Another Mother Runner

Sarah Bowen Shea is joined by dear Ellison Weist to discuss how parents (in their cases, their respective fathers) started them down their path to becoming dedicated runners. Laugh along at the “jogging” attire Ellison remembers her father sporting—and why it got him pulled over by the police while out on an early morning jaunt! SBS talks about how her father’s devotion to two water-related sports—swimming and rowing—launched her on her running journey.Then, one after another, three mother runners hop on to tell their stories. First is Carla Burke, a mom of two preschoolers who’s training for her debut marathon, and who was influenced by her dad to take up running. Carla talks about his “Rocky-esque” running attire. Find out why that reference is especially apt, given the marathon Carla is training for—and which her father is volunteering for.Next is Carolyn Rock, a mom of two grown daughters, who tells how she joined Weight Watchers and started running to avoid following her mother down a road of unhealthy choices. (Spoiler alert: Carolyn is running her 57th marathon this weekend!!) Laugh along as Carolyn calls a recliner “a chair of death” and laments her “weak side-butt.” Carolyn posits an intriguing theory about grief and physical running ailments.The final guest is Sarah Axelrod, a mom of a daughter, who was deeply influenced by her own dedicated-runner mom. Hear how Sarah literally follows iher mother’s footsteps around Boston, including during an amazing recent 10K road race. SBS hopes this episodes causes you to reflect on the forces that shaped you into the runner you are today (or hope to become).In the intro, there is much talk of police procedurals/thrillers—find out which ones E and SBS are currently addicted to! The two books Ellison recommends are Washington Black and Witch Elm.To get $20 off an Away suitcase, go to awaytravel.com/amr and use promo code amr.Mercury Mile fuses fashion and function for all runners: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at MercuryMile.comFor 10% off your first Hunt a Killer box, go to huntakiller.com/amr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off the Another Mother Retreat in Cape Cod, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell counsel Elena from Brooklyn about weekly runny tallies, especially when coming off a marathon training cycle. Dimity’s great advice (borrowed from a tri coach in Train Like a Mother Club): “frequency over duration.” The duo explores reasons—and solutions—to why Mimi in Chicago might be feeling fatigued on runs the day after she strength trains. They give guidance to Kimberly from Lexington on how to re-center herself after an interruption during a run. Then Sarah and Dimity offer different suggestions to Carrie near Chicago about juggling half-marathon training with a European family vacation.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dimity McDowell and Adrienne Martini have a candid conversation with Kate Fagan, ESPN columnist and author of What Made Maddy Run, the heartbreaking story of Madison Holleran, a collegiate runner who committed suicide during her freshman year. The trio discuss the ripple effects of mental illness and how it can be hidden from family members. In the intro, Dimity and Adrienne share about their own experiences with mental illness.Enjoy Chosen Foods oils, salad dressings, and ancient grains: Get 50% off orders of $10 or more by using promo code MOTHERRUNNER at chosenfoods.com/amrThe first step to straighter teeth: Get 25% off your Candid Co. modeling kit at candidco.com/AMRGo to HelloFresh.com/AMR60 and use code AMR60 to get a total of $60 off, that’s $20 off your first three boxes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Dimity welcome a bevy of guests as they record in front of a live audience at a lululemon store in Kansas City just days before the Kansas City Marathon. After extolling why they are so pleased to return to the place where they launched their second book, Train Like a Mother, the duo kicks things off with Kim Fassetta from AfterShokz. This mother runner and marketing whiz talks about round 2 of marathon training after opting out of her debut 26.2 the day before the race—in Greece! Next, father runner Joe “Mr. Garmin” Heikes joins the conversation along with Jenni Prado, a mom of three who is running her second half-marathon on Saturday. Like Jenni, Joe sees the wisdom in keeping it simple and tracking workouts online. Next is empty-nester Catherine Brown, who’s using the Kansas City Half-Marathon as a training run for the Disney Dopey Challenge. A convert to heart-rate training, Catherine admits to having to check her ego at the door when she made the switch. Joe explains the differences measuring heart rate at the wrist versus the chest; for all runners, Mr. Garmin suggests two critical-yet-underutilized GPS watch functions. The final guest is mom of two Katie Hearn, whose tenth half-marathon this weekend will be her second post-baby—and she admits she’s aiming to better her pre-baby 13.1 PR! During a segment when Dimity and Sarah pepper Joe with questions based on their personal GPS experiences, Joe talks about why it’s more important to check data on some training days than others and how to best use a Garmin during a race. (SBS is now fired up to run a race just to utilize to the “set-a-target” feature!) Toward the end of the show, Joe answers the burning question all GPS-wearing runners wonder.For 15% off your ModCloth purchase of $100 or more, go to modcloth.com and enter code AMR at checkout. Good for one-time use; expires January 5, 2019. Get the Follain Clean Essentials Kit for only $22. Go to FOLLAIN.com/AMR to try the kit and enter AMR at checkout for free shipping. To speak with a doctor about Addyi from the privacy of your own home, visit addyi.com/amr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Realizing it’s race season for many mother runners, Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell address Patty’s question about race-day anxiety. (Here’s link to pre-race meditation by Dr. Justin Ross that Dimity mentions.) Kathleen has concerns about the duration of a long run for marathon training, and the duo sets her straight. Heather feel vulnerable after hip surgery, so Dimity and Sarah suggest ways to regain the spark to get out the door. Sarah and Dim offer home-gym buying advice to Christina. First Nuun drinking game of AMR Answers: Chug whenever SBS or Dim joke about pieces of equipment at the gym! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and Dimity chat with pro runner Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald in front of a room full of mother runners at the recent Twin Cities Marathon expo. Gabe is a nine-year cancer survivor and a local runner. Like any good Minnesotan (including recent guest Kara Goucher), Gabe mentions “hot dish” in her very first answer and explains why she adores the “dedicated and ambitious” Twin Cities running community. The middle-distance runner details her love of racing the mile and running on the track. “I love spiking up,” she says. Gabe takes listeners back to her 2009 diagnosis when she was a 22-year-old college track athlete. Gabe details the mission of her foundation, Brave Like Gabe, and shares about the genesis of the name. Acknowledging that every cancer journey is different, Gabe discusses the importance of having goals and continuing to move forward—and how she plans for races in three-month chunks of time. No fair-weather runner, Gabe imparts loads of cold-weather running tips, including apparel advice. Mercury Mile fuses fashion and function for all runners: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at MercuryMile.com Enjoy Chosen Foods oils, salad dressings, and ancient grains: Get 50% off orders of $10 or more by using promo code MOTHERRUNNER at chosenfoods.com/amr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Maggie Palmer have a heart-to-heart with Kim Stemple, a mother runner with an abundance of positivity despite facing down a terminal trio of illnesses. A marathon runner and triathlete, Kim is founder of We Finish Together, a grassroots group passing along medals to people in challenging situations. Kim shares how she’s rewritten the rules about being sick, including running two marathons and a 50K (!!) post-diagnoses. A veteran of two Marine Corps Marathons, Kim gives advice for running what she lovingly calls “more of an event than a race.” Laugh as Kim tells a tale involving cheetah pajamas and Bart Yasso in a golf cart! The inspiration Grit + Grace Enduro socks by Balega, Kim talks about the importance of passing on kindness, including in the starting corral of a race. Moments before beginning to record the show, Kim shared with the hosts that she is headed into hospice. Let’s make a spark by showing some extra kindness this month. In the introduction, Sarah and Maggie touch on a bevy of topics, including Sarah’s mom’s recent move, musical instruments, PBS, and more. The guest joins the show at 17:00.Mercury Mile fuses fashion and function for all runners: Take $10 off your stylist fee by using code AMR at MercuryMile.comSign up as a VIP at JUSTFAB to get your first style for as low as $10. Go to JustFab.com/AMR  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell dive into this math-heavy episode with Martha’s question about cadence, suggesting she think “quick-light, quick-light.” (A heck of a lot easier than counting to 90!!) The duo reminds marathoner-and-beyond Beth there are elements that can make a runner father than speedwork. In answering a question from first-time-marathoner-in-training Pam, the BAMRs talk about the mental side of 26.2-training with Dim offering the lovely imagery of a training plan“stair-stepping you up there.” Britt asks about “leg day,” opening up a conversation about strength training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah is fortunate enough to have a one-on-one conversation with three-time Ironman champ Mirinda “Rinny” Carfrae thanks to AMR’s friends at GU Energy Labs. A mother of a one-year-old daughter, Rinny shares how her workouts changed while she was pregnant, summed up best as, “I exercised, I didn’t train.” Rinny tells how she was “really conservative” resuming running post-partum and building up her mileage and intensity, including occasional stroller-runs. Chuckle along when the Ironmother says her recovery is chasing after her daughter—and how she wouldn’t change it for the world. When the conversation shifts to nutrition, it’s mainly about juggling breastfeeding sessions with training ones, but eventually the conversation works its way round to Rinny revealing her current favorite GU products and flavors as well as how she utilizes them during workouts and races. Eventually the conversation loops around to the upcoming race in Kona, and how Rinny is facing the prospect of racing against new talent there. “I’m excited; I’m nervous. I’m not sure how I’ll feel.” Sarah is joined by Dimity for the intro convo, which involves tall-Dimity talking about orange, too-long-for-her (!!) jeans she’s been eyeing and the duo laughing over Dim’s assessment of the first-world problem of, “when your van is cooler than your jeans.” The Mirinda Carfrae interview starts at 13:40. Get $5 off your first order of Kopari coconut-oil skincare and bodycare products, go to koparibeauty.com/AMR Get $50 off your first job post by going to LinkedIn.com/AMR For 50% off your first box, go to EveryPlate.com and use code AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin (fresh back from Chamonix, France, where she got to spectate the UTMB ultra race!!) talk with a variety of guests about having an athletic “happy place.” First they admit what their happy places are, then they bring on the expert, Dr. Justin Ross, a Denver-based psychologist and marathon runner, who starts off by assuring Sarah the show’s topic isn’t, in her word, “cockamamie!” Instead, he defines an athletic happy place as, “something that provides connection to self, sport, and community.” (Phew!) The good doc goes on to explain folks can have an internal and an external happy place. Find out why some people’s happy places might even seem contradictory to the whole “happy” bit. (Which leads to one of his best lines: “Adult things suck.”) He talks about the health-bolstering effects of water and forests. Michelle San Antonio, a mother runner of three who has run the Boston Marathon several times, shares how her happy “place” is actually a mindset and how it has evolved drastically over the last five years. The trio bond over Michelle’s simple-yet-powerful statements of, “My life has changed, so my running has changed.” And “I still race and give it my all. My ‘all’ just isn’t what it used to be.” (If you listen closely, you can hear SBS + Amanda nodding vigorously during this part of the show!) Exit Michelle, enter Casii Dodd, a soon-to-be-grandma of twins (!), whose happy place is on trails, explaining they help her unlug and “be in the step.” Casii talks about how time on the trail and technique tips gleaned from local runners has helped her feel much more comfortable and confident on technical trails. Find out how rain has entered into her mental feel-good place. Definitely an episode with much to ponder!  For 20% off your first order of $100 or more, visit outdoorvoices.com/AMR and enter promo AMR Thanks to Balega for its longtime support of AMR. Learn more about Balega’s Enduro line of socks here. Save $50 off select mattresses by visiting casper.com/AMR and using promo code AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices