross-country runner since high school and has competed in numerous long distance races, including the Boston Marathon. She is a Level 1 certified RRCA coach and registered dietician/nutritionist (RDN). Today, Megan joins the show to discuss why Marathon fueling can be so complicated, the physiology of fueling and the importance of hydration. Megan and Whitney discuss tips and best practices for carb loading, why there are mixed messages in the media about fueling and nutrition and what an ideal baseline nutrition plan looks like.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:08 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Megan Robinson, who joins the show to share her experience as a Level 1 certified RRCA coach and registered sports dietician
09:21 – Why Marathon fueling can be so complicated
11:41 – Mixed media messages about fueling and nutrition
14:18 – The physiology of fueling
19:08 – The importance of hydration and the role of electrolytes
25:08 – Megan’s recommended baseline nutrition plan
33:26 – How runners should time their gels and electrolytes
41:49 – The dangers of dehydration and low blood sodium
46:41 – Megan’s thoughts on taking caffeine during races
55:41 – Tips and best practices for Carb loading
1:02:39 – Whitney thanks Megan for joining the show and wishes her luck in her next ran in Chicago
Tweetable Quotes“It really made such a difference and impacted my life and how I saw nutrition. Especially to a teenager - especially as a female - you get those mixed messages. You look at your body type. You have negative body image often.” (06:37)
“I think the Marathon training is the hardest just because most of us are not used to eating on a run. Our gut is not used to taking in nutrition. So, when I start talking to the athletes I coach, who are training for Marathons, it’s really starting with the basics of getting your body used to taking in a little nutrition. So, I think it’s fear of taking in nutrition, lack of knowledge of how much your body actually needs, and understanding the physiology of why you need it.” (10:50)
“If you don’t have Type 1 Diabetes, your body has this wonderful regulation system. So, if your liver has enough glycogen in it, then if you start to exercise and don’t eat something and your blood sugar starts to drop, your liver will make enough sugar to regulate your blood sugars.” (15:23)
“When you’re dehydrated, your blood thickens. So, when that blood thickens, it’s increasing your heart rate, it’s increasing your blood pressure, it’s increasing your perceived effort. And it makes it a lot harder to get that oxygen to the working muscles.” (22:31)
“Once we start getting into longer runs, like Marathon training, I usually recommend taking anywhere from four to eight ounces of fluid every fifteen minutes.” (29:36)
“So don’t feel like you have to replace every amount of sodium that you’re sweating out. You just don’t want to get to a point where you’re diluting your blood sodium levels. And what I mean by that is that if you were on a long run, it’s a hot, humid day, and you’re only taking in water, your risk is lowering your blood sodium levels, and that can be dangerous. That’s what we call hyponatremia, which is low blood sodium.” (41:49)
“A general way to carb load without getting too nuts and counting grams of carbohydrate and ruining your total diet is by shifting your calories to eating more carb-based foods and reducing the fat and protein in your diet.” (56:54)
“The purpose of carb loading is to really maximize that muscle glycogen. And it’s been shown that it possibly could increase your performance by three percent. But the downside is...
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Shanna Birchett is the true definition of a ‘mother runner’ with an inspirational story. A mother of six kids under six years of age, Shanna returned to running with grit, determination, and compassion for herself. Shanna believes in embracing the season you’re in, whether that’s a new runner altogether or a seasoned runner who is looking for that next level of improvement.
Today, Shanna shares her relatable transformation story, talks about overcoming a medical condition, and provides tips and advice that all runners can implement in their daily routine.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:50 – Whitney Heins welcomes Shanna Birchett to the show to discuss her upbringing as the sixth of eight children in a military household and her running origin story
09:26 – Shanna opens up about her struggles with a health condition
15:06 – Getting gritty and overcoming the fear of her condition
16:28 – Serving a church mission, getting married and having six children (under six years old)
18:39 – A return to running as a Mother Runner
28:29 – ‘Mom guilt,’ not getting enough sleep, and other major obstacles Shanna has overcome
33:35 – Setting and defining boundaries and taking it day-by-day
37:14 – How Shanna is able to run 60 miles per week
39:24 – Asking for help and embracing the season you’re in
45:53 – Advice for those looking to enter or reenter the sport of running
47:18 – Growing into a more mature runner and mother
49:19 – Shanna’s big goals for the future
51:25 – Whitney thanks Shanna for joining the show, sharing her story, and for being so inspirational
Tweetable Quotes“I always knew that collegiate running was something I loved and wanted to do, but on a spiritual side, I take a lot of those big decisions to heart. So, I did a lot of praying about it to try and figure out, ‘Ok, is this really my route?’ And, long story short, I ended up getting the answer of ‘No.’ I wasn’t supposed to run collegiate.” (13:30) (Shanna)
“I just had so many moments where I had gained so much resilience and so much strength from those dark periods. I felt like I just had to prove it to myself that there was still something in there inside of me of that had so much more potential.” (16:11) (Shanna)
“Mentally, I think I had to be ok with the state that I was in, and not forcing my fitness.” (28:57) (Shanna)
“If you take it day-by-day and you’re consistent at it, even in small doses, and you make the most of it, it will pay off in some way. That can vary for everybody. It could be just thirty minutes and that adds up. We don’t have to do big things all the time to make results.” (46:21) (Shanna)
“It’s hard to plan those big goals when you’ve had so many obstacles just to this point. You’ve tried to commit and then something has popped up and you ask yourself, ‘Is this my season now?’ But, as my husband has always said, ‘Don’t worry about the future. Focus on the now.’” (50:33) (Shanna)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Shanna’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/motherhood_running/
Shanna’s Website – https://linktr.ee/motherhood_running
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Mike Kiss and his wife, Kristin, are friends of Whitney that she’s known since high school. Mike and Kristin Kiss like challenges. The two former athletes set out 10 years ago to run a half- marathon in all 50 states, a goal that they accomplished in four years. Since then, their priorities have expanded to include two children, but one thing remains: their willingness to take on big, audacious goals.
Today, Mike and Kristin joins the show to talk with Whitney about his unique goals, the hardest race he’s ever competed in, and the biggest challenges he’s faced along the way.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:54 – Whitney Heins welcomes Mike and Kristin Kiss to the show to talk about the importance of stretching, what they love about running, and why they set such lofty goals
17:43 – Mike and Kristin talk about their unique and audacious goals
21:35 – Racing in Las Vegas and running 50 half marathons in all 50 states
25:37 – The hardest race Mike and Kristin ever ran
28:47 – Getting their kids involved and another arduous goal
33:42 – How running has fortified Mike and Kristin’s relationship
41:51 – The biggest challenges Mike faced when trying to achieve his goals
52:44 – What’s next for Mike and one piece of advice for anyone looking to take on a big, audacious goal
58:23 – Whitney thanks Mike for joining the show to share his story
Tweetable Quotes“If I’m so prescribed, I don’t enjoy it. And, at the end of the day this is all about having fun and enjoying running. I don’t want it to become work. If it becomes work, I’m not gonna want to do it. So, I’m just looking at the adventure side of it.” (13:03) (Mike)
“You plan as well as you can and then things don’t go well. And then you don’t plan, or maybe you make the wrong decision, and things can still go well. You never know.” (28:13) (Mike)
“The difference between a half and a full, as you’re aware, is that you can get by with ‘okay weather’ in a half marathon and it’s not gonna make a huge impact on the day or the time. ‘Okay weather’ for a full marathon can be a lot more challenging.” (44:45) (Mike)
“Everything is a competing priority. There’s finite resources. You have to make decisions and concessions, but I haven’t walked back from a trip that we’ve done with our kids regretting that we did it or that we spent money to do it.” (48:18) (Mike)
“I just encourage people to look at it in that light and put yourself out there. Find resources, find people that are gonna support you. I think you’d be surprised at how many people will be in your corner to help you along the way.” (56:35) (Mike/Kristin)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Mike's Email - [email protected]
Mike's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mikeakiss
50in100 - https://www.50in100.com/
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Ashley Nowe is a pregnancy and postpartum fitness specialist, nutritionist, fitness coach, and the Founder of Get Mom Strong, an organization that offers at-home fitness programs for moms. In 2022, Ashley created an app called SLAM (Strong Like A Mother), which combines science-backed pelvic floor and core exercises with sweat-inducing workouts. Ashley is on a mission to ensure that as many women as possible go through pregnancy and postpartum feeling empowered and informed.
Today, Whitney and Ashley discuss the critical role your pelvic floor plays in running, exercises you can do to strengthen your pelvic floor, and how to get back into running postpartum.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:00 – Whitney Heins welcomes Ashley Nowe to the show to share her struggles with diastasis recti while pregnant, her decision to become a pelvic floor physical therapist and the role the pelvic floor plays in running
14:48 – Tips and moves for working out your pelvic floor
16:39 – Signs that you may have a tight or weak pelvic floor
18:48 – Advice Ashley would give to runners looking to return to running postpartum
22:01 – Why men should also take care of their pelvic floors
23:08 – Spontaneous healing postpartum
26:07 – What it looks like to learn how to breathe properly
30:27 – The inspiration to launch the SLAM app
35:47 – Ashley speaks to the importance of mobility
37:07 – Whitney thanks Ashely for joining the show and for the work she’s doing
Tweetable Quotes“I found a magical occupation called pelvic floor physical therapy, and it changed my whole life. I learned everything I wish I had learned - everything women deserve to have learned even before we have kids. I learned how to breathe, how to engage my core, how to utilize my pelvic floor, and it was life changing.” (06:20) (Ashley)
“As a runner, fitness is an outlet. And when somebody takes that from you and your body’s not functioning as it should, it’s a loss of identity and it’s a loss of your outlet.” (07:52) (Ashley)
“Just going back to all of these basics that you probably have never even thought about or been taught can really change the way your body functions. It’s particularly important if you’re a runner because that breath is everything, right? And if your body is in a better position, you’re gonna be able to run further, faster, harder, and without issues.” (11:16) (Ashley)
“Your pelvic floor is meant to be reflexive. It’s meant to be almost like a trampoline. As you’re impacting, as you’re hitting the ground in your stride, you want that pelvic floor to gently lengthen and contract, and lengthen and contract. It shouldn’t be something you even have to think about. Your pelvic floor should just know, ‘This is what I have to do.’” (13:12) (Ashley)
“One thing I want to address because I feel like it’s a really important topic is if you’re newly postpartum - prior to twelve weeks postpartum - really legitimately take it easy and build strength before you run. You can save yourself a lot of heartache if you work on that rehab during that twelve weeks. But if you’re past that twelve week mark, and you didn’t do the pelvic floor rehab, and you went out for a run and are experiencing issues, it’s never too late. That’s the other piece of it. It’s never too late to heal.” (19:19) (Ashley)
“There was just such a need. And I felt like the real need was for the athlete population. There is nothing to rehab your core and pelvic floor that’s not boring. I want to sweat. I want endorphins.” (31:12) (Ashley)
Resources MentionedGet Mom Strong – https://getmomstrong.com/about-me/
Get Mom Strong...
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Heather Hart, ACSM EP-C, is full time running coach, exercise physiologist, certified strength and conditioning specialist, mother of two teenagers, writer, and ultrarunner who believes that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary feats. She is also the co-founder of Hart, Strength and Endurance Coaching and the co-founder of Relentless Forward Commotion, a running resource and strength and run coaching.
Today, Whitney and Heather discuss adaptation training, the important role of recovery in getting fitter, and Heather’s passion for helping everyday athletes learn how to balance training for big athletic goals with real life.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:55 – Whitney Heins welcomes Heather Hart to the show to define ‘adventure racing,’ to discuss her experience returning to running postpartum, and to share how she got into run coaching
14:20 – From puking after one mile to running adventure racing
19:32 – The origin story of Relentless Forward Commotion
22:03 – Understanding adaptation training
25:15 – Different techniques to bust through a plateau
32:47 – Fatigue management and the difference between functional and nonfunctional overreaching
36:45 – The benefits of taking extra rest
38:59 – The Principle of Individuality
41:22 – Listening to your body
46:44 – Whitney thanks Heather for joining the show
Tweetable Quotes“We just like to really work with endurance athletes but really help them focus on all aspects of fitness, and helping them reach their goals.” (14:13) (Heather)
“I think all athletes kind of have a progression over time - even if they stay in the same sport - just kinda with what their goals are.” (17:59) (Heather)
“So, that’s what so many athletes who come to me, and come to you, and probably every other running coach out there, that’s often what they do is they don’t understand. They say, ‘I’ve been running. I run this far every day and I have for years and I’m not getting better. Maybe I’m getting worse.’ And that’s because there is a ton of science showing how our bodies adapt to exercise and these principles of exercise basically help you understand how you want to build a training plan to reach your goals.” (23:11) (Heather)
“I think that coaches and, for lack of a better term, fitness influencers have been doing a great job lately at emphasizing how important rest and recovery days are. Because we know that we don’t make those adaptations during training. It doesn’t happen then. It happens after training, during recovery. So we need to balance out those hard workouts with recovery days so we can actually make those adaptations.” (26:18) (Heather)
“Going back to fatigue management, when we’re trying to progressively overload, we do need to do what’s called ‘overreaching.’ And there’s functional overreaching and nonfunctional overreaching. Functional overreaching is purposeful. Nonfunctional is usually what happens to people who just have a chaotic training plan and don’t really take enough rest and they’re getting tired.” (33:40) (Heather)
“I would say the number one thing is to remember the Principle of Individuality. Just because you see another athlete - even if they’re training for the same race as you and they have the same amount of experience as you - your body and their body are not the same. Genetically, you’re not the same. Who knows how well your body is recovering compared to that athlete? They may be able to do more than you. You may be able to do more than them. That doesn’t make one right and one wrong.” (40:02) (Heather)
“Part of being an athlete is learning your body like that. This is not supposed to be easy.” (43:09) (Heather)
“I think that’s part of our job as coaches. A lot of people think...
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Episode Summary
Shannon Mulcahy is a mental strength coach with a Masters Degree in Sports & Exercise Psychology. She’s worked with clients ranging from world-champion swimmers to amateur and professional triathletes, runners and cyclists, to athletic departments and the military. Shannon knows the value of performing at your best when it counts most while having fun along the way.
Today, Whitney and Shannon discuss what it means to be mentally tough, tips and best practices for improving your mental strength, and understanding how the mind works in order to improve performance.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:59 – Whitney Heins welcomes Shannon Mulcahy to the show to share her background as a mental strength coach and how she works with her athlete clients
09:52 – Defining mental strength
16:20 – Shannon’s experience working with collegiate programs and the military
19:06 – Ice baths and other ‘toughness’ practices
24:18 – Everyday tips and best practices for improving our mental toughness
34:05 – Negative thoughts and strategies to override them
40:59 – Visualization
46:04 – Meditation and deliberate breathing
56:49 – Whitney thanks Shannon for joining the show
Tweetable Quotes“A little bit with sports psychology is you have this side of it where it’s more mental-health based, and then you have the side that’s much more performance-based. And that’s where I fall.” (06:55) (Shannon)
“[Mental strength] is really just looking at the circumstances that you have, understanding that there’s stress, and dealing with it in whatever way is going to be best for you.” (13:01) (Shannon)
“I’m not necessarily a big biohacking fan and saying, ‘You don’t need to take this cold bath,’ or these very tangible, specific things. I am a person that promotes doing what’s going to work for you. I always say that step one is building awareness around you and your habits, your thoughts, and your emotions, so you can recognize when you’re starting to get uncomfortable and when you’re starting to feel out of control.” (24:53) (Shannon)
“When you’re doing something really hard, your brain to some extent is saying, ‘We can’t do this. We can’t keep going.’ And it feels impossible. Deep down, somewhere inside you, you know that you can, but your brain is telling you, ‘No, stop. We don’t like this.’” (30:26) (Shannon)
“Negative thoughts are very common; they are very normal. They are not necessarily bad. Yes, we maybe want to minimize them or shift them. However, you will not ever ever be able to get rid of all of your negative thoughts. So, if that is your goal, that will not happen. Brains do not allow that to happen. So, we need to adjust our expectations.” (34:45) (Shannon)
“We all know in the moment, when your brain is not in a great place, it is really hard to change it. And once you’re physically pushing yourself, especially pretty hard, you have less brain power essentially to argue with yourself or reframe those thoughts. It gets more challenging.” (40:00) (Shannon)
“The more stress that you have - whatever that stress is, whether it’s physical, work, training, family - the more that’s going on, the more self-care you have to do.” (54:57) (Shannon)
Resources MentionedShannon’s Website – https://www.mulcahyperformance.com/
Shannon’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-mulcahy-19291830/
Books Mentioned:
Mind Gym –
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Episode Summary
Dr. Sarah Colón Louie is a fellowship-trained Doctor of Physical Therapy who specializes in treating women runners with hip pain to enable them to return to running pain-free, faster, and with more confidence.
Today, Whitney and Dr. Sarah talk all about hip health, the role that hips play in our running, and tips and best practices for keeping them healthy. Dr. Sarah speaks to running hygiene, techniques for maintaining good hip health while running and advice for pregnant and postpartum runners.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:00 – Whitney Heins welcomes Dr. Sarah Colón Louie to the show to share her running origin story and what inspired her to become a physical therapist
07:43 – Why hip problems are so common among women
11:06 – The role of the hips in the gait cycle and exercises to help your hips while running
16:33 – How to know if you have full hip range of motion and promoting overall hip health
22:40 – Signs that you are suffering from hip issues
26:19 – Knowing what you can and cannot run through
29:36 – Home remedies for helping with hip discomfort after running
31:42 – Hip health for pregnant women and postpartum and advice Dr. Sarah would give to pregnant runners
37:58 – Whitney thanks Dr. Sarah for joining the show and sharing her wisdom
Tweetable Quotes“How I describe our bodies at a joint level, whether it’s in the hip or the back or knees, like our skin wrinkles on the outside of our face, our body is going to wrinkle on the inside of our body. So, we’re gonna have osteoarthritis. We’re gonna have degenerative issues, potentially even bulging disks. We’re gonna have labral tears. And these things are somewhat normal in the degenerative sense. If you had an MRI on your body tomorrow, I’m sure you’d be amazed at all of the things that are going on in there degenerative sense. If you had an MRI on your body tomorrow, I’m sure you’d be amazed at all of the things that are going on in there.” (08:18) (Dr. Sarah)
“I would say that the hips - and even the low back going up one segment - is where everything stems from.” (12:03) (Dr. Sarah)
“So, for us to figure out their level of comfort and then build them up on that, I really take into consideration their personal running hygiene and how they can run more comfortably.” (21:23) (Dr. Sarah)
“I would say that the number one red flag as a runner that we want to watch out for is a bone stress injury, or a stress fracture to the hip. This is probably the number one thing that I am never going to ask a runner to run through. And so we just want to clear that and have peace of mind around that. The symptoms of that can really look different to different people, but it’s mostly unrelenting pain.” (26:46) (Dr. Sarah)
“Working on a pelvic symmetry muscle energy technique is something that I love to do for my pregnant mom runners just to help reset their pelvis. And then I give them a ton of either double limb or single limb exercises - whatever they can tolerate - that are gonna get them to gently recruit their abdominals, low back, and hips to maintain that stability of their pelvis.” (33:12) (Dr. Sarah)
“My word for the year is ‘hope.’ And I just want to bring hope to as many runners as I can and just get them to their goals no matter what their story looks like.” (38:23) (Dr. Sarah)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Dr. Sarah’s Website –
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Episode Summary
Sara Hayes is the Founder and Head Coach of Mindful Miles, a women’s movement and wellness company that prioritizes mindfulness habits, personal development, and intuitive movement. Sara and the team at Mindful Miles use their knowledge and experience to promote the importance of body image, advocacy and movement for mental health.
Today, Whitney and Sara talk about the Mindful Miles Running community that Sara has cultivated throughout her journey, what it means to be ‘more than a runner,’ and the importance of setting intentions rooted in healthy and positive space.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:00 – Whitney Heins welcomes Sara Hayes to the show to share her running story and the origins of Mindful Miles Running
09:30 – The Mindful Miles Running community
14:30 – How Sara works with runners
17:26 – More than a runner
23:18 – What it means to get back to the person/runner you were
30:44 – Running to lose weight
42:05 – Dealing with data
46:13 – Sara shares some of her own mindfulness practices
54:56 – Whitney thanks Sara for joining the show and sharing her story
Tweetable Quotes“When I graduated college I was really burnt out from the sport, and I was heartbroken because this thing that I love so much - and that has made me who I am and has given me the best moments of my life - has also brought me to my knees and it’s made me hate everything about myself. I just looked at myself in the mirror one day and said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t continually try to change myself. I can’t hate my body. I give up.’ In doing that, in hitting rock bottom, it was the best thing that could have ever happened for me because Mindful Miles, years later, came about.” (06:42) (Sara)
“For the most part, I think a blanket statement is that you have to have blind faith. That’s why it’s so important to choose a coach that right off the bat, you have that gut feeling. Because on the days you are doubting yourself, you’re going to return to that blind faith.” (15:02) (Sara)
“What I’ve seen in myself and others is we struggle to get back into running or a movement routine, because we have this idea of what running looks like. And oftentimes, it’s sparked from comparison of who we used to be, or the comparison of the runner that we know. And, you have to get really honest with yourself and redefine what running looks like. Life looks different after kids. Life looks different with each phase of having a child and how much they need you and rely on you.” (23:18) (Sara)
“What does it mean to get back to the runner that you were? Is it time? Is it a feeling? What is that specifically and is it reasonable? We start with these surface level goals and ideas, but will it actually bring us joy and is it actually reasonable and realistic for our lives.” (29:25) (Sara)
“This is my firm belief. If your body has weight to lose, it’s going to do so on its own. It’s going to find its own natural, healthy weight.” (34:33) (Sara)
“Data’s great, but the way you’re feeling and any symptoms that your body is presenting, that’s also data. And we can learn to work with that.” (45:03) (Sara)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Sara’s Website – https://www.mindfulmilesrunning.com/
Sara’s Instagram –
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Episode Summary
Makenna Myler, while pregnant with her first child, ran a mile in five minutes and 25 seconds— just 10 days before she gave birth to her daughter in October. Her husband, Mike, created a TikTok post that accumulated over 6 million views. Her story jumped to numerous other news sites around the world...and she just did it again, right before this recording---running a 5:17 just days before she’s set to have her second child.
The following spring after having her first, she started entering races to qualify for the Olympic trials. At the end of May, she finally qualified with a time of 32:03.62 in a 10,000-meter race in Oregon. Her time was almost three minutes faster than her best collegiate time.[2]
In the trials on June 26, 2021—seven months after having her first baby—she placed 14th out of 44 runners in a highly competitive 10,000-meter race. Although she didn’t go on to compete in the Olympics, she signed a contract to run professionally for Asics.
In her debut as a pro runner, she ran the Deseret News half marathon in 1:09.54, beating the old course record set by fellow BYU standout Sarah Sellers. Makenna competed in track and field for Brigham Young University from 2011 to 2014.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:58 – Whitney Heins welcomes Makenna Myler to the show to share her running story, including how she ran a mile in five minutes and forty-five seconds while 9-months pregnant
14:17 – Makenna reflects on her very first ‘Pregnant Mile’
20:09 – The genesis of The Naked Myler
21:45 – Key running lessons Makenna has learned throughout the years
27:53 – Changes Makenna has made that have helped her with running through her cycle
33:35 – The importance of showing up
35:28 – The ‘Internal Governor,’ explained
41:45 – Makenna reflects on her experience and the realities of running while pregnant
51:16 – Makenna shares the goals she has for her website
54:21 – Whitney thanks Makenna for joining the show and sharing her story
Tweetable Quotes“So, we did the [pregnant] mile. It wasn’t really planned that well. I was jumping in the middle of this guy’s three-mile tempo. It wasn’t an official race. He was even late because he was trying to do a run before I even did the mile. And then he came, filmed it, thought it was funny so he tried to make a funny video to show our friends and family, and posted it on TikTok. And then half a day later he said, ‘You have half a million views and ESPN wants to post your video.’” (16:44) (Makenna)
“I think what hit me the most was the self-deprecating comments that happened so much. And that’s why we actually started The Naked Myler, which kinda led into this female-running guide for women because so many people - and especially women - were like, ‘Wow, I can’t even get off the couch and I’m a terrible person because I can’t run a five minute mile.’ I really wanted to help people and help them connect happiness with running.” (19:05) (Makenna)
“Now, we have the Naked Myler blog, which is a resource of women - four females - who are running through all things pregnancy, periods, all the hormonal changes to help them navigate how to do that with their cycles.” (20:34) (Makenna)
“First, just mentally understanding that was a huge game changer. I would still show up for the same workout, but I would have to understand, ‘Ok, my body is not responding today. I’ll cut the workout in half. That is ok and I’m not going to let that drag me down or ruin my training. I’m just going to continue on.’” (27:58) (Makenna)
“I think it’s also important to distinguish between adaptations and racing. Because, to me, training is where you’re trying to get your body to adapt to stimulus. And the race is more of the
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Episode Summary
Dr. Todd McGrath is a primary sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He’s also an endurance athlete who works with runners at all levels, including elite to the ‘weekend warriors.’ Dr. McGrath has also served as team physician for the U.S. Soccer’s National Teams. Dr. McGrath has a strong personal and professional interest in endurance athletes. Today, Dr. McGrath joins the show to talk about running marathons closely together, what needs to be considered, and advice on how to recover faster and maximize the time in between marathons.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:57 – Whitney Heins welcomes Dr. Todd McGrath to the show to share his extensive background in sports medicine and advice he would give to those considering running back-to-back marathons
07:43 – The physiological impact of running back-to-back marathons
12:02 – How long is the ideal break between marathons after not running your best race
14:07 – Tips and best practices for ‘getting your legs back’ after running a marathon
15:32 – Identifying when a race isn’t going well
17:07 – Risks of running marathons too closely together
18:34 – Injuries and overtraining
20:31 – The six-week mark
22:06 – Why recovery is the key to running back-to-back marathons
25:27 – Whitney thanks Dr. McGrath for joining the show and sharing his experience
Tweetable Quotes“If you decide early on during the New York City Marathon that things aren’t going how you wanted them to, and you decide to dial it back and take it easy and you make sure you’re not too beat up after the race, then it’s not unreasonable two to three weeks later to think about shifting to that ‘A’ Race. The training has been done. It’s still a little bit difficult though.” (08:30) (Dr. McGrath)
“There’s a few different physiological systems that are impacted pretty significantly. First off, your energy stored is completely depleted. You use up everything you have and then some, which is why you need to replenish during the race. You get a significant amount of muscle breakdown. You see things like your total KC - which is one of the enzymes that goes up in your bloodstream with muscle breakdown - that can go up incredibly high after a marathon. And it can stay high for days to a week or more after the marathon. Even after the muscle soreness is gone, you can still have elevation of that.” (10:08) (Dr. McGrath)
“You don’t run the risk of really hurting yourself, perse. You run the risk of not feeling well, negative performance because of it. You can get into the risk of potential injury if you just jumped back into training, but there are ways to do it if you’re gonna do it.” (13:32) (Dr. McGrath)
“I can find all the articles that will say that you should keep running with this injury or that, with the exception of a few. That’s because the health benefits of running - whether you’re racing or just running to run - far outweigh the negative effects of not being active at all.” (20:15) (Dr. McGrath)
“The recovery phase is critical. Look at it as the training was done. You’ve logged the miles. You’ve put the training into that first marathon. The gap in between the two really should be about recovery from the first marathon, getting plenty of sleep, rehydrating or replenishing all the nutrients lost in that marathon early on. Try to eat a well-balanced diet. Don’t try to crash, or lose weight, or anything like that in between. Fill the tank back up, basically.” (22:34) (Dr. McGrath)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The...
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Episode Summary
Andrea Ripley is a mother, running coach, and elite distance runner from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials with a Marathon best of 2:43. She’s currently coaching with her husband, Zach Ripley, at A to Z Running, where they help runners thrive. Today, Andi joins the show to share her own journey of running, overcoming injuries, and handling adversity. Whitney and Andi talk about how to battle significant running injuries with grace, patience, and perseverance. They share their own personal experiences with injury, how the running community has helped them, and other enlightening lessons and insights that will help with injuries or any challenges in life.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:56 – Whitney Heins welcomes Andrea Ripley to the show to share her running story, overcoming injuries and shifting her perspective on what running means to her
16:34 – Pregnancy, overcoming health conditions, and leveling up in the face of adversity
19:08 – It’s the process, not the outcome
22:23 – Returning to running post-pregnancy and Andi’s first labrum tear
31:43 – Maintaining a positive attitude through patience and perseverance
37:57 – Finding identity through running and ‘The Phantom Ponytail’
43:01 – Struggling with being surrounded by the running community while injured
45:36 – Self-protective habits to make sure you stay healthy when returning from injury
50:09 – Final thoughts and Andi’s mantra for this year
53:47 – Whitney thanks Andi for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“My biggest growth has been through finding my own intuition as a runner, and really putting aside the expectations of others, and what I perceive they think I should do, or could do. But that has been kind of a journey, for me, to let go of the outward and really focus on what running needs to do to meet my satisfaction in the sport.” (13:15) (Andi)
“I ran until I was 20 Weeks, and then I was having really terrible Braxton-Hicks, and then I started getting the symptoms of my condition, which kept me from training. But I still walked a lot and I was still active. But that was disappointing for me because I thought if I tried hard enough and I was dedicated enough that I’d have this dream, fit pregnancy, and that was not the case for me.” (18:06) (Andi)
“I think that the most difficult moments, for me in my running journey, are the ones that helped me most in my development. And I feel that I leveled up - even if it took time, I leveled up - because of the challenges that I was experiencing, and pregnancy was one of those challenges for me.” (19:08) (Andi)
“My main goal is not the performance. That’s not my main goal. It’s fun, and I like to chase hard things. But my main goal of running doesn’t have to do with an outcome; it has to do with the process.” (21:09) (Andi)
“I call it the ‘phantom ponytail.’ I have had this imagery in my head for a long time of this girl and she’s myself. And I see her ponytail and she’s always ahead of me, and I can’t catch up to who I was at that ideal moment in my life. And, I chase after her and it’s unattainable, and it’s frustrating. And I compare myself to either something that I’ve been or achieved, or it’s what I hope I will be.” (39:30) (Andi)
“I feel like when you get back to running, it’s almost like you’re dating again. Yes, we know each other, but let’s get reacquainted with this discomfort and how this internal dialogue is going to go. And you kind of get back into a rhythm of self-talk.” (48:41) (Andi)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s...
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Episode Summary
Andrea Pomaranski has been through so much in her road to becoming an elite runner and has learned an incredible amount about herself throughout the process. So much good can lie ahead even when we’re in the middle of a dark period. When Andrea was in the middle of hers, she refused to believe that was the end of her story. Today, Andrea joins the show to share how she was able to step through the dark times and the importance of putting in the work every day, even when it’s hard.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:00 – Whitney Heins welcomes Andrea Pomaranski to the show to share her running story and the importance of asking for help as a mother runner
19:36 – Filling your own cup
24:48 – Andrea’s Marathon progression
29:45 – Andrea’s mentality during marathon cycles
32:24 – Maintaining a healthy balance of competitiveness and the love of running
38:30 – Overcoming struggles with Osteoporosis
40:41 – Andrea opens up about a tragic and devastating moment in her life
45:19 – Lessons from a Masters Athlete
48:52 – What’s next for Andrea and how to connect with Andrea for coaching opportunities
51:34 – Advice Andrea would give to athletes who are struggling with internal pressure
54:12 – Whitney thanks Andrea for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“It’s really hard. I struggled for years. Every single time I went out the door for years I would almost be on the verge of tears, telling myself, ‘You shouldn’t do this. You’re not as good of a mom as you want to be.’ And that’s just not the case whatsoever. I fully believe it makes me better.” (16:14) (Andrea)
“There have been a couple of marathons where I’ve taken off like twenty seconds. What’s funny is that, in that marathon cycle, I feel like I made these huge jumps and then I’m always happy of a PR of maybe 20 seconds. But then, sometimes it takes a cycle to catch up. So the next time, I’ll make these big jumps but you don’t always see them.” (28:39) (Andrea)
“There’s such a delicate balance between when you work so hard at something, and you need a break to kind of let your mind and body reset, and then you’re ready to jump back in full force again. But then there’s also this other side where sometimes you just have to push through those hard moments knowing that you’re really close to turning a corner and doing something great.” (36:24) (Andrea)
“This is why I’m so passionate about people being in sports and putting your kids in sports. A lot of the lessons I learned about perseverance and never giving up and always trying. I don’t know if I could have gotten through that experience as gracefully as I did without having those values instilled in me at a very young age.” (41:41) (Andrea)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Andrea’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/apomaranski/?hl=en
Team Run Run – https://teamrunrun.com/
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Podcast Production & Marketing by FullCast
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Episode Summary
Hadley Sorensen is a health and fitness coach, lifelong runner and author who is looking to publish her first book, Confessions of a Picture Perfect Mom. Today, Hadley joins the show to share her journey to sobriety and how running played a pivotal role in helping her move past alcohol. Whitney and Hadley talk about navigating the complicated relationship with alcohol, Mommy Wine culture, and the increased glamorization of drinking in the running community.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:57 – Whitney Heins welcomes Hadley Sorensen to the show to share how she used running as a way to navigate the world without alcohol and the work she’s doing now to help others facing similar struggles
06:25 – Regret, shame, and alcohol
10:20 – How the pandemic impacted Hadley’s mental health
11:29 – Huge life challenges Hadley went through
13:48 – Mommy wine culture
16:40 – The role running played in Hadley’s recovery
25:24 – Backlash that Hadley received from her decision to stop drinking
27:58 – How running has helped Hadley in her sobriety
32:18 – Does running have a drinking problem?
39:46 – Key takeaways Hadley would like listeners to leave with
42:01 – Whitney thanks Hadley for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“I say that I was an enthusiastic social drinker. I drank the same way everyone around me was drinking. I had a problem, but my problem was a problem for me. I don’t think it was me being self-aware. I realize that lots of people feel this way, but nobody who looked like me was talking about it.” (07:04) (Hadley)
“Things really seemed to escalate from 2020 on. And I know lots of women were in that same situation because, as mothers, we were put in this impossible position by Covid. We faced more stress than ever. We were making impossible decisions every day. And so, alcohol use among women rose dramatically during Covid.” (10:45) (Hadley)
“I was really excited to see what running would feel like when my body started healing and there were no more hangovers. Running is miserable if you’re hungover; you’re dehydrated. And I fought through a lot of runs like that. I was giving my body too many things to recover from. So I couldn’t wait to see what running was like.” (20:43) (Hadley)
“There was some attrition because I really changed my focus on my [Instagram] page. I was no longer talking about fitness for the average mom. I was talking more about my running and the alcohol-free life. I kind of grew a lot of followers in that alcohol-free space, which is a huge community on Instagram. I had no idea until I stumbled my way into it.” (26:56) (Hadley)
“Running was like my therapy. It gave me the space to think through so many tough situations that I was dealing with. It gave me a place to set goals that I could work for that really helped when I was going through this huge transition. It was the thing that was stable when everything else was in upheaval. And I leaned into it. It felt so good. It brought the joy back.” (28:57) (Hadley)
“There are ways to drink responsibly as an athlete or just your everyday runner. But my whole point is let’s stop glamorizing and highlighting this link between the two. Same with ‘Mommy Wine.’” (38:51) (Hadley)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club –
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Episode Summary
Dr. Haley Perlus is a sports psychologist with knowledge and personal experience as an elite athlete, coach, fitness professional, and entrepreneur. An overall wellness enthusiast, Dr. Haley Perlus provides her clients with the necessary mental toughness tools to quickly and consistently achieve their highest level of performance. Today, Whitney and Dr. Haley talk all about how we can believe in ourselves, get and maintain confidence, and overcome our mental blocks.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways00:55 – Whitney Heins welcomes Dr. Haley Perlus to the show to share the remarkable story of her inspiration to pursue sports psychology
13:07 – Your ‘Three Best Words’ and giving yourself grace
20:57 – Best practices for moving on from a bad day
27:08 – Quiet confidence, achieving ‘flow state,’ and pressure
35:14 – Overcoming anxiety and mental blocks
46:06 – Three solutions for overcoming mental blocks
56:19 – The reality of sports
57:50 – Whitney thanks Dr. Haley for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“Usually when athletes call me it’s because they’ve tried everything else. They’ve tried their nutrition. They’ve tried their skillset or their conditioning. They’ve tried all of these things and nothing is helping them perform better or overcome that one thing.” (10:46) (Dr. Haley)
“You can gain the experience and the tools by doing. If you’ve been running for fifteen years without seeking out sports psychology, I guarantee you learned some mental toughness along the way. Or, you could just listen to Passionate Runner and listen to you and get educated so that you can get out on that training path and out on your run and start to utilize the tools immediately.” (11:35) (Dr. Haley)
“If you can bring back your three best words, at least one of them, often that allows you to push through a little bit more. And then, after that, if you find yourself not having your best performance, to me that’s still a sign that you put forth your best effort. And then it’s time to give yourself some grace. There’s a big difference giving yourself some grace and letting yourself off the hook.” (16:04) (Dr. Haley)
“Being upset tells me two things. It tells me, one, that you really care. And it actually, in my opinion, is a sign of confidence. If you’re upset, it means that you thought you could do better. And if you think you can do better, that’s a sign of confidence.” (21:57) (Dr. Haley)
“Pressure is earned. We don’t put pressure on ourselves for things we don’t think we’re good at. We don’t put pressure on ourselves for things we don’t care about. When we do the work - when we put in the time and the effort, and develop our skills, and see the progress - we put pressure on ourselves. It’s earned. We need to embrace it.” (34:00) (Dr. Haley)
“A mental block is also fear of success. This is huge. If you achieve a good performance, now you’ve got to keep doing it.” (45:19) (Dr. Haley)
“Every time we have a thought, we plant a neural pathway in our brain; it’s like a seed. But it’s just a seed. It’s just a thought until we start fertilizing it and giving it tender loving care. So, you have to repeat the thoughts that you like, the thoughts that help you. Repeat them and, with frequency and repetition, that seed - that neural pathway - grows. It’s a process called myelination. It grows and grows and grows and becomes your more dominant thought.” (51:11) (Dr. Haley)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club –
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Episode Summary
Tricia DeNardis is a physical therapist, pregnancy & postpartum exercise specialist. She is an eating disorder survivor who is on a mission to help other women have a healthier relationship to food. Today, Tricia joins the show to discuss how to have a healthy relationship with food and running. She gets vulnerable and opens up about her own struggles, speaks to the warning signs that could indicate an unhealthy relationship to food, and best practices to implement that can help.
Episode SponsorRunner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/
Key Takeaways01:12 – Whitney Heins welcomes Tricia DeNardis to the show who discusses her running background, her struggles with an eating disorder, and what it means to have a healthy relationship with food and running
16:03 – Warning signs that you may not have a healthy relationship with food or your body
19:15 – A moment of clarity and motivation
24:41 – Tricia shares strategies she uses to prevent herself from going down the spiral
29:17 – How Tricia teaches her children to have a healthy relationship with food
34:25 – Other red flags that indicate you may have an unhealthy relationship with running
37:32 – Advice Tricia would give to those struggling with an eating disorder or other issues with food
40:36 – The importance of being introspective and self-aware and understanding your personal motivations
46:27 – Whitney thanks Tricia for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with her
Tweetable Quotes“I have three kids, so for me it’s so important that I am setting a very good example for them. I don’t diet. I don’t talk poorly about my body in front of them, period. I do think there’s a lot to be said about what you’re saying out loud.” (12:54) (Tricia)
“Particularly, if you’re someone that has had a history of eating disorders, I would strongly recommend that you stay away from any of the macro counting, measuring your food, getting on the scale, or even having goals like losing pounds. I think that can be a really bad downward spiral.” (16:43) (Tricia)
“I always had goals of being lean, and cut, and having muscle. And those things didn’t really happen until I stopped focusing on it so much. When I shifted and started focusing on the priority of fueling my body so I can do the things that I wanted to do, my body just got to a happy place.” (18:26) (Tricia)
“I am stubborn to the max, but I’m not afraid to admit when I’m totally wrong.” (25:54) (Tricia)
“The irritability thing is huge. If you’re constantly feeling irritable because your body is just run down, then that’s a red flag right there.” (35:55) (Tricia)
“I know from my point of view I was probably the most miserable in my entire life when I was the smallest because it was just a constant thought. And I was probably the happiest in my life when I was super pregnant.” (43:17) (Tricia)
Resources MentionedWhitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5
The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/
Tricia’s Website – https://www.mindbodysoldier.com/
Tricia’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/burpeesandburpcloths/?hl=en
Tricia’s LinkedIn –
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