#352: Single Mother Runners, and How They Get It All Done

Sarah Bowen Shea and Tish Hamilton chat with three single mother runners about how they juggle all the demands of parenting, running, work, and life. The first guest is Bethany Mazura, a mom of two young sons in Albany, New York, where she works as an attorney. Bethany reveals she re-started a stalled running habit because she “needed a goal to restart” her life post-divorce. Marvel at how she then not only knocked out a marathon, but also a 50K! She shares her secrets of a yin-yang balance of tight scheduling, yet also being flexible. Bethany also talks about why a coach is such a worthwhile investment.

Next is Susan Landolt of Hillsboro, Oregon, who also runs ultramarathons. This widowed mom of four, including two youngsters, confesses seeing a treadmill almost makes her cry as it reminds her of the countless pre-dawn miles she put in on a ’mill in her garage. Susan tells how she manages to tackle 60 miles in a week (!!) in addition to working full-time, finishing a business degree, and solo parenting. (“I don’t have time for shenanigans.”) Yet find out why she watched 31 continuous minutes of Netflix on the final day of January. The final mother runner is Julie Burke of Greensboro, South Carolina, who has run on both sides of the proverbial street: Starting at age 16, Julie was a single mom to her older daughter, and now Julie is married with two more kids. Julie talks about how she worked in workouts, including ones with her young daughter by her side. After describing the “relentlessness of single parenting,” Julie reminds all parents to “have patience with yourself--and your kids.”

Nuun drinking game: Chug every time a guest admits all her friends are other runners. In the introductory chitchat, all roads lead to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park—it’s where SBS will be running this weekend, and it’s where Tish gutted out a New York City Marathon-qualifying race. The first guest hops on at 9:00.

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