Run Hard Mom Hard: Recent Episodes
Nikki Parnell & Stef Wenninger
Presented by Treeline Journal. We're looking at the ins and outs of what it takes to be a mother who runs ultra marathons. We'll dive into the challenges mothers face while training and racing ultras. We hope to be an encouragement to women who are balancing life with kids and all the miles. It's not easy, but women keep showing up again and again to run, take care of themselves, and show this sport new levels of strength and grit.
In this episode we get a chance to speak with Megan DeHaan, a mother, rancher, ultrarunner, and race director. Megan shares her unique journey from her first-ever race postpartum to directing the challenging Crazy Mountain 100 ultramarathon in Montana. Balancing life on a ranch with her passion for running, Megan discusses the realities of motherhood, ranch life, and the thrill of ultrarunning. Her story is a testament to the strength and resilience of running moms everywhere.
Key Takeaways:
- Motherhood and Running: Megan highlights how running helped her combat postpartum depression and find a community.
- Ranch Life: Insights into the demanding yet rewarding lifestyle of ranching in Montana, including balancing work with running and family life.
- Ultramarathon Journey: From her first trail race to directing her own 100-mile race, Megan's ultrarunning story is filled with determination and adventure.
- Race Directing Challenges: Behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to organize an ultramarathon in the rugged Montana mountains.
- Community and Support: The importance of community in both the running and ranching worlds, showcasing how support systems are crucial for success.
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Welcome to another episode of Run Hard Mom Hard! Our guest, Rachel Drake, shares her insightful journey through pregnancy, postpartum, and her return to competitive trail running. As a professional athlete sponsored by Nike Trail, Osprey, and Spring Energy while simultaneously pursuing a Ph.D., Rachel opens up about the challenges and triumphs of being a mother, athlete, and student.
Key Takeaways:
- Mom Guilt and Training: Rachel talks about the reality of mom guilt in training and balancing family life with her passion for running.
- Training Through Pregnancy and Postpartum: She shares her experiences training during and after pregnancy, including dealing with injuries and adapting her routine.
- Professional and Personal Balance: Rachel discusses how she balances her professional commitments with her personal life, emphasizing the importance of taking care of oneself.
- Future Goals and Races: She shares her upcoming goals, including her aspiration to participate in the Western States 100 and her training approach for the Black Canyons race.
Notable Quotes:
- "It's important to trust your body and intuition postpartum; don't rush the process." - Rachel Drake
- "Having kids does make you a better athlete in a lot of different ways." - Rachel Drake
- "It's okay not to 'bounce back'; embrace the journey of getting to know your new body." - Rachel Drake
Links Mentioned in Episode:
- Nike Trail: Nike Trail Running
- Osprey Packs: Osprey Running Packs
- Spring Energy: @spring_energy
- Rachel Drake's Instagram
Rachel Drake's story is a powerful testimony to the strength and resilience of mother-runners. Her journey offers valuable insights and inspiration to mothers who are navigating the complex world of parenting and pursuing their passions in running and beyond.
-----------Subscribe to Run Hard Mom Hard for more inspiring stories. Share your own experiences and thoughts on this episode using #RunHardMomHard on social media. Stay tuned for our next episode!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Nicole is a mom, dental hygienist, and passionate ultra runner. She has completed four 100-mile races in the last 2 years, including the Arkansas Traveler 100 where she set a new course record - beating Ann Trasons record! Nicole is definetely someone to keep your eye on because she's taking this sport to a new height
Nicole shares her journey as a mom and ultra runner, discussing how she got started in running and her transition to longer-distance races. She provides insights into her training and preparation for the Arkansas Traveler 100, where she set a new course record. Nicole also shares her experiences during the race, including the challenges she faced and the mental strategies she used to stay focused. She offers valuable advice for moms who want to get into ultra running, emphasizing the importance of finding balance and not comparing oneself to others.
Key Takeaways:
- Nicole's love for running began in college and gradually evolved into a passion for longer-distance races.
- She prioritizes effort and fueling during both training and races.
- Nicole faced challenges with hydration and the urge to pee during the Arkansas Traveler 100.
- She recommends getting a coach and finding training partners to make the ultra-running journey more enjoyable.
- Nicole emphasizes the significance of not comparing oneself to others and finding joy in the process of running.
*Quotes:*-
- "No matter if you were winning or if you were dead last, do you still love it? Would you still be choosing this? And the answer is yes." - Nicole
- "You have to compete with the best to be your best." - Nicole
- "It's not about the pace, it's about the effort." - Nicole
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Today, we have a special announcement - Ashley Nordell is going to be a guest host while Nikki is studying overseas! We're going to miss Nikki so much, but SHE WILL BE BACK!
On the podcast today, Ashley and Stef are talking about their 100 milers or attempts at one. Listen in to get all the details!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We're here this week with some life updates - Nikki's upcoming move to the UK, Stef's daughter's health struggles, and we also hear about Stef's latest 50 mile race and how her training is going for her upcoming 100miler in September! Tune in and enjoy! Lots of love to you all out there today!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We’re back this week with an awesome conversation with Martha Slocomb - an ultrarunner, mom, ordained minister, and yoga instructor out of Omaha, Nebraska! We talk with Martha about (all the) things like how she became who she is today, the integrated connection between body and soul, and how “we were made to run - mind, body, spirit” because of the healthy, rejuvenating place it puts us in as humans. Martha shares a saying from yoga, “May all beings benefit from this practice”, which can be applied to our running and how it is a ripple effect. If you do something that makes you feel whole and calm, everyone you interact with afterwards will benefit from your calmness and maybe become more regulated themselves. We also hear how running can be a spiritual and mindful practice by shifting our attention to the present, slowing our breathing, and being curious and noticing (not judging) what is around us and the feelings inside our bodies. While training and racing, we can take our focus off achievement - instead, tuning into gratitude and seeing races as opportunities, recognizing that not all opportunities work out or can be taken as parents but opportunities flow and we can believe that more will come down the road. We also hear about some of Martha’s FKT endeavors and she encourages women to get out and try it - especially routes that have never been logged by a woman (you don’t have to be fast, you just have to be first)! They are fun, low pressure challenges that set the stage for other women doing FKTs too. It was really enjoyable having a chance to reflect on our relationship with running, ponder why we do it and wonder how we could be more intentional about it. Huge thank you to Martha for giving us her time and wisdom!
Resources: Calm appTonies meditations for kids Balance app with kid meditations Circle round stories/ podcast Cosmic Kids YogaHunt, Gather, Parent book Snoop dogg meditations/affirmations song
Sponsors: Treeline Coffee - pick up a bag of our YOU GOT THIS coffee blend KÜHL - check out their lightweight, technical outdoor clothing! We love their water resistant Weekendr Tight for anything and anywhere!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we get to talk with Melissa - a Canadian ultrarunner and mom of two living babies and one, Baby Googoo, in the heavens
Melissa connects with people on and off the trail who are living with grief. She is a great resource and advocate for women that have experienced pregnancy and infant loss - or grief of any kind (as Melissa says, though our stories might not look the same it doesn’t mean our feelings aren’t relatable). She is creating the kinds of safe spaces where women can talk about loss, find support for mental health and stop apologizing for crying when they’re sad. As moms, we can feel the need to protect our children and the people around us, often times from our own feelings when in actuality it’s ok to be sad and honest about our emotions and it shows our kids that they have permission to be human and feel all their feelings too. Melissa reminds us that grief and happiness can coexist and she shares how she has found healing through trail running, learning to trust her body again and reuniting with her Algonquin Métis roots that encourage her to be more present and a part of the interconnectedness of nature.
Melissa finds a way to dig in and help with things she’s passionate about. What I mean, is that she is an ultra runner, but also became the VP of the Association of Canadian Ultramarathoners supporting Canadian athletes. She suffered pregnancy loss, but also heads the social media and marketing team for the Pregnancy And Infant Loss Support Centre in Canada. You get the gist, she’s a mover and a shaker and doing amazing things that reach out into many communities!
A huge thank you to Melissa for being vulnerable with us and inviting us into the hard and beautiful parts of humanity! Listen wherever you find your podcasts, don’t forget to share this one with anyone else who might need these powerful messages! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Follow Melissa on Instagram
Check out Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre (counseling is free even for people in the US!!)
Book Recommendations from Melissa:
Braiding Sweetgrass
We Are Water Protectors
Pick up a bag of our YOU GOT THIS coffee from Treeline Coffee using code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Hi friends!! This week we have a riveting story hour with Ashley Nordell! Ashley tells us about her November Unsupported FKT attempt on the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas, where there were no dull moments to say the least! Tune in for some suspense, some laughter, and some lessons on rolling with the punches, the true power of sleep deprivation and how women in our sport might go about tackling their own trail adventures! It's always a pleasure chatting with Ashley, hope you enjoy this convo as much as we did!
Show Notes:
Follow Ashley Nordell on Instagram
Ashley coaches with TeamRunRun
Pick up a bag of our "YOU GOT THIS" Treeline Coffee Blend and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Hi all!! We are back and here with some podcast updates, life updates and updates from the mother runner world lately! We’re so happy to be back chatting and are excited for more to come!--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Hi Friends!! Between Stef’s big camping trip and Nikki’s international move (updates in the episode) it’s been another long minute since posting a new podcast episode but we finally (!!) have a conversation to share this week! Hooray!
We chat with Whitney Heins - a speedy marathoner, running coach and the founder of The Mother Runners, an inclusive and uplifting community of... well, people like us! Mothers and runners! Whitney started this online space for moms out of a desire to learn more about how to wear these two hats and it has become a remarkable resource for women who are still showing up for themselves in the form of running after having kids.
In this episode Whitney shares her learnings from racing CIM in December and helpful mental processing when a race doesn’t quite go as planned. She talks about reframing disappointment, having big goals while at the same time making peace with the chance of failing and teaching our kids about how to grow from setbacks. Whitney has come off of three years of injuries too and shares a compassionate perspective on what that’s like for anyone who is facing injury.
We loved our time with Whitney and are thankful for what she’s doing in our sport! A woman supporting women! Search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform to listen in! Enjoy!
Show Notes:
Find The Mother Runners: online & follow on Instagram!
Go to Treeline Coffee and get 10% off of the most delicious and necessary mom fuel out there with code RUNHARD10
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we had the pleasure of talking with Erika Hoagland! Erika was previously the editor for Ultrarunning Magazine and today she still writes a column called I Am An Ultrarunner as well as she owns a cookie company (she makes the most beautiful cookies), she is a mom and she trains for and races ultras. We chat about the joys and insanities of motherhood, her journey through child birth and her consistent racing through the years. Erika ran Western States this year after using the pregnancy deferral when she had her daughter in 2017. She explains her experience, how it works and why it’s so important in our sport to allow moms the freedom of not having to choose between racing and growing their family. Briefly, here’s how it works: if you raced your way into Western States or had your name drawn in the lottery but you are pregnant or get pregnant before the race and feel like it’s not the best time to be running 100 miles, you can defer your race to another year when you’re more ready to run without any punishment of loosing your place in this race that is so difficult to get into. This allows mothers to do what is best for their bodies and families (Hallelujah).
Erika shares about her race at Western States this year and the fears, anxieties and stresses she carried with her in training and the race itself. She didn’t have the race she hoped for and it brought about some heavy emotions that she has processed and thankfully shared with us because her words were so relatable and life-giving to the rest of us (at least for Stef and I!) As humans, and especially as moms, we can tend to compare our past selves to our current selves and cringe when we don’t feel like we’re “back” to where we once were athletically. We can intertwine our self-worth with our race times and be saddened by unmet expectations. But Erika is moving forward and embracing the runner she is right now, ditching the stress of outcomes and finding joy in ultra running. We loved our time with Erika and are so inspired by her! Listen to this episode by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe to the pod and share this with your fellow mother runners! Thank you!!
Show Notes:
Erika Hoagland
Erika's seriously gorgeous cookie business: Rosebud Cookies
Ultrarunning Magazine - such a staple in our sport!
Western States Pregnancy Deferral
Our sponsor: Treeline Coffee - Get 10% off the most delicious mom fuel and joy with code RUNHARD10
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have Heidi Strickler on the podcast again (if you didn’t tune in for episode 44 back in 2020 you should listen to that one too)! Today we discuss how we as parents can talk about food and body image in a healthy way with our kids! We learn about body neutrality (“our bodies are the skin suits that allow us to experience life” as Heidi says), body positivity when appropriate, steering away from the mindset that our bodies have anything to do with our worth as a human, and how to set kind and/or firm boundaries with other people who comment on our kids’ bodies. Heidi emphasizes how we can communicate the benefits of our kids eating complete meals but how all foods can fit within that and how we can move past many of the food shaming and negative judgments of certain foods we hold onto (ex: listen in to hear how Luna Bars compare with Pop Tarts)! We also hear about Heidi’s personal experience with an eating disorder, how she extends freedom and permission to herself in her recovery and offers the same freedom and permission to us as well, and we’re so appreciative.
This was an incredibly helpful conversation for us and we hope it brings insight and inspiration to you too! Just remember, we won’t do this perfectly, but trying to be intentional, maybe breaking some negative intergenerational cycles where we can, and embracing the little teachable moments with our kids goes a long way towards raising healthy, confident, self-loving humans!
Show Notes:
Follow Heidi on Instagram!
Two Book resources from Nikki written by Hillary McBride:
The Wisdom of Your Body (AMAZING)
Mothers, Daughters and Body Image (Only a couple chapters in, still AMAZING)
Use code RUNHARD10 to get 10% off delicious Treeline Coffee… because a cup of coffee is basically a cup of vegetables (**refer to the conversation in this episode) and the best way to start your day
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Jodi Fisher - a mother, a runner and the founder of Go Guarded, which is a company dedicated to empowering active individuals with self-defense tools. Unfortunately we live in a world where all women have known fear and we must take our safety seriously, even or especially when we're running. Go Guarded makes products that are one of the many layers of self-defense we can protect ourselves with. There are rings with serrated blades and handheld tools that come with a blade, personal alarms, and/or pepper spray. Each piece is designed with convenience, comfort, effectiveness and affordability in mind to give runners those couple seconds they need to get away from a scary situation. We also talk about the importance of equipping ourselves with knowledge, awareness and confidence that comes with self-defense classes and other ways women can protect themselves.
We love that Jodi started this business and is helping women feel a little more prepared while doing the things they love, like running and being outside! Check out her website linked in the show notes to learn more and to read through many useful safety resources! Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and share this one with other mother runners! Y'all stay safe out there!
Show Notes:
Go Guarded
Follow Go Guarded on Instagram
Stef has a Run Angel which is another type of safety tool for runners
We talk about some fun earings Stef has, check them out! etsy.com/shop/tribychay
Grab a bag or coffee subscription at Treeline Coffee and get 10% off delicious mom fuel with code RUNHARD10
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we reflect on what runners can do when they find themselves in a season of low (or maybe zero) mileage. Sickness, injury, busyness, low energy, mental health, whatever may be the cause we have all experienced low points in running and we explore how that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. When you look at all the areas of your life competing for your energy and if you're physically running less miles, maybe you can nourish other parts of you that have been impoverished.
The main point here is that rest is not failure and you have our permission to take it whenever you feel like you need it!
We hope you all are finding wholeness and well-being no matter what season of life or running you're in! Tune into this episode by searching "Run Hard Mom Hard" wherever you get your podcasts, don't forget to subscribe and share with other mamas! Thank you!
Get yourself some running or resting fuel from Treeline Coffee and get 10% off with code RUNHARD10!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We're finding our podcasting rhythm again people!! We are going to try to be more regular with episodes, cause we've been missing all of you! This week Stef shares her big, exciting racing plans for 2023, tune in to hear what they are! We talk about Hardrock and what they're doing to increase women's' chances of running the race, life and travels in Costa Rica for Nikki, and the importance of manifesting your dreams and being brave enough to realize what you want, ask for it and take little steps towards it. You never know what will come your way! We discuss parenting, dropping perfection and rewiring negative thoughts with positive affirmations for ourselves and our kids.
Listen by searching Run Hard Mom Hard on your preferred podcast platform! If you're reading these show notes you are part of this amazing women and motherhood community and we are so thankful for you!
Show notes:
Nikki is reading and highly recommends The Artist's Way Check it out!
Tune into the "We Can Do Hard Things" podcast with Dr. Becky for some serious parenting gold! Episode 130 - Breaking Cycles & Reparenting Yourself and Episode 131 - How to Raise Untamed Kids
Buy the best mom fuel around, Treeline Coffee! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your purchase!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Hi friends!! It’s been a minute (or two or ten) but we have a new episode this week!! Tune in and hear all about Stef’s latest race - Superior Fall Trail Race 50 miler - not to give too much away but she did amazing! Nikki also shares about what it’s been like moving to Costa Rica as a family of five! Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe and share with your community! Listen by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you!
Show Notes:
Superior Fall Trail Race 50 Mile
Grab a bag of mom strength in a cup, in other words, "You Got This" coffee from Treeline Coffee! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
New Episode!! And it’s not even Friday! But it’s been a serious minute since we’ve had a new episode of us chattering away in your ears, so here’s a little update conversation with Stef and Nikki! We have some big news coming at ya - Nikki and her crew are moving to COSTA RICA… tomorrow!! Listen in to hear some of the details on that. We’re still planning on keeping the podcast rolling - one of the beautiful things about living in our technologically connected world. Remember, you can find us by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platform and thank you for tuning in and being a part of this awesome, inspiring and uplifting mother runner community! We love you all!
Show Notes:
Nikki mentions reaching out to a previous podcast guest, Julie Urbanski - a world renowned pro at living abroad with kids - listen to episode 78 for more on that!
As always, a huge thank you to our sponsor, Treeline Coffee for keeping us fueled to run hard and mom hard! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% delicious coffee
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we had the pleasure of chatting with Jennifer McConachie - an inspiring multi endurance sport adventurer, author and mother. Jennifer has done some amazing things - like raced ultras on 5 of the 7 continents, climbed several of The Seven Summits, swam the Hellespont from Europe to Asia, done stage races, adventure races, and recently created and completed a 100 mile paddle down the Missouri River - just to name a few!
She immerses herself in the places she goes - learning as much as she can before a big trip - reading the literature, studying the culture. She’s driven to push herself outside her comfort zone and to find and be the best version of herself. Jennifer says ultra experiences are like parenting experiences condensed so the mental strength for both of them mirror each other. One of the mindsets she carries with her in endurance sports and motherhood is that how you feel now is not how you’re going to feel later - a powerful reminder to give yourself time, space and grace in the low moments of an ultra event or while parenting!! It WILL turn around.
It was such a joy talking with Jennifer and getting inspired to go do an adventure - near or far! Enjoy this episode and check the show notes for how to find a copy of her book, “Go Far: How Endurance Sports Help You Win At Life”! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and share this with your circle! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Jennifer on Instagram
Jennifer’s website
Jennifer’s Book
Grab a bag of Treeline Coffee and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order of delicious mom fuel!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We have Ladia on the podcast again this week for part two! Ladia opens up our conversation with a bang by challenging the prescribed narratives we feel we have to fit into as women and mothers in this place and time in society. For example, the “bouncing back” culture we experience after having babies and seeing body changes as a disservice to the other parts of our life (including running) often does not honor what we go through or how we want to embrace the growth we can find in that space. Ladia says, “but I don’t want to go backwards. I don’t need to be the person I was yesterday or ten years ago…. Whether in pregnancy and postpartum or not, that’s not what I’m trying to move towards. I want to embrace who I am, where I am, today and every day moving forward.” We ponder how to find, process and represent our true experiences with language that will free us and others from societal expectations. The things we go through shape us and we can hone the power of that growth and channel it when facing hard things (like ultra running and motherhood). We talk about the need for mothers to have space to talk candidly about their struggles without being dismissed or having to prove their gratitude of being a mother and the importance as mothers to show our kids our full humanity. Ladia mentions, “The most important thing we do as mothers is be ourselves”.
Ladia shares a little about her birth and feeling the contrast of grief from losing her best friend, Gabriele Grunewald, while looking forward to new life through her son Gabriel (named after Gabe of course!). We hear about how Ladia moved through the early postpartum days when building up running in a way that showed kindness to her body and honored her emotions and anxiety of leaving her baby for long runs. AND! We hear about her INCREDIBLE 4th place finish at Canyons 100k in April! From funny stories to positive energy to trail beauty to racing as a way to feel connection amidst the loneliness of motherhood to numb legs to oozing poison oak, it was so fun to hear Ladia tell the race day tales.
We were so lucky to be in Ladia’s presence again and we hope you enjoy this episode! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this with your people! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Ladia on Instagram
Check out the Brave Like Gabe Foundation and read more about who Gabe was and how you can support their mission to raise money for rare cancer research!
Brave Like Gabe 5k is happening on June 25th, 2022!! Don’t miss it - sign up and run it wherever you are while being connected to a greater purpose and all the Brave Like Gabe community.
This episode is sponsored by Treeline Coffee - a woman owned business out of Bozeman, MT who ethically source all their coffee beans from sustainable and socially responsible farms. Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order of the most delicious (and necessary) mom fuel! It is liquid encouragement in a cup, no lie.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we had the privilege of talking with Ladia Albertson-Junkans on the podcast! Ladia is a data analyst, runner for Brooks, FKT holder, Olympic Marathon Trials Runner, Western States finisher, Chuckanut winner (twice), etc, mom of a 17 month old and a really beautiful soul. We set out to talk with her about her recent 4th place finish at Canyons 100k in April but we honestly didn’t even make it to that (hence why this is part one)! There were just too many other things we needed to learn from Ladia about being human, living life fully and holding space for all the paradoxes of life - the beauty and the heartbreak.
We loved Ladia’s perspective on competition- how it is an opportunity for connection with others, a chance to surprise yourself, how it doesn’t need to be adversarial and how you can bring others along with you when racing. When you open your journey up to fellow competitors and they do the same, it allows for all of us to be invested in each other - where one person’s victory is everyone’s joy.
We hear about her dear and deep friendship with the late Gabe Grunewald who passed away in 2019 from a rare cancer and how Ladia’s life has been impacted forever from that. Gabe found a way to adjust to every interruption as it came, not fighting the circumstances of her cancer but continually fighting for the things that made her feel alive. Gabe was brimming with self-love and self-respect so she could give love away endlessly to others. She kept trying (most obviously through running as she was a professional runner through her whole 10 year cancer journey (!!!)) and she set the example for all of us to not give up on the things that bring you joy when life gets hard. (See show notes for Brave Like Gabe Foundation information!)
Ladia also put motherhood into powerful words when she said, “There’s something to grieve every moment and something to rejoice in every moment and sometimes I’m struck by how those two things not just coexist but almost belong together and are inseparable.” It’s a tough feeling to describe but we think all parents know this to be true!
Huge heartfelt thank you to Ladia for all she shared with us and her generosity in agreeing to do a part two (stay tuned)! Enjoy it and don’t forget to share this with someone else who could use these words today!
Show Notes:
Find Ladia on Instagram
If you want to hear more from Ladia, listen to some other podcasts she’s been on where she shares more inspiring and touching stories:
Freetrail
Ginger Runner Live
Ali On The Run
Check out the Brave Like Gabe Foundation and read more about who Gabe was and how you can support their mission to raise money for rare cancer research!
Brave Like Gabe 5k is happening on June 25th, 2022!! Don’t miss it - sign up and run it wherever you are while being connected to a greater purpose and all the Brave Like Gabe community.
This episode is sponsored by Treeline Coffee - a woman owned business out of Bozeman, MT who ethically source all their coffee beans from sustainable and socially responsible farms. Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order of the most delicious (and necessary) mom fuel! It is liquid encouragement in a cup, no lie.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We recently tackled some trail races so we share how those went as well as some general life happenings! Tune in if so inclined! :)
And as usual, you can subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen and sign up for our Treeline Journal Newsletter so you don't miss future episodes! Cheers and happy running and momming!
Pick up a bag of our Run Hard Mom Hard Coffee Blend called YOU GOT THIS from Treeline Coffee Roasters! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the pod we have Brittany DeRoche! Brittany is a cancer AND Peripartum Cardiomyopathy heart failure survivor and a strong mom and ultra runner. We hear about the physical, mental and emotional toll these events took and we see the resolve, courage and strength Brittany has shown to overcome them. So inspiring! Huge thank you to Brittany for sharing her story! Give this episode a listen by clicking the link below or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform.
Sponsor: Make sure to check out Treeline Coffee – use discount code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order! Thank you!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the podcast we talk with Julie Urbanski - a mom of two, co-founder of Team RunRun with her husband Matt, seriously epic world traveler and triple crown thru-hiker! Team RunRun is an awesome run coaching company that helps pair athletes with coaches and Julie shares what is important in a coaching/athlete relationship and how having a coach can really benefit your whole family by making training and racing a more successful experience.
Julie and Matt have traveled and lived all over the world and have hiked the PCT, CDT, CT and AT and now they bring their boys all over as well. Their first son visited 18 countries and 5 continents by the time he was 3. We get to hear valuable travel tips about how they’ve made a nomadic lifestyle work and how they travel with kids - pointing out that kids are hard anywhere (as Julie says, “it can be pure hell to have them in your house all day”) and view long travel days like an ultra - take it one step at a time and try to do each section as best as you can to get to the finish line. Julie shares her favorite places to travel with kids, how she and Matt train while abroad, how to travel light and how they navigate the pull between being close to family and adventuring in far away places. They were oversees for a couple years in New Zealand during the pandemic and we hear about what that was like!
Julie describes her experience becoming a mom and the immediate understanding she found for other parents, what recovery was like from a C-section and then V-back and the difficulties with returning to running postpartum. Julie is so relatable and we received so many chunks of wisdom from her stories about all aspects of life! Fair warning: this is a long episode and it may make you want to sell all your possessions and travel the world. Just a heads up! Listen to this episode by clicking the link below or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe and share!
Show Notes:
Find Julie on Instagram
Check out Team RunRun
Read more about Julie’s family travels on their blog
Find Julie’s books about through hiking!
Buy a Breville Espresso machine (Julie’s favorite thing)
And while you’re at it, fill that espresso machine with Treeline Coffee - use discount code RUNHARD 10 for 10% off your order!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have Allison Baca on the podcast! Allison is an amazing athlete - she’s done triathlons and cycling races all over the world and is currently a professional runner for Salomon, in addition to being a mom to her almost 11 month old son. We talk about all the things - how pregnancy helped her overcome some of the restrictive diet cultures she experienced in collegiate running and cycling, the nerve-wracking emotions found in pregnancy and the early postpartum days, the feelings of brokenness after having a c-section, how she manages life and training with her husband who is also an athlete and so much more! Allison and her family are super active and adventurous - her husband is from Mexico so they’ve traveled a lot with their son and they’re checking off peaks in the Colorado mountains when they can. Throughout her stories she reminds us of the power of pivoting when something isn’t going right in life and to keep trying new things cause you never know where life will take you. Focus on doing your best and the decisions you make in life / motherhood / running will be right for you!
We loved chatting with Allison - she’s hilarious and her descriptions of what so many of us go through in motherhood are so relatable!! Give this episode a listen by clicking the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with your community! Thank you!!
Show Notes:
Find Allison on Instagram
Allison’s Website
Kidrunner Stroller we talked about
Coatimundi - Cute animal found in Mexico
Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off the best, most delicious mom fuel from Treeline Coffee!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have Jessi Morton-Langehaug back on the podcast! If you didn’t catch her remarkable story last time, go back and listen to episode 36. During this episode we chat with her about what she’s been up to in 2021 including races like Cocodona 250 and Tahoe 200 as well as a recent postpartum issue and surgery she just went through. Birth trauma from 8 years ago gave Jessi a rectocele (a type of prolapse that affects the supportive wall of tissue between the rectum and vaginal wall) that had been causing her extreme pain, annoying symptoms and made life and running so much harder. She shares how she found answers, made the decision to do surgery to fix the problem and how recovery was tough but she now has gotten her life back because of it. It can be a lonely and depressing place to be when you’re dealing with issues that can be embarrassing to talk about but the more women like Jessi who share their experiences the more women won’t feel quite as alone if they find themselves in a hard spot - particularly after child birth. Jessi is an advocate for being in charge of your own health and conversations like this bring our mom community together while taking the shame out of talking about our bodies and the real problems we experience! Huge thank you to Jessi for sharing her story! To listen, click the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast and share this with anyone out there who might need to hear it! Thank you!!
Pick up a bag or coffee subscription of our Run Hard Mom Hard blend from Treeline Coffee! Use Code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we chat with Annika Brubaker - a mom of two, ultra runner out of Eastern Washington, coach for Team RunRun and race director. Annika grew up in a home where running wasn’t encouraged or accepted, so it’s amazing what she has overcome and how she has gotten herself past the need for others’ approval to where she is today as a beautiful example of living a healthy lifestyle for her kids!! We hear about how grief and depression lead her to running and how pivotal it has been for her mental health ever since. Annika shares stories about the first ultras she did, her experiences with high risk pregnancies, facing a terrifying diagnosis for her daughter, how she trains in motherhood and the coaching she does nowadays. She really understands and remembers what it’s like to start this sport of ours for the first time and she’s determined to help other runners begin their journeys and reach their goals too!
Annika is so strong, inspiring and a fantastic cheerleader for all moms who run!! We hope you enjoy this episode - Don’t forget to subscribe and share this with other mother runners in your life! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Annika on Instagram
Find Annika on TeamRunRun
Check out "My Mommy Runs" book!
Get a bag or subscription of our You Got This Coffee Blend from Treeline Coffee with code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week Stef gives us the low down on her Coros Apex running watch and why she chose that over other brands! Technology is truly amazing these days and it’s fun to hear what watches can do for us and our adventures! Give it a listen - especially if you’re finding yourself in need of a new watch!
Head to Treeline Coffee to pick up a bag or subscription of our You Got This blend and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off! Enjoy!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
It's Nikki & Stef again this week with some life updates and chit chat about the New Year! We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and we hope your New Year starts off with hope and energy for running and mumming! YOU GOT THIS!!
This week's sponsor: Check out Treeline Coffee’s new website! Order delicious coffee and get 10% off with code RUNHARD10.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week it's Stef & Nikki again and we're talking about how we as moms can go into the joyful yet often stressful and overwhelming holiday season! We get some great tips from Kinzie Eckstein, our Mental Health Occupational Therapist, for combating the hubbub in ways that will help us enjoy this magical time of year. We also talk a little about training, focusing on quality vs. quantity mileage when life demands some give and take and managing expectations! Lets all remember to give ourselves a little extra care during this busy time! We've got this!!
Happy holidays everyone!
Show Notes:
Check out Treeline Coffee's new website! Order delicious coffee and get 10% off with code RUNHARD10
Read this hilarious Trail Runner Mag article about how to use holiday foods as fuel for long runs!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week it's Stef and Nikki and we describe our latest race adventures from the past weekend! We both ran our first races after having our third babies and we share our experiences! Tune in and don't forget to subscribe and share! Thank you!!
Show notes:
Treeline Coffee - check out our "You Got This" blend on Treeline's new website! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off delicious coffee!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have a super inspiring story shared by Lindsey Sexton - an ultra runner, a mom of three, a school nurse, a preschool/elementary school cross-country coach, and a recent cancer survivor and 100 mile finisher!
Lindsey decided to tackle No Business 100 this October (jumping to 100 miles from only running a 50k prior, because why waste any time if she knew ultimately she wanted to run a 100?!). Her training was interrupted however by a devastating breast cancer diagnosis and a double mastectomy. It was an emotional time and surgery required recovery and restricted movement but she was able to continue training (doing a 30 mile run 5 weeks post op)! Lindsey took us through No Business 100 - from the emotional start line, to all the beauty of the course, to the foot trauma and toe juice, to the even more emotional finish line. Her story is a testament to how we can carry ourselves through hard things, find the silver linings even amidst the bumps we hit along our life journeys and the hope we can find if we just keep going.
Give this encouraging episode a listen and don’t forget to subscribe and share this with your community! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Big Thanks to our sponsors: Treeline Coffee – They are a women owned, ethically sourced coffee roastery that makes exquisite coffee including our “You Got This” coffee blend! Pick up a bag and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Colorado Virtual Distance Challenge put on by Colorado Brewery Running Series – sign up now for the Holiday Edition through November and December and get prizes for how many miles you log! Sign up and use code RUNHARDMOMHARD for 10% off registration!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the podcast we have Kinzie Eckstein - a mental health occupational therapist, life coach, yoga teacher, and creator of Mindful Mamas, a program designed to empower moms to live with intention and purpose in their day to day lives. This episode was full of ah-ha moments where Kinzie explained so well what we go through as moms and runners in a new way - from sensory overwhelm to the physiological, hormonal, and self-identity changes we go through as women to why the expectations we used to put on ourselves no longer apply now that we’re moms to why running is literal medicine. She talks about how our brains change in motherhood, how we can develop mind-body strategies to manage our stress and self-regulate, what is happening in our bodies when we get stuck in a fight or freeze headspace (and how to prevent or comeback from that place), how we can pave more pathways for positive thoughts in our brains, and SO MUCH MORE!!
It’s pretty mind blowing stuff in our opinions and we guarantee you’ll feel seen and encouraged by all that Kinzie shared with us! Give this episode a listen! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with all the mamas you know (regardless of whether they run or not)! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Kinzie’s website for OT, Life Coaching, & Yoga classes
Find Kinzie on Instagram
Big Thanks to our sponsors:
Treeline Coffee – They are a women owned, ethically sourced coffee roastery that makes exquisite coffee including our “You Got This” coffee blend! Pick up a bag and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Colorado Virtual Distance Challenge put on by Colorado Brewery Running Series - sign up now for the Holiday Edition through November and December and get prizes for how many miles you log! Sign up and use code RUNHARDMOMHARD for 10% off registration!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we had the pleasure of talking with Jacky Hunt-Broersma! She is a mom of two and an ultra runner out of Arizona. Jacky is also an amputee and tells us about her journey of losing her leg to cancer, the process of becoming a runner, finding a running blade, training her brain to trust new equipment and proving the doubters wrong that thought amputees can’t run trails let alone ultra distances. Jacky is a world record holder for running 100 miles in under 24 hours, which she did on the treadmill (!!) and she recently trained for and started Moab 240 - she wasn’t able to finish the race due to some unforeseen events but still accomplished so much and has more big feats of endurance on the calendar!
Jacky is open and honest about her story and uses her experiences to help others by sharing resources so more amputees can get into the sport, helping with research on prosthetics for women and leading by example to show that anything is possible! She is so inspiring and encourages us to accept who we are, celebrate our strengths, and keep having the courage to show up and try.
Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode’s joy and motivation with your running community! Thank you!!
Show Notes:
Follow Jacky on Instagram
Jacky’s website
Some Articles by Jacky:
In Runner’s World
Trail Runner Mag
Thanks to our sponsor, Treeline Coffee - They are a women owned, ethically sourced coffee roastery that makes exquisite coffee including our “You Got This” coffee blend! Pick up a bag and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Support Treeline Journal and Run Hard Mom Hard Pod on Patreon for as little as $2.00 a month! We’re a reader/listener supported site and couldn’t do this without you!
Check out Stef’s website for any podcast editing or website design needs!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Haleigh Fisher - an athlete counselor, artist, writer, first time mom and runner. She shares with us about her journey as a collegiate runner, her experience with an eating disorder and unhealthy cultures that can be found on sports teams and how that eventually led her to her purpose working with athletes and their mental health.
Though a career aptitude test told her she should be a bartender, Haleigh now helps athletes with mental training in areas like goal setting, motivation, self-talk, reframing negative thoughts, perfectionism, redefining failure, identity and self worth in and out of sport, how mental and physical stress affect the body, eating disorders and body image, anxiety, depression, etc. Haleigh exudes compassion and looks holistically at the whole person to help people make positive changes in their lives. We also talk about how in running we often don’t know what the limiting factor is to our performance - is it mental or physical? The mind and body are so intertwined so it's important to work on both. Just as we physically train for races, Haleigh gives us some ways we can train our minds too. She also shares some of her experience in motherhood so far, including birth trauma and what she’s done to find healing.
Haleigh is a joy seeker and a joy spreader and we so appreciated everything she shared with us! This episode is full of great takeaways, especially if you’re a human and have ever had a mental struggle! Listen by clicking the link below or by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this goodness with your community! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Follow Haleigh on Instagram
Haleigh’s Counseling Website
Articles by Haleigh on Run Tri Bike Mag
Articles Haleigh has contributed to in Trail Runner Mag on Sports Dependency & Mental Health During COVID
Thanks to our sponsor, Treeline Coffee! They are a women owned, ethically sourced coffee roastery that makes exquisite coffee including our “You Got This” coffee blend! Pick up a bag and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week it’s Stef and I and we talk about confidence - the negative thoughts that run through our minds, when our confidence gets shaken, how we can grow our confidence and how we can raise confident kids! Give it a listen and enjoy! And we'd sure appreciate it if you would rate and review our podcast on whatever platform you get your podcasts. Thank you and happy Friday!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the podcast we get to talk with Amanda Basham - professional ultra runner, coach and new parent to 8 month old Rylan with her partner Justin Grunewald. Amanda shares with us all about how she discovered running, how it led to healing from an eating disorder, and how running has changed since becoming a mom. We enjoyed hearing about how her mindsets have shifted - through pregnancy from running for performance to running for health and in this new postpartum era where her main focus is appreciation for the ability to run. We all get to cry a little in solidarity about the challenges that lack of sleep plays while training and we see what Amanda and Justin do to support each other in this phase of life.
Amanda shares about her return to ultras since having a baby, which has been a successful but bumpy ride - she got 4th at Speedgoat in July then had to pull out of CCC due to pelvic pain in August. But one thing we loved about talking to Amanda was that even in the midst of hard moments that come with motherhood she chooses to focus on the inexplainable love she has for Rylan and how “no race or mountain I could summit would be worth not having her.” (We also get some great girl time in with Rylan in this episode and enjoyed meeting her!)
Amanda leaves us with what is in our opinion some of the best advice: In a world of many opinions constantly coming at you and the inescapable mom guilt, do what works for you. That will help you be the best mom for your particular kids in your particular family. Do what works for you. We’re all doing our best and taking things day by day! Amanda is a gem of a person and gave us great, honest, real life inspiration! Listen to this episode by clicking the link below or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platforms! Don’t forget to share this one with your running community! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Amanda on Instagram
Amanda’s coaching
Amanda’s sponsors:
Altra
Rabbit
Spring Energy
Buff USA
UltrAspire
NordicTrack
Leki
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have the privilege of talking with Verna Volker - a Navajo ultra runner, mom of four and the founder of Native Women Running which is a community geared towards celebrating and bringing visibility to native runners by sharing their stories. This platform was born when Verna realized that she didn’t see herself in the running world. “There’s some type of image that’s always portrayed in running…It’s the mom who’s a white mom, blonde, beautiful, thin, who just ran Boston and is back to her pre-pregnancy weight holding a baby.” Seeing primarily those posts on instagram and thinking “that is just not me” made Verna create a space on the internet where native women could find belonging, encouragement and sisterhood.
Running is a way for Verna to heal. She’s been on her own journey from generational trauma and loss to forgiveness. She runs because many people can’t and she dedicates her races to lost family members or people on her mind. She also puts on virtual runs that are a call to action, bringing awareness to travesties like Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the recent children who have been found on residential school properties. For too long native people have felt silenced - these runs are a way to use their voice and say, (in regards to missing women) ”These women are important to us. They’re mothers and wives and sisters and aunties and they need to be found or they need to get justice.” We talk about the barriers native runners face, what some race directors are doing to diversify their start lines, the sponsorships NWR provides to support runners in their community, and how women can be proactive and protect themselves while running.
Verna left us with reminders that each of us can use our unique gifts for activism and to be an ally. Do what you can wherever you are! Verna is a true joy and she shared so many important things with us, we are so grateful to have had this conversation! Give this episode a listen by clicking the link below or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platform! Enjoy and please share this with your people! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Verna on Instagram
Native Women Running Instagram
Native Women Running Website
Hoka Global Ambassador
Moun10 Ultra
MMIW
Wings of America
National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition
Red Earth Running Co.
Self Defense Products: Go Guarded
Red House Series Podcast
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we don’t talk all that much about ultrarunning… but we do get to chat with Cassie Sutton, a mom who recently hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 209 days with her husband and 5 year old boy, Harvey! We get to hear all about their epic adventure, how they did it, the highs and lows, and how positive mindsets got them through the journey. They are a truly inspiring family and we were so impressed by little Harvey - he’s done an AMAZING thing at such a young age! This conversation is full of great takeaways and the benefits of getting out on adventures as a family! Listen to this episode by clicking the link in bio or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with your community! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Articles about this awesome fam:
Washington Post
People
Special thanks to our sponsors this week: Treeline Coffee - The best coffee for moms to fuel up, run hard, mom hard, repeat! Try our "You Got This" blend! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off
Tonies! These are amazing, soft, screen-less, portable speakers for kids that play everything from audio books to music to meditations and so much more! They are customizable and offer endless story time adventures for kids, and perfect for the stroller too! Use code TONIEPODCAST at checkout to get 15% off any purchase of $99 or more!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have Tara Warren from episode 52 back on the podcast to talk about her recent experience with this year’s TDS race. TDS is one of the UTMB races over in the Alps and unfortunately this race week started out rough with a tragedy on the TDS course when a member of our running community fell and lost their life. We hear what it was like for Tara who was one of the 1,000+ runners behind the accident whose race was paused then eventually canceled. It became a precarious and frightening situation for the racers waiting on the mountain for hours in the middle of the night with very little information on what had happened and how/when they would be able to get back to civilization. There are still unanswered questions but after this major shared experience, all the runners whose race was “neutralized” became finishers of a new event, TDS - BSM, the first 40 miles of the original race.
It really was a day of “all the feels” for lack of a better term and Tara really helped us feel what it was like to be there -- through the anticipation and dreams of being in the greatest international trail running scene in the world, the worry when cold and stranded on a mountain, having the gift of a friendly face in the midst of a sea of runners who don’t speak your language, the disappointment of a race cut short, and of course, the sadness for a fellow runner’s life. Tara is holding onto the beauty of the place and a couple lessons learned -- like always carry an emergency blanket in the mountains, be patient and go with the flow, and “believe in the goodness of strangers.”
We’re thankful for Tara sharing this story with us and hope for healing as the processing of this event continues for all involved! To listen, click the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platform. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with your running community. Thank you!
Show Notes:
Tara’s previous episode with us
TDS
Some articles on this year’s events:
Canadian Trail Running
I Run Far
Grab a bag of our “You Got This” coffee blend from Treeline Coffee so you can fuel up, run hard, mom hard, repeat. Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have Katie Asmuth on the podcast again! Katie first joined us back in episode 40 to talk about her win at Bandera 100k and now she fills us in on all the crazy life that has been lived since! She shares what it’s been like becoming a professional runner with Saucony, her family’s move to Mammoth, training for Western States and then running during this historic race year (spoiler alert: it was HOT but the women came and dominated!). Katie as always gives us a huge dose of positive energy and a humble yet hungry perspective on competitive ultrarunning. Her race recap is inspiring and she leaves us with important reminders too, like the importance of verbalizing our goals and believing in ourselves (because why the heck not?!). Katie also talks about how labor and racing are beautiful ways of being a part of the human experience. They are some of the primal, extraordinary events that give us the rawest of emotions and euphoria in life. We also chat about how to draw more women into this sport starting with reframing trails from being intimidating and scary to being empowering and a key factor in restoring our sense of self as mothers. We also need to be vocal about the barriers that hold us back from training and racing so that having more support can become more normal. It takes a village to raise a child (and a mother) and we can help build that village for ourselves and the other amazing mamas around us!
It was so fun reconnecting with Katie and we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! Click the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platforms to listen. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with your people! Thank you!!
Show Notes:
Follow Katie on Instagram
Katie is sponsored by Saucony
Katie’s coach: David Roche
Katie at her core is a Nurse Practitioner — If you’re able to donate to a good cause, Katie is passionate about Venice Family Clinic who are doing so much to take care of any and all people in need in the L.A. area!
We talk a lot about Western States 100!
Grab a bag of our “You Got This” coffee blend from Treeline Coffee so you can fuel up, run hard, mom hard, repeat. Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off your order!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the pod we get to hear Stef’s birth story and how life has been as a family of 5! It’s fun to celebrate Stef now being on the other side of pregnancy and moving onward towards recovery and epic running adventures in the future! Woohoo!!
Show Notes:
Don’t forget to check out our Run Hard Mom Hard coffee blend called “You Got This” made by Treeline Coffee. It is THE BEST way to fuel for any mother runner! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off at check out!
This episode is brought to you by XOSKIN! They make awesome running apparel that protects athletes from chafing, blisters, hot spots and odor. Shop around and use code “treeline” for 20% off your purchase! We love their compression shorts and toe socks!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we get to chat with Sarah Ter Har - a mom, wife, ultra runner, co-race director for Trail Run Events and the soon-to-be owner of Ultra Ladies which is an organization all about increasing female participation in this sport and connecting women trail runners through group runs, coaching and mentorship. We hear about all the above mentioned things plus the many pieces that make up Sarah, like her passions for belly dancing, horseback riding, equestrian science, her longtime relationship with running and her pursuits in coaching and nutrition certifications as well. Sarah also shares with us about recent life transitions, hard decisions, growth she’s gone through, her experience with divorce, prioritizing health and happiness and setting a positive example for her daughter in everything she does (and as you can see, she does A LOT!). Sarah radiates optimism and faces life with ambition, determination and self-awareness both on and off the trail. She was a joy to talk to! Don’t forget to subscribe and share with your running community because we’re all in this together - women encouraging women! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Sarah on Instagram
Find Sarah’s races she helps direct: Trail Run Events
Check out the awesomeness that is Ultra Ladies!
Sarah’s Favorite Race: Bulldog 50k
Sarah’s Favorite Meal: Gourmet BLT’s
Don’t forget to check out our “You Got This” coffee blend from Treeline Coffee! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off delicious mama fuel!
Subscribe to Treeline Journal’s Newsletter to get one email a week containing the latest podcast episodes and Ultrarunning articles!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the pod it's Nikki and Stef! Nikki shares the play by play of spectating Western States with three kids in tow! From the history, culture and community of the race to following the runners to aid stations and the finish line it was a magical day in California. Tune in to hear about WSER from the crew/spectator side of things! Don't forget to subscribe and share with your running buddies - it's much appreciated!
Show Notes:
Read more about our time at WSER over at Treeline Journal (Day 1, Day 2, Race Day Recap)
Check out "Mealime App" for meal planning
Pick up a bag of our "You Got This" coffee blend at Treeline Coffee! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We’re back this week with Shannon Howell - a Spanish teacher, mom of two teenagers, and tremendous ultrarunner out of South Carolina! We get to hear about Shannon’s multicultural background, what it was like being raised in a family that moved a lot, traveled all over South America and only spoke Spanish in the home, and how her childhood has shaped her motherhood. She takes us through her life relationship with running and how it has come and gone but always been there when she needed it (and we think it’s safe to say her running is here to stay because Shannon runs so many races and her joy for the sport is contagious!) She has great perspectives on overcoming hard times in races and communicating well with her family about her needs for training and racing. We also talk about what races she has coming up including Western States next week (which she is going to ROCK!!) and TDS later in the summer! Needless to say we will be living vicariously through her!
We loved our time with Shannon and were uplifted by her kind and positive nature! Give this episode a listen and don’t forget to subscribe and share with your running community! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Nikki’s Pelvic Floor PT: Emily Bliss with Bliss Physical Therapy
Read “Why Did No One Tell Me?” By Emma Brockwell for Pregnant and Postpartum mamas
Treeline Coffee - use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off check out our “You Got This” blend for fueling all the mamas out there!
Check out Shannon’s blog, “She Goes The Distance”!
Find Shannon on Instagram
Shannon's coach: Matt Hammersmith
A race to put on your bucket list: Conquer the Rock 50k
Shannon's favorite race: Leadville and Longest Day
Shannon's favorite meal: Empanadas
You’ll need:
- 1 Package empanada disks, thawed in fridge (can be found in freezer section under international foods)
- 1 lb. ground beef (or meat alternative)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
- Taco seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped (optional)
- 1/8 cup water
- Small bowl of water
- Fork
Directions:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add chopped onion and bell pepper, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Add ground beef to mixture, and cook until browned. Mix in taco seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix in 1/8 c of water and bring mixture to a simmer.
- *Let mixture cool until almost room temperature before next step.
- Mix in chopped cilantro.
- For each empanada, put a heaping tablespoon of mixture in the middle. Dip a finger in the small bowl of water and spread a small amount around the outside of the disk. Fold disk over, beginning to pinch edges, being careful to not let any of the mixture fall out. Use fork to crimp the outside edges shut and make a half moon shape.
- In a small to medium sauce pan, heat 4-6 inches of oil. In order to test the oil for frying, pinch off a small amount of dough and toss in oil. Add two empanadas, frying both sides until golden brown. Move to a plate covered in paper towels for draining.
- Enjoy!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on the podcast it’s birth story time!! Nikki shares all the fun details of baby Greta’s birth and Stef and Nikki catch up, talk about the latest in Stef’s pregnancy and the last two weeks of postpartum life for Nikki! Give this episode a listen by clicking the link below or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platforms! PS- Hi!! We’ve missed you all! Thanks for bearing with us while we’ve taken a little break to have or grow babies!
Show Notes:
Head to Treeline Coffee and check out our Run Hard Mom Hard Blend! Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off some delicious coffee specially made to fuel up mother runners on their adventures - either at home with little ones or on the trails! Don't forget, You Got This!
Follow us on Instagram!
Subscribe to Treeline Journal’s Newsletter to stay in the loop!
Email us at runhardmomhard@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we had our first international guest - Sophie Power from England! Sophie is well known for being the mom who ran UTMB three months postpartum, stopping to nurse and pump along the way. In this episode we get to hear the backstory behind the infamous photo from the Courmayeur, Italy aid station, including UTMB’s policy on not letting women defer their spot in the race due to pregnancy, her desire to experience this iconic race that she'd been working towards for years, and how she built up her training to prepare for this adventure. She called it “the anti-race” where instead of going as fast as possible, she went slow to protect her pelvic floor and stay on top of nutrition so she could keep up her nursing supply. She ran as smart as any mom could in her position and she was able to have her well-deserved finish line moment with her two sons. She says, “There was a real sense that I was back to myself and that I’d achieved my goal. I was still me and I had done something for my kids. I think I felt that as much as anything else. Looking at how proud my son was, how happy he was, how he was going to grow up…” (by seeing his mom conquering the world, he will know women are capable of anything and he is too!)
We also got to hear about Sophie’s beautiful, recent film made with HOKA ONE ONE called, “The Journey from Pregnancy to Performance” in which she shows the honest and real side of a mother returning to running after having a baby (though of course, each pregnancy and postpartum is different!). She displays a slower progression back to sport after her third baby (AKA not running UTMB three months postpartum) and the work that went into regaining strength. Sophie shares how she worked closely with a pelvic floor physical therapist, how she was diagnosed with prolapse and rehabbed that while keeping the big picture in mind that postpartum is for life and that this recovery must be taken seriously if she wants to run ultras later in life. She addresses topics like how we can reframe mom guilt by remembering that a mom continuing to care for herself and go after her athletic dreams positively effects her kids and has the power to transform society and she gives practical tips on how mothers can prioritize their mental and physical health.
Sophie is doing so much for women in our sport and shedding light on places that have been in the dark for too long - like the gaping holes in health care for new moms and the many barriers that keep women from going after their dreams. Well, change is coming, thanks to people like Sophie! Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast, share it with your running community and watch Sophie’s film (see below)! Thank you!
Show Notes:
***Big thanks to this week’s podcast sponsor, XOSKIN! They make awesome running apparel that protects athletes from chafing, blisters, hot spots and odor. Use code “treeline” for 20% off your purchase!
Follow Sophie on Instagram
Trustee of the charity, Women in Sport
EVB shorts - Irish pelvic support shorts!
Coach: Edwina Sutton
Physio: Emma Brockwell
Read Emma’s book: Why did no one tell me?
Sophie’s film: “The Journey from Pregnancy to Performance”
Sophie’s favorite race: Spartathalon
Sophie’s favorite meal: Recipe boxes from local restaurant, “Hawksmoor” - with British things like steak, chips, garlic mushrooms, creamed spinach, sticky toffee pudding. Love it!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
It’s Stef and I this week and we share some updates, stories, words on transitioning into newborn phase, I share some of my postpartum survival guide plan and we talk through our podcast and running dreams going forward! We also muse about the characteristics of grit and endurance based on the books “Grit” by Angela Duckworth and “Endure” by Alex Hutchinson. To listen click the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe, follow us and share with friends! Thank you!!
Show Notes:
Run Ready Checklist
Postpartum Return to Running Program
Haakaa breast pump
Elvie pump, willow pump
“Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” book by Angela Duckworth
“Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance" by Alex Hutchinson
“Becoming Better Grown Ups” by Brad Montague
Follow us on Instagram!
Subscribe to the Treeline Journal Newsletter here!
Email us at runhardmomhard@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Jaime Maher - an ultrarunner, mother, behavior consultant, coach, run club leader and positive impact maker on everyone she meets. To give a snapshot of that last qualification listed, this is how she runs (and wins) ultras: she smiles through every second of the race, slows down and talks to every single person she passes and knows everyone’s life story by the time they cross the finish line. And did I mention that she still wins?!
One of Jaime’s superpowers is reframing the negative - in life and running - and turning it positive. She helps runners do this along race courses and she helped Stef and I with reframing current parenting struggles (thank you Jaime!)! She reminded us that, “Everything is temporary - the good the bad and the ugly, whether it’s in life, whether it’s in running, whatever it is, it’s all temporary so just soak it up. Even the pain! Soak it up because you can use that later to your advantage.”
Jaime and her husband have a sweet partnership and are an ultrarunning power couple. Together they lead a 1,700+ member running club based out of St. Louis where they foster a welcoming and uplifting place for the running community to come together. We also get to hear the story of when they both trained for and raced THE SAME 100 miler (that’s hard for parents to do!), what the race was like, how Jaime got through a hypothermic experience, and how it went having both parents recover from a 100 mile journey. She shares how she trains as a busy mom, the key being that every mile has purpose (quality vs. quantity) and she prioritizes cross training and one day off a week which means that she never went over a 67.3 mile week in prep for her 100 miler! That’s good news for any mom wanting to tackle a big distance but feels too overwhelmed at the time it would take to try.
We’re lucky that Jaime shared her “highly excitable” nature and encouraging mindsets with us and we hope you love this episode as much as we do! To listen, click the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platform. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with the runners in your corner! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Follow Jaime on instagram
Check out Jaime and Ryan’s Arch City Run Club on Facebook!
Get in touch with Jaime about run coaching and check out her website!
Jaime’s husband’s pod: The Endurance House Podcast
Jaime’s Fave Race: Voyageur 50
Jaime’s Fave Meal: Tuscan Chicken made by her 7 year old, Dempsey!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we chat with Tara Warren, an awesome ultrarunning mom and endurance running coach out of Ogden, Utah. We get to hear about how she got into this sport and how she overcame the barriers and fears that hinder many women from dabbling in trail running (wild animals, sketchy people, getting lost and a lack of knowledge). Through repetition and finding empowerment out in the mountains she grew to love running long distances and quickly set out on the progression towards 100 mile races.
Tara shares the power of 100 milers - how you can take the suffering that you learn during them and use it in all other areas of life, like motherhood and daily struggles. She is passionate about her training, keeps it enjoyable and savors the race experiences as opportunities to use what she’s learned and push herself through whatever may come up along the way - like when she recalled prior singing experiences and breathing techniques to get through a race with broken ribs! There have been a couple years where Tara has run 3 (BIG) 100 milers each summer (races like Bighorn, UTMB and The Bear) and yet she still keeps her long term running health in focus. When we asked her about her training and mom life “balance” she responded with, “It’s a mess!” But she rolls with life similarly to how she does long races, taking things as they come, recognizing she might not get out for a run every day and that doesn’t make it a bad day, just a different day.
Tara is full of encouragement and positive perspectives for all of us mother runners! Give this episode a listen by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with your running community! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Follow Tara on Instagram!
Find her coaching info here!
Brands Tara partners with: Suunto, Hoka, Ultimate Direction, Gnarly Nutrition, Jaybird, Rabbit, Injinji, Backcountry
Tara’s Fave Race: Bighorn 100
Tara’s Fave Meal: breakfasts, baking, and chicken caprese
Follow us on instagram!
Subscribe to Treeline Journal’s Newsletter
Email us anytime at runhardmomhard@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We’ve had questionsabout various things we use during pregnancy and we had a request for a pregnancy gear episode so we’re doing that this week! Listen in to hear what products are getting us through these 9 months! In the last 20 minutes we discuss body image during pregnancy and navigating the pressures put on pregnant and postpartum bodies, sharing a couple resources for anyone who might struggle with those topics.
Show Notes:
Running related:
Cadenshae leggings and nursing bras - use code “RHMH15%” for 15% off your purchase!
ReCORE Fitness FITsplints and strength programs - use code “rhmh15” for 15% off your order!
Hydroflask water bottles = the best
Treadmills = super handy
Senita maternity running leggings with pockets
Nikki’s advice: Don’t change up your running shoes during pregnancy unless you’d love to kill your feet
Non-running related:
Fetal Doppler
Wrist splints for carpal tunnel
Papaya Enzymes for heartburn! Life saver!!
Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion
Nikki’s Face Oil with Jujoba, Primrose, Rose Hip and Vitamin E oil
Amika Soul Food Hair Mask! AMAZING!
Buy yourself a couple maternity pieces you feel good in. Splurge!
Lululemon leggings for everyday living
Fre Wine (non-alcoholic wine)
Hospital Bag Essentials:
Stef: Extra long phone charging cord, Pads and underwear if you don’t like the mesh ones, Gift for husband, Gifts for siblings, Comfy clothes, Mascara, Face wash, tooth brush, shower stuff, Tucks, Frida Mom Peri Bottle (apparently a must have!), Mother Love Sits Bath Spray
Nikki: Nursing bra, Nursing tank top, Nursing pads, Robe, Nipple cream/butter/balm, Take home outfit for baby, Snacks, Comfy clothes for spouse, Glasses/ contacts, Hair ties, chap stick, deodorant
A couple resources to help with body image during pregnancy and tackling the pressures put on pregnant and postpartum bodies:
Fearless Rebelle Radio Podcast #103, @thebirdspapaya, @bec_ellis_writer, “The Fourth Trimester” book by Kimberly Anne Johnson
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Wow! It’s been a whole year of having a podcast and spending hours talking to TONS of amazing ultrarunning mamas! We feel so thankful for all the stories we’ve heard, knowledge we’ve gathered, experiences we’ve had, friendships we’ve gained, and encouragement we’ve gleaned from each and every guest we’ve had on the show. It’s truly been life giving and life changing for Stef and I!
In this episode we discuss how the year started, how it’s going and where we’re headed from here. We navigated a pandemic, juggled mom/work/running/podcast life, tried hard to be consistent, learned how to show up in our imperfection and soaked up the positive virtual community that our guests and listeners have surrounded us with! We reflect on how each episode we’ve done has reminded us that what we’re all doing - being moms and running long distances - is a very beautiful thing. The pursuit, the passion and the struggle is all beautiful and worthwhile. A continual theme amongst our guests has been that running is a celebration of life. As moms we run to celebrate our life, our kids’ lives, our strength and freedom to move our bodies and our ability to overcome the challenges we face in the process. We share a couple clips from past episodes that exemplify this celebration - though of course we would share something from every single conversation because we haven’t met a mom that hasn’t left us inspired and in awe, but alas, that would take dayyyyss.
To our listeners: we love you!!! We wouldn’t be here without your support - downloading episodes, sharing your precious miles with us in your ear buds, tagging us, messaging us, etc. It all means the world to us and gives us energy to keep going with this thing! We’re proud of what we’ve done in a year and thrilled to see where we go next, all with our badass lady gang by our side of course! Thank you for accompanying us on this grand adventure!
A big thanks to our sponsor this week, ReCORE Fitness! Check them out for Maternity and Postnatal FITsplints as well as online strength programs that are safe for pregnancy and postpartum mamas! We can’t recommend them enough! Go to recorefitness.com and use code “rhmh15” for 15% off your purchase!
Show Notes:
Follow us on Instagram!
Subscribe to Treeline Journal’s Newsletter for the latest episodes and articles!
Email us at: runhardmomhard@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Today’s episode is a shorty with Stef and I! We talk life updates, pregnancy qualms, and about the difficulty of being “stuck” in times that demand rest instead of running hard after big goals. Lastly, we try to provide some motivation for all based off of the Morgan Harper Nichols quote, “May you continue to be inspired by others while never letting their stories become so great in your mind that they cast a shadow on your own.”
Click the link below to listen or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! We’ll see you next week for our gasp ONE YEAR OF HAVING A PODCAST CELEBRATION EPISODE!! Woohoo! Zippity Dooda! So stay tuned for that.
Show Notes:
If you aren't yet, follow us on Instagram!
Sign up for our once a week Treeline Journal Newsletter for the latest podcasts and articles!
Email us with any questions or comments at runhardmomhard@gmail.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have the joy of talking with Caitlin Jacobsen, an ultra running mom of three and an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach who specializes in helping athletes in their healing process. We dive right in and cover so much ground, more than I could possibly mention in this minuscule write up. We hear about Caitlin’s beautiful story of childhood, how she grew up on the south side of Chicago with incredibly strong parents, her dad who had been blinded in an accident before Caitlin and her siblings were born and her mom who rose into an example of what it means to be a strong woman for her kids. It was humble beginnings and hardships but more so it was love, deep family bonds and resiliency that shaped Caitlin into who she is today. Caitlin tells us about her personal journey through a traumatic collegiate running experience and an eating disorder, why those two things are so prevalent in our world, and the work that must be done to change this narrative. Within the realm of motherhood, we talk about how we can learn to embrace the changes our bodies go through and start shifting the cultural language of “bouncing back” to pre-baby body to letting ourselves move forward instead, recognizing we’re not the same person we were yesterday let alone the same woman we were before having a child, so why the need to “go back”? Caitlin gives us tips on how to role model body respect to our kids and conversations we can have with them if we see warning signs that they might be struggling with their body or food. Another theme we touch on is the importance of taking up our space as mothers and that we are strongest and bravest when we ask for help. Life is hard, motherhood is hard, trying to pursue our passions and run ultras amidst all of that is even harder and we can’t do it alone, nor do we need to. Also, I should mention that Caitlin spent many years as a professional (I’m naming her a professional) TRIPLE STROLLER runner and if that isn’t both shocking and impressive I don’t know what is! Those days are bitter-sweetly over for her but she’s moving onto 50 milers and 100 milers this year so the awe-inspiring feats continue! Caitlin is self aware, reflective and thoughtful and she showered us with messages of empowerment and inspiration to keep running forward as the strong, confident and capable moms that we ALL are! Give this episode a listen by clicking the link below or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform. Don’t forget to subscribe and share with the awesome women in your life!
Big thanks to our sponsor this week, ReCORE! ReCORE fitness helps women improve core and pelvic floor strength, stability and function through pregnancy and postpartum with strength programs, personal training and support bands like the Maternity FITsplint (helps mamas run through pregnancy) and the Post Natal FITsplint (helping mamas recover after having a baby). We personally LOVE the Maternity FITsplint and everything ReCORE is doing to empower women as they go through these major stages of life. You can go to recorefitness.com and use code “rhmh15” for 15% off FITsplints or instant access to PreCORE and ReCORE online programs!
Show Notes: Find Caitlin on Instagram Check out Caitlin’s website Endurecovery and learn about her recovery coaching! Caitlin also works for Opal: Food and Body Wisdom Eating Disorder Treatment Center in Seattle Favorite race: Bulldog 25k Favorite meal: Nachos - with toppings like cheese, shredded chicken, beans, scallions, green onions, guacamole, etc!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Meg Landymore and Celia Eicheldinger - two ultra running moms from the East Coast who are setting out to do the whole Appalachian Trail on foot! They plan on tackling a big section (anywhere from 100 miles to 200+ miles) every three weeks between work schedules and motherhood. We get to hear all about their plan, how they’re staying flexible, how they’re training for this kind of undertaking (from back to back to back trail runs to marching at a stand up desk with a weighted pack), worries they have about bouncing back and forth from the freedom of adventure and real life as busy moms and how to stay present in both places. These ladies are also making this journey about more than just themselves and are trying to raise $25,000 for Soles4Souls - a non profit that takes used shoes and turns them into opportunity; providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty. Check out the links below to donate to the cause, follow the journey, and if you’re in the area (anywhere along the AT) see how you could help these awesome mamas as they head north along the trail! They start the roughly 2,200 mile journey on March 27th!
Meg and Celia are so inspiring and we admire the examples they’re setting of moms deciding to still go after BIG things even in the midst of their real lives with fears, fatigue, the little kid years, chronic pain, but also a refreshing focus on how ultra running and projects like this one stem from passion and aren’t always convenient but are completely worth it. Like Meg said, “We’re going to make it happen, whether or not we should is a fantastic question, but we’re going to.” And Celia reminded us of what we all feel to be true when she said, “you kind of know deep down that we’re much happier when we have something like this (a challenge). Something that terrifies us enough … there’s a chance of failure and in life there’s not many things you do where there’s a real chance of failure. And it’s kind of exciting.”
We know they’re going to do great, have the adventure of a lifetime and we can’t wait to follow along! Click the link below to listen or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe and share!
A huge thank you to our sponsor this week, ReCORE fitness! ReCORE fitness helps women improve core and pelvic floor strength, stability and function through pregnancy and postpartum with strength programs, personal training and support bands like the Maternity FITsplint (helps mamas run through pregnancy) and the Post Natal FITsplint (helping mamas recover after having a baby). We personally LOVE the Maternity FITsplint and everything ReCORE is doing to empower women as they go through these major stages of life. You can go to recorefitness.com and use code “rhmh15” for 15% off FITsplints or instant access to PreCORE and ReCORE online programs!
Show Notes:
Follow these ladies on instagram!
Check out more info about this AT project here!
Donate to Soles4Souls here!
Meg’s favorite race: Georgia Jewel 100 miler
Celia’s favorite race: Georgia Jewel 50 miler
Meg’s favorite meal: pizza
Celia’s favorite meal: chocolate!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Nicole Monette - a Michigan mom of three, physical therapist and runner for Hoka. Nicole started running ultras in 2017 and has had some amazing performances in the short period of time between then and now.
We hear about her journey through motherhood and the challenges and beauty it has brought her. Nicole underwent IVF for each of her kids and described what that experience was like - expensive, stressful, emotional, isolating, physically demanding and yet ultimately extremely rewarding. She also told us about how different each birth was, particularly her daughter who was born 6 weeks early and what that time spent in the NICU was like. It was in the NICU where Nicole decided she wanted to run a 100 miler and signed up for Yeti 100 right there and then! I love that image of bravery and determination, setting her sights on something big even while being in a hard place.
Yeti 100 ended up being an awesome celebration of her daughter’s first year of life (it was almost exactly a year from her daughter being born and those early NICU days) and Nicole ran the race in her typical fashion… by winning the thing! We also got to hear about the recent Hoka Project Carbon X2 event and how the day unfolded for her - from managing her nerves, starting in the back of the pack, going out with her plan at her pace and picking people off all day to a second place finish!
Nicole is an incredible runner and mother and we loved hearing about how she makes those two worlds come together and work with each other! Very inspiring! Don’t forget to subscribe and share with your mom tribe! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Nicole on Instagram
Sponsor: HOKA
Coach: Patrick Reagan
Favorite race: Yeti 100 Mile Endurance Run
Favorite Meal: homemade pizza or fish tacos with mango salsa out of “Run Fast, Eat Slow”
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Jen Benna, a mother of two, a phenomenal runner and someone who has many inspiring stories and life experiences to share with us. Jen takes us through the evolution of her 17 year long ultra running journey and how running has intertwined with the different phases of her life. She’s run through motherhood, through stress, through family tragedy and grief, through times of giving too much to running and times of not giving it enough. She has come to a beautiful place of growth, faith, loving the process, engaging the struggle, believing in herself and letting go of imposter syndrome. She now embraces all the parts of her life that make her who she is and she runs from a strong sense of “why”.
We get to hear about some hilarious "pump and run" stories and how Jen would configure breast pumps to be as light as possible so she wouldn't have to stop during long races! She tells us a story about racing and winning a 50 miler after sitting in the ICU with her daughter for 12 days when they almost lost her. But her daughter was strong, pulled through and Jen ran with a fire and gratitude for her daughter's new lease on life (and yes, you’ll need a tissue for this part... for all of the last 30 minutes really). We also learned about what it was like to help her husband, JB, make Unbreakable about Western States in 2010 (if you haven't seen it, watch it via the link below, it's a classic!!)
People like Jen really remind us that what we’re doing - as mothers continuing to pursue our running dreams and bumping up against struggle when life gets hard - is a supremely beautiful thing. Each time we’re able to show up and run, we are honoring the life we get to live, the lives we have created in our kids and the strength that sustains us. This episode is filled with golden nuggets to take with you in training and in life, so enjoy!
Big thanks to our sponsor this week, Cadenshae! Cadenshae is a maternity activewear brand based out of New Zealand that makes medically endorsed maternity, postpartum and nursing apparel such as leggings, shorts, bras and tops! Check out their awesome products at cadenshae.com and use code RUNHARD15% for 15% off your purchase!
Show Notes:
Find Jen on Instagram
Jen's Coach: David Roche
Watch Unbreakable on Youtube!
Jen’s favorite race: Zion 100
Jen’s Favorite meal: Sushi bowls or wraps consisting of sushi rice, salmon, cucumber, avocado, seaweed, and ponzu sauce.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have a big resource episode coming your way! We talk with Heidi Strickler, a Registered Sports Dietitian who works with athletes world wide and specializes in female endurance athletes. Her mission is to help women understand how our bodies work, what is happening in our bodies during our cycles and how to fuel and train through all the changes we experience.
Here are just some of the amazing takeaways from our time with Heidi!
- Your period is your superpower. It’s a sign that your body is working as it should and there are ways to use your cycle as a tool nutritionally and athletically to perform optimally. The loss of a period is often the first sign that something isn’t right in a woman’s body.
- All food fits. We need to stop labeling food as bad or good which leads to us weighing our food choices in terms of morality. Obviously there are more nutritious foods than others, but you are not morally bad if you eat brownies, just as you are not morally good if you eat broccoli.
- Food is fuel.
- All bodies are good bodies - let's shift the narrative of “smaller is faster” and “smaller is better” because it can be but only until it isn’t and it’s a steep cliff to fall from when you’re trying to achieve this societal standard. The goal is to re-establish body trust.
- We talk about the negative affects of Oral Contraceptives and how it can mask things like Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and the problems RED-S can cause
- We can manage and mitigate symptoms during our cycle to feel and perform better. With tracking our body’s natural rhythms we can understand the physiology of what is causing our symptoms. Heidi walks us through each phase of the cycle, how our hormones are being affected and tips on the foods we should focus on eating and the types of training that are most beneficial during each phase. SO enlightening!
- We talk about diet fads and fasted training and how they are male-centric and do not work for a woman's body.
- For nursing mothers: Heidi recommends the "See Food Diet", as in, if you see food, eat it!
- Heidi gives great tips on easy meals and snacks to make and pre-run, during-run and post-run fuel options!
- We as moms are role models for our kids - lets show them to respect their bodies by respecting ours!
Thank you to this week’s sponsor, Cadenshae! Cadenshae is a maternity activewear brand based out of New Zealand that makes medically endorsed maternity, postpartum and nursing apparel such as leggings, shorts, bras and tops! Check out their awesome products at cadenshae.com and use code RUNHARD15% for 15% off your purchase!
Follow Heidi on Instagram
Email her at hkstrickler.sportsrd@gmail.com
Apps to track your cycle:
Fitr Women
Hello Clue
Heidi loves UCAN products (more easily processed by womens’ bodies than other sports nutrition brands!)
Heidi’s go-to meals during the week:
- burritos/tacos/fajitas/burrito bowls
- sheet pan meals
- crockpot meals: curry/stew/soup/chili or pulled pork/sloppy joes/pot roast
- burgers (salmon, beef, veggie, etc.)
- breakfast (scrambles, breakfast burritos, pancakes, frittatas)
Go to the Podcast Write Up Article to see how Heidi structures her meals throughout the week!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
On the pod this week Stef and Nikki chit-chat about all things random! There’s no real point to this episode, it’s just a form of talk radio if you will, with updates and check-ins, and topics including but not limited to child medical issues, humidifiers, garden planting, farm stands, how sweet potatoes are grown, crewing races with kids, entering the school age era, pregnancies, grandparents and sweet treats. Enjoy it! (We sure did!)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we get to talk with Maggie Tides - an attorney, artist, mom and ultra runner in California. We chat about real life and the joys and struggles that come with balancing all these parts of life. Maggie’s daughter was still very young when COVID hit and her family had recently gone through some major life changes so she describes the transition into motherhood and the juggling act of life as, “I’m juggling an apple, an orange and a banana and someone is going to toss in a watermelon (the baby). It’ll be a big change but I can juggle it! Psych! … it’s like being tossed a chainsaw on fire…in the dark! It was such a huge change…” Amen sister.
Maggie reminds us all to laugh at the ridiculousness of motherhood that unfolds around us each day and to focus on how “something is better than nothing” when it comes to getting things done, taking care of ourselves and finding the time to train in-between it all. She is currently three weeks into a run streak which is helping her get out the door, even for a little run, everyday - it doesn’t have to be fast or pretty or long but it’s building back that mental habit of running after the funky year that was 2020.
One thing we loved about Maggie, besides all her great perspectives on life, is her inquisitive brain and her love of learning and solving puzzles. Those characteristics have guided her to get a Bachelors in Architecture, a Bachelors in Philosophy - where she loved studying ethics and law - and then to law school; a way she could apply philosophy to life in big ways. Social justice is very important to her and she is the kind of person who does an amazing job of making her corner of the world a better place than when she found it. She’s an earth shaker and a mover for sure!
We also talk about how she started running, some of her previous race experiences including guiding for visually impaired runners in marathons, running Transvulcania (which she did with her husband on their honeymoon slash “runny moon” - so cool!) and what’s ahead, like the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 which will help her keep building her tickets to Western States one day! Maggie also shares about her artwork which is inspired by the trails and places that she loves so much. She’s done work for GU too, which you can find on any “Cola Me Happy” gel pack! Her beautiful art is shipped plastic free and a portion of profits go to a different nonprofit every year (check it out in the show notes below)!
This episode is filled with fun and great reminders for all moms! Go listen and enjoy! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review, and share with friends! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Maggie on Instagram
Check out her art at maggietidesdesign.com
Her artwork for GU
Some resources to become a running guide for the blind:
- Lighthouse for the Blind
- United In Stride
- Attendly
Fave Race: San Diego 100
Fave Meal: (Fast and Easy) Vegan Mac ’n’ Cheese from the Plant to Plate cookbook
Bonus -- Rice and Beans Casserole: 1 can refried beans, 1 can pinto beans, 2 cups rice, 1 can of corn, 1 can green chiles, some diced tomatoes, with enchilada sauce on top and bake it!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talked with Andrea Larson - a mom of 3, a Wisconsin cheesehead, an ultra runner, adventure racer, nordic skier, and mountain biker. She also is the executive director for IRONBULL, which is a non-profit that promotes outdoor recreation and adventure racing in central Wisconsin. We get to hear about what makes up adventure racing - from map and compass navigation to seeing the woods from a new perspective off trail, to learning the true meaning of teamwork and trusting each other. Overcoming adversity with a positive attitude is critical and you can see how Andrea takes what she’s learned from this sport and applies it to all areas of her life.
Andrea’s running history and accomplishments are very impressive too! She has set course records, she’s podiumed at Leadville, she won the Marji Gesick 100 miler and she just recently ran Bandera 100k where she got 4th place female even after driving 22 hours solo to get to the race and having no crew there to help out! Andrea trains with a skier’s approach, instead of logging miles she bases training on the hours she accumulates each week and she incorporates a lot of cross-training into her workload as well (all the many sports she loves as listed above, roller skiing and bike commuting - which is basically a sport the way she does it!)
We also get to talk about real mom life and the challenges and beauty of being a mother and still racing - especially in those earlier days when nursing! It’s not always glamorous, you miss the awards ceremonies sometimes, you’re “tied” to your kids physically and emotionally but the reward of watching your kids turn into such cool people outweighs the hard parts by a hundred fold. Andrea lives her passions and instills a healthy lifestyle with her kids, one example of that being the massively impressive garden that her family grows together - they’re still pulling carrots out of the garden…in January…in Wisconsin! So cool!
Show Notes:
Andrea is the Executive Director for IRONBULL
Andrea’s Favorite Race: All her races are important to her but The Race of Life and Motherhood takes the cake!
Andrea’s Favorite Meal: Banana Pancakes! She talks about cottage cheese pancakes on the podcast which will be posted on the IRONBULL website soon and we’ll add that to the show notes!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we chat with Katie Asmuth - a mom of two boys, a nurse practitioner and the recent winner of the 2021 Bandera 100k. Many of you out there have probably heard of Katie - she is now known as the woman who broke her nose mid race, shoved a tampon up it and still went on to win and secure a golden ticket to Western States 100 in June. We get to hear all of the glorious play by play leading up to the race and of course the gory events as they transpired. What stood out to me was her humor and how she embraces the true ultra runner spirit of “smiling through the suck”, not taking herself too seriously and rolling with the punches that can happen during a race - even if those punches are to the face!
We also hear about how she embraces the competitive camaraderie with other women and how her true desire is for everyone to work together, feed off each other's strength and bring out the best in each other. Katie shares how she built up to being a competitive trail runner, what training is like with her coach, David Roche, and how she balances training with mom life, working full time and her husband's training (he's also an endurance athlete)! Katie works as a nurse practitioner serving vulnerable, underserved populations and that has given her a deep sense of gratitude for her running and life as a whole. She inspires all of us to go out with joy and thankfulness in our own lives with whatever it is we're doing and lift others up along the way.
We were so energized by talking with Katie and we hope you have FUN listening to this episode! Don’t forget to subscribe and share with all your friends! Thank you!
Show Notes:
Find Katie on Instagram
Read more of Katie’s story in this article written by coach David Roche and the Bandera 100k Preview and Recap articles on Treeline Journal written by Chase
Katie’s coach: David Roche with SWAP coaching
Katie’s sponsor: Fluid Nutrition
Katie’s Favorite Race: Angeles Crest 100
Katie’s Favorite Meal:
A couple staples in Katie’s household - She diversifies her kids’ meals by having them pick colors from the rainbow that they might be missing on their plates, the whole family eats massive cereal bowls for breakfast filled with all the good stuff (multiple kinds of cereals, berries, chia seeds, cacao, etc…) and they always have their Asmuth Family Dutch Apple Babies for every holiday and birthday (a lot of butter and a lot of love).
Asmuth Family Dutch Apple Baby Recipe:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 3 green apples, peeled and sliced
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 lemon
- Powdered sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 400. In frying pan, slowly cook on low heat the butter, sugar, cinnamon and apples. While apples are simmering, blend together eggs, milk and flour. Pour blended mixture into skillet over the hot apples and quickly place skillet into the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a clean knife into the center. If mixture is still doughy bake 2 more minutes and check again. Serve with lemon and powdered sugar.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Phyllis Stanley, a single mom to two boys, a full-time employee for the State of Washington and a logger of many trail miles in Olympic National Park which is in her backyard! Running for Phyllis started as part of her Navajo heritage growing up. She and her family would practice the teaching of running each morning to build discipline and strength. They would get up before sunrise and run to the east to greet the holy spirits that pass through the landscape blessing their children who are up calling out to them. We loved hearing about how Phyllis grew up and how she tries to keep her old traditions alive for her boys in this day and age.
We also hear about how running is so much more than just running for her - it’s been how she has coped with grief from the loss of loved ones. Early in the episode Phyllis mentions how her mom had a certain strength and hopefulness in her, and we see that outlook and ability to press forward in Phyllis - she remains grateful, she soaks up her time in sacred outdoor spaces and she keeps going for her kids. She is vegan too and shares a little about how plant-based eating has changed her life! Lot’s of great topics!
Give this episode a listen and don’t forget to subscribe and share with your running buddies! Thank you!
Show Notes
Stef’s Superfood Powder for smoothies: Amazing Grass Superfood
Nikki’s Vitamix Mocha Freeze Recipe: 2 cups milk (any kind), 1TBS instant espresso powder, 3TBS sugar, 3TBS chocolate sauce, 2 cups ice cubes
Phyllis’s Favorite Meal: Vegan Wild Mushroom Stroganoff Soup
Phyllis’s Favorite Race: Secret Beach 50 miler
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Heidi Becksted - an epidemiologist, ultra runner and active mother of three in the mountains of Colorado. We loved hearing about her education in public health, her interest in investigating outbreaks and her experience working for the CDC. She gave some great insights on COVID-19 and empathizes with how hard of a year it’s been, remembering that people are people, our society struggles with change and facing unknown times but since change is inevitable we won’t be in this place forever, things will get better eventually.
Heidi speaks on the challenge of deciding to leave her job to be home with her kids during the little kid years and how her family is making the most of their time together by getting out on grand adventures regularly. She is a huge inspiration in this area - she reminds us to believe in our children’s capabilities and that they love responsibility, being needed and being invited to explore this world with us. The way Heidi talks about family, loss and new life is beautiful and the way she approaches her kids with joy is amazing. She said, “It’s exciting to think about building your best friends in your kids… I dream my dreams out loud with them and I think it gets them excited about the possibilities of what they can do someday with me.” So good! Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode with your mom tribe!
Thank you to this week’s sponsor, XOSKIN! Check out their seamless, anti-chafing running gear at xoskin.us and use code “treeline” for 20% off your purchase!
Show Notes:
Follow Heidi on Instagram
Heidi’s favorite race: Le Grizz 50 miler
Heidi’s favorite meal: Lemon Greek Chicken Soup and homemade bread
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Sabrina Little - a professional ultra runner for Hoka, a philosophy professor and a mom to a 6 month old. We loved getting to hear about each of these worlds and how they have intertwined in her life. From how she followed her passion to study and get her PhD in philosophy, to researching and reflecting on life's big questions, to using that same curiosity to test her body and mind in long ultramarathons like 100 milers and 24-Hour Races, and to how motherhood has shifted some of her priorities but her ambition remains. This episode is full of inspiration and thought provoking ideas and we can't wait for you to give it a listen! Don't forget to share this with any and everyone!
Big thanks to this week's podcast sponsor, XOSKIN! They make awesome running apparel that protects athletes from chafing, blisters, hot spots and odor. Use code "treeline" for 20% off your purchase!
Show Notes:
Follow Sabrina on Instagram
Read her philosophical writing in her irunfar column called “The Examined Life”
Also read her blog!
Sabrina’s sponsors:
HOKA ONE ONE
Inside Tracker
Drymax
Sabrina's Favorite Race: Rocky Raccoon 100
Sabrina's Favorite Meal: Homemade Sushi!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Utah runner Jessi Morton-Langehaug - a high school science and yoga teacher, mom, and big time ultra runner. We hear about her history with running and how that intertwined with her long battle with undiagnosed Lyme disease. She had a long and agonizing journey of misdiagnosis and trying everything under the sun to heal her body, but through it she found immense strength and has continued to pursue what she loves, which is ultra running and pushing her body to longer and longer distances. She’s a huge believer in self love and positive self talk which have helped her overcome the limitations that were placed on her for so long.
Recently, Jessi won Moab 240 and shares what that experience was like and how a 240 miler compares to a 100 miler. This episode is an amazing story of perseverance and hope and the power of believing in one's self. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with anyone who could use a boost of encouragement! Thank you!
Big thanks to this week's sponsor: XOSKIN! They are currently running a WINTER SALE through December 15th! Shop around and use code “treeline” at checkout for 25% off! By supporting XOSKIN, you are supporting us! Thank you!
Shownotes:
Find Jessi on Instagram
Read Jessi’s book - “Defying the Odds”
Favorite Race: Moab 240
Favorite Meal:
-
Cook quinoa (two cups of water for every one cup of quinoa). Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add a can of garbanzo beans at the end of 15 minutes, mix. Add olive oil and bragg's amino acid for flavor
-
While quinoa is cooking, chop then sautee the chard and kale in olive or avocado oil until tender. Add salt and bragg's to flavor
-
Create a bowl by adding the quinoa mixture, greens, feta and cherry tomatoes
note: if adding yams, either roast them separately or add them to the quinoa mix while steaming (if doing the latter, add extra water)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week it’s Nikki and Stef as we talk through everything a person should know when thinking about running their first ultramarathon! We are not certified experts but are happy to share our experiences and what has worked for us when preparing for long races. We share our thoughts on gear, fueling, nutrition, recovery, sleep, safety, how to pick your first ultra, what our training typically looks like for races, how mom life factors into all this and more! It’s kind of a lot of information coming at you so hold on tight! We hope it’s at least somewhat helpful having this content in one episode for runners who are new to the sport or for anyone who would like a refresher on important basics which we all need sometimes! We also hope to see some of our listeners who haven’t run an ultra yet get inspired and sign up for one! Because you can do it!!! Trust us! :)
Enjoy and share this with anyone else who needs a nudge towards trying a new distance!
This week’s episode is brought to you by *XOSKIN! We love their 4.0 Mid Compression Mid Rise shorts and they truly make the best toe socks in the business! They are currently running a WINTER SALE through December 15th! Shop around and use code “treeline” at checkout for 25% off! By supporting XOSKIN, you are supporting us! Thank you!*
Go to Treeline Journal for some ultra running resource articles!
I Run Far has great resources too!
Or reach out to us with any specific questions you may have and we can answer them or direct you to someone who can!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with our trusty women’s health physical therapist, Emily Bliss! You might remember her from episode 3 where she gave us the low down on how to return to running postpartum. This time it’s all about practical ways to tackle pregnancy - including her favorite strength exercises, the importance of coordinating our breathing with exercise, how we can train our pelvic floor muscles, and what to watch out for during pregnancy. We also talk about things like belly bands and getting back to strength and running after having a baby. Tons of good information in this one!!
Big thanks to our sponsor this week - Cure Hydration! Cure is a sports drink mix that has 4x the electrolytes than a normal sports drink with no added sugars. Organic, vegan, non-GMO and gluten free too! Use code RUNHARD20 for 20% off your first purchase!
Show Notes:
Find Emily on Instagram
Email Emily with ANY questions or consult with her about run coaching or a customized training plan: emily@mumsontherunusa.com
Go to her website for more great resources: mumsontherunusa.com
Check out Emily’s:
- Return to Run Protocol
- Run Ready Checklist
- Pregnancy Exercises
Reach out to Emily for coaching! Mention the code RunHardMomHard30 for 30% off your first three months or a training plan for a specific goal or race you want to do!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
For starters, LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE FOR A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
We talk this week with Erica on pregnancy and postpartum from a doctor's perspective! You can feel Erica’s passion for this line of work and for the women she gets to work with everyday. She shares tips with us on what to look for in an OB, how to make sure your personal needs are being met, and to make sure you can have open, honest communication with a provider you trust. We talk about exercise during pregnancy and it’s many benefits for both the mom and baby but Erica also reminds us that if we’re not feeling able to be as active as we had hoped to while pregnant we are still doing an amazing thing and should be gentle on ourselves. She says, “Remember: You’re growing a human inside you… that automatically qualifies you as super badass. If that’s not a superpower, I don’t know what is!” I love that. Thank you, Erica for that much needed recognition and acknowledgement!
We go through what to look out for in pregnancy, what to do, what to avoid, common questions, all the latest exercise recommendations and precautions, weight gain, anxiety and depression and what to do for those, domestic violence within pregnancy, the policy changes we need and hope to see in the future regarding decreasing maternal mortality rates and increasing follow up care for moms in the 4th trimester. This is great information whether you're pregnant or know someone who is! These kinds of conversations help us all be here for one another. Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode! Thank you!
Show notes:
If you’re worried about domestic violence within pregnancy for yourself or someone else, Call an OB in your area or the Nationwide hotline for domestic violence 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
Go Fund Me page for Melissa McGill - to educate others on maternal mental health and promoting policy change in health care for new moms
Great resources for anyone struggling with postpartum mental health:
https://www.2020mom.org/
https://www.postpartum.net/
https://www.alexisjoyfoundation.org/
Erica’s favorite race: Mac Forest 50k and Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, OH
Erica’s favorite meal: Mango avocado Fishy Tacos from Run Fast, Eat Slow Cookbook
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
It’s Stef and I this week answering listener questions! We talk holiday cheer, real life, the dumpster fire that was 2020, what we’re thinking for 2021, training updates, podcast updates, our childhood upbringings and other random things! So listen in by clicking the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” anywhere you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe, share and now you can also follow us on our new podcast instagram @runhardmomhardpod! Yay!
Big thank you to this week’s sponsor, Cure Hydration! Cure is an organic electrolyte drink mix made with organic coconut water and pink Himalayan salt designed to help you recover from hard workouts, late nights, travel or illness. Cure has 4x the electrolytes of normal sports drinks but it has no added sugar, it’s vegan, non-GMO and gluten free! Go to curehydration.com and use code RUNHARD20 for 20% off your first order!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with someone who many of you are probably very familiar with, Katie Grossman. She is a veteran ultra runner, writer, advertising copywriter, a mom to two year old Lindy (who joins us for some of the episode – definitely the cutest guest we’ve had on the show) and she has another baby on the way too! She is a well-known, well-loved woman and voice in our sport and shares with us all about life in the mountains, her Hardrock 100 miler story, her experience with pregnancy and the resulting pelvic injury journey she’s been on since. She shares incredible resources for any other mamas that might be facing injuries or pelvic floor imbalances or for women who want to prevent issues from occurring in the future.
She shares with us the depths of her injury and rehab process and how hard she's had to work just to try and return to "normal" after having a baby. But progress was made and will be made again after her second baby too! Check the links below for tools that have been helpful for Katie! We talk about the emotional aspects that come with injury also - comparing yourself to others, blaming yourself for your injury or not being as "successful" of a pregnant athlete as you wanted to be and feeling alone in it because people don't want to highlight the hard parts of life so all we see celebrated are the lucky people without injury who could keep up the facade of superwoman. But that's not how it is for most people. Enjoy this refreshing and honest episode!
A huge thank you to this week’s sponsor, Branwyn! Branwyn makes performance innerware from merino wool that has a triple threat of characteristics including comfort, performance and sustainability. These garments are odor-resistant, moisture wicking, thermoregulating and are soft to the touch! They are made to empower all of us women starting with our most basic layers so we can go out into the world and live confidently and courageously. We love their mission and the care they take to be such an ethical brand. Go to branwyn.com to shop around and use code RHMH10 for $10.00 off your purchase!
Show Notes:
Katie’s Pelvic DPT: @theladypartspt and her practice: @feminapt
Pelvic DPT with tons of resources + at-home web program subscription to work on pelvic floor: @drsarahduvall
Running friend, Paige, who is a pelvic/postpartum specialist: @pelvicunderground
Podcast on all things woman’s body: @underthehood_podcast
Click HERE for A bunch of Katie's articles on Trail Sisters
Katie's article on Racing for Birth Justice and the maternal mortality crisis
Learn more about Every Mother Counts
Favorite Race: Hardrock
Favorite Meal: Take out sushi or Crissy Teigen’s - Carrot Coconut Soup from book “Cravings: Hungry for More”
Katie's instagram
Katie's Sponsors:
New Balance
Boa Fit System
Vfuel
Injinji
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
**Tune in for a special intro this week - Stef shares a gnarly/ cringe-worthy story that explains her absence in this episode! It's like a train wreck, you want to look away but you. just. can't.
This week we chat with Ashley Paulson - a mom of four, Ironman athlete, Olympic Trials Qualifier (OTQ), recent winner of The Bear 100 miler, and a coach for iFit. She does it all in the world of fitness and you can tell from listening to her that -- besides her family -- fitness is her life and her greatest passion.
We get to hear about how Ashley got into running when growing up, how she progressed into competitive sports, and how she remained active throughout her pregnancies. She shares some incredible stories from her last (3rd) pregnancy that will make you do a double take. I won’t spoil it for you but she did an insane amount of races while pregnant and ran NINE miles TO HER C-SECTION to have her baby boy. What?!!
It's fun to hear about her ups and downs leading to getting her OTQ and what it was like finally racing in the trials. And recently she was able to switch gears from fast road marathon to mountain ultra when she signed up for the Bear 100… 10 days before it started! She had an amazing performance but some controversy in the ultra world surfaced around a six-month sanction Ashley served for a USADA violation back in 2015. I asked Ashley about this and she openly and honestly shared about her experience, about contamination, about living under public scrutiny and judgements even though people might not know the whole story, and about showing up on the other side to keep competing even though it would have been easier to run away and hide from all the media and hype. It was a really tough time in her life but one that cemented inside her the reason she shows up to races - she shows up for herself, to do what she loves. She chooses to focus on the positives and keeps doing her thing, which she does very, very well!
Listen to this one for an energy boost! As always, don't forget to subscribe and share!
Our sponsor this week: GIRL GET AFTER IT! Go to girlgetafterit.com, browse their awesome apparel and use code RUNHARD15 at check out for 15% off your order! Shownotes:
Show Notes:
Find Ashley on Instagram
iFit coach
Ashley’s Favorite Race: The US Olympic Marathon Trials
Ashley’s Favorite Meal: Good Ol’ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week our episode is a little different. It’s a hard one but a topic we believe is important to talk about because it often gets left in the dark even though so many mothers have struggled through this. Stef recently found out she was pregnant but in this past week and a half she has gone through her fourth miscarriage. Our hearts are heavy. Stef bravely shares what her experiences have been like, the grief and guilt that she has carried, the physical trauma she’s endured and she shares resources and an ear and virtual shoulder to lean on for anyone else who might be experiencing similar situations. Nothing can “fix” the sadness that comes with such loss, but we at least hope others might feel less alone with this episode. Give it a listen and please share with any mamas who need to hear it. Thank you!
Resource Links:
https://www.miscarriagehurts.com/find-help/support
https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/your-feelings/counselling-after-a-miscarriage/
https://www.talkspace.com/blog/you-are-not-alone/
Sentiments for you or someone you know who has gone through a miscarriage:
Made By Mary: Rainbow Collection
Seeded Hope Jewelry
Self Care tips from Stef:
- Draw a bath, add in stress relief oil, watch Netflix or Leighannsays Youtube Page
- Get Outside in Nature
- Try to see the world through your children's eyes for a little bit - there's still good in the world!
- Write down what you're grateful for
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Amy Leedham - a Salomon athlete, sustainability consultant and new mom to an 11 week old little girl.
We get to hear about her evolution into ultra running, how she became a sponsored athlete and many fun stories about big races overseas (OCC, IAU World Championships and CCC). She had a tough 2019 with a hip injury that prevented her from competing in most of her goal races and soon after found out she was pregnant! Amy shares what her pregnancy was like, the birth of her daughter, Aila, and her return to running postpartum. She talks on how she had to readjust a lot of her expectations of running while pregnant and she shares a bit of her fast birth story (she puts it into terms of showing up ready to run a 50 miler but instead the race was an 800 m sprint). Amy honestly talks about the hard times of early postpartum days and how she is slowly starting to build her fitness back up. She is focusing on strength, protecting her hip to prevent more flair ups as she gets back into running and is mindful of her energy balance in these early postpartum days, always asking herself if certain exercises will fill her tank or drain it.
It was a blast chatting with Amy and hearing her stories. And we were so inspired by the running she’s done and the big goals she still has and will no doubt achieve once her body is ready and the world opens back up. Like her instagram handle implies (@amy_the_punisher) she has a knack for pushing hard and punishing herself and friends in the best way when it comes to moving down the trail, so I think she’s going to use this newfound mom strength to keep punishing and doing great things in the mountains!
Give this episode a listen via the link below or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with your mom tribe! Thank you!!
***A huge thank you to this week’s sponsor: GIRL GET AFTER IT! Girl Get After It is a wellness community that brings womxn together through sweatworking events and gear that gives back. They are all about womxn supporting womxn, creating diverse and inclusive community, fostering connection and getting after what it means to be healthy. Go check out their CUTE apparel and be a part of this amazing girl squad movement! Plus, 10% of all profits are donated to a nonprofit that helps make a difference in women and girls lives all around the country! Use code “RUNHARD15” for 15% off your order and follow them on instagram @girlgetafterit
Show Notes:
Find Amy on Instagram
Amy’s Blog
Her Sponsors: Salomon, Inside Tracker, Equator Coffees
Amy’s Favorite Race: North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco 50 Miler
Amy’s Favorite Meal: Burmese Chicken Soup
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week it’s Stef and Nikki as we chat a little about our lives and a little about sports bras. This is a short follow up to Episode 19 when we talked with Molly Hanks, the head "bravangelist" from Title Nine who answered our questions about finding the right sports bras through our mother running seasons!
We give some details about the particular bras we received and tried out from Title Nine and share our favorites with you! Check the show notes for links to some pretty great bras! And as always, don’t forget to subscribe and share with your mom tribe!
Thank you to this week’s sponsor: XOSKIN! Check out their running apparel and use code "treeline" at checkout for 20% off your purchase!
Show Notes:
Bras we talk about:
AC Sports Bra by Anita
3 Reasons Sports Bra by Brooks
Run It All Cross Back Bra by Brooks
Run It All Strappy Sports Bra by Brooks
Run It All Adjustable Sports Bra by Brooks - *** Stef’s Favorite (and she’s never going back to a different bra fabric after this seamless bra!)
Boobyah Sports Bra by Handful - *** Nikki's Favorite!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with Brigid Pickett, an ultra running mom of 2, a running-through-pregnancy inspiration and the FIRST pregnant cover model for Runners World Magazine. She also just tackled her first 100 mile race this past July so we get to hear all about that! She recently moved to Boston from the southern Arizona Huachuca mountains and tells us about big city life and the adjustments she’s had to make being a trail runner and all. We learn about her ultra race buildup, how she trains for big races, the hard but empowering parts of her 100 mile race and how she and her husband pace each other in many big races! Even when Brigid was 31 WEEKS PREGNANT she paced her husband during the last 10 miles of IMTUF 100 (a very difficult race) off of little sleep because she was also crewing him through the night!! Mind blown. That's a pretty cool supportive partnership right there! We also hear about her experiences running while pregnant, positive mindsets that help overcome the challenges of pregnancy and about her time with Runner's World (see the online link below for some stunning pictures of Brigid running with her bump)! We loved our time with Brigid, she brought such a light and calming presence to us and tons of inspiration and wisdom. This Episode is brought to you by XOSKIN! Check out their awesome and technologically advanced running apparel! Use code “treeline” for 20% off your purchase! Show Notes: Find Brigid on Instagram Check out Brigid’s Jewelry business – Plume Handmades! Brigid on the Cover of Runner’s World Brigid’s Favorite Race: Palisades Ultra Trail Series 100 Miler Brigid’s Favorite Meal: Sushi Salad!
Cook brown rice & let chill Start with spinach or romaine as base Add salmon (smoked, grilled, or whatever you choose) Add fresh veggies: edamame, avocado, shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, chopped green onion Top with nori cut into strips Add soy sauce, sriracha, or make your own dressing
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
In this week’s episode we get to know Elisa Laverty a little bit - a multifaceted woman who is a partner, mother, runner, cyclist, climber, food lover and baker and soon-to-be yoga instructor. She recently completed an FKT on The Grand Loop in Olympic National Park, which was a 43 mile loop with over 13,000 ft of elevation gain. She did this unsupported and alone in remote wilderness. We get to hear about all the factors that went into an effort like that from anxieties the day before, to helpful mindsets that got her through, to her hopes of inspiring women to keep going after big goals.
We talk about being adaptable in COVID times, Elisa's postpartum running journey (impressive!), avoiding burnout with running, the behind-the-scenes emotions before and during her FKT and the logistics of that big day out on the trail. What Elisa wanted out of this experience was to go out and set a high bar for other women. And she did just that. So ladies, who’s next?!
We hear such inspiring perspectives, there's so many golden nuggets to take away from this convo! Enjoy!
Show Notes:
Find Elisa on Instagram
The brands that support her:
Spring Energy
Picky Bars
Lilly Trotters
Branwyn
Elisa’s Favorite Race: Gorge Waterfalls 50k
Elisa’s Favorite Meal:
Bowls with:
-Brown rice cooked with Turmeric (for inflammation as well as taste)
-Roasted veggies like red cabbage (turns out to be so good) - chopped into bite size chunks, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 425/450 to get it crispy. Roasted sweet potato with salt, pepper, garlic powder and spicy chili flakes. And anything else like broccoli and mushrooms.
-Might add ground turkey or crispy chickpeas for protein - (chickpeas rinsed, drained, tossed with olive oil and spices and roasted)
-For sauce Elisa makes tahini dressing (tip - add sweetener if you’re struggling with a recipe) or green dressing - pureed salad greens with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil.
Or taco bowls!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have the privilege of talking with Jonnah Perkins - an ultra runner for La Sportiva, a farmer, food activist, writer and mother. She is doing all the things! She’s one of those people where you can immediately feel her passion for the different pieces of her life and how she has intertwined them into a meaningful existence. She’s an advocate for the local food movement and shares with us how she got into farming, what it’s like living closely in-tune with the seasons and how she has intentionally shaped her life to hold all her roles, pursuits and values. Jonnah resides in the Driftless region of Wisconsin that provides her trails for running and a fertile valley for her family’s organic seed producing farm.
We talk about training while farming, what it was like to train while nursing, upcoming races, the current food system in the U.S. and how to be part of the solution, being close emotionally and physically to our food and caring about where it comes from, how Jonnah fuels her body for training, some very exciting writing and film producing projects she has coming up in the future and SO much more! You're going to want to give this one a listen!
Show Notes
We have our first podcast sponsorship!! Go to xoskin.us and check out their running apparel! We love their 4.0 Mid Compression Mid Rise shorts and toe socks! Use code “treeline” at checkout for 20% off!
-
Find Jonnah on Instagram
-
Highly encourage you to look at Jonnah’s website to read the incredible articles she’s written
-
Jonnah is sponsored by La Sportiva
-
Jonnah's coach is David Roche
-
Jonnah’s Favorite Race: Sean O-Brien 50 mile
-
Jonnah’s Favorite Meal: A delicious sounding blended potato soup she created and wrote the recipe for on La Sportiva’s website
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we hear about Stef’s virtual self-supported 50k! She was going to run the Fire Tower 50k in St. Croix State Park in Northern Minnesota. It became a virtual event for 2020 but Stef and her family are up North camping with friends right near where her race was going to take place so she ran the course anyways. She had to navigate her way through an unmarked state park and her friend, Mary Jo, biked the 31 miles with her. They spent many miles tromping through bogs and shuffling over slow terrain, but were able to make up a bunch of time later in the race. They suffered together, worked off each other’s positivity and got it done!
We heard Mary Jo’s perspective for a couple minutes and it was so fun to witness this first experience for her with an endurance endeavor! She’s never biked that far, let alone on tough, muddy trails and we were so impressed with how she handled it, pushed past her comfort zone and remained cheerful. Ultras are always a grand adventure - they are big efforts and unique experiences happen to you when you’re outside on your feet for so long. It’s part of the charm we all thrive off of. I was so happy that Stef got this long, hard run in, with a good friend by her side and her sweet, proud girls at the finish. What is better than that?! And I’d wager that this won’t be the last time Mary Jo dabbles in the ultra scene. Stef is going to hook her for sure!
Show Notes:
Fire Tower Trail Races
Stef's Shoes: Brooks Glycerin
Stef's Nutrition:
Salt Caps Plus
Honey Stinger Waffles
Untapped Waffles
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We have our first returning guest this week! In Episode 8 we talked with Renee Jacobs back in May about her Fastest Known Time on the California’s 14ers last year and now she’s gone out and done it again! Different route, different challenges, but same endeavor of going after a fast time on a hard, multi-day adventure. Renee, just last week, got the first female time for The Sierra High Route in 4 days 23 hours and 53 minutes. Many women have attempted it, but none have finished it. It sounds like the kind of route that can chew you up and spit you out. About half of the route is on trail… which means half of it is off trail! Renee describes scrambling up boulders bigger than her sprinter van - using hands and feet to make for a “full body experience” to finish this kind of journey. Luckily for Renee, she is a great navigator and is knowledgeable with tools like CALTOPO (a backcountry mapping system created by her husband) and she was able to plan this out, prepare in her regular engineering fashion and complete this huge accomplishment! Plus, even though she’s the ONLY woman that has a time on this route, her time is impressively close to the fastest male time of 4 days 3 hours and 36 minutes held by David Ayala (as of August 7th, 2020). I loved the extra motivation Renee had of thinking, “There should be a woman on this (FKT) page” and she really wanted her time to start with the number FOUR, signifying a time under 5 days like the leading men. She sprinted her heart out down thousands of feet of trail to make sure that happened.
An FKT for Renee is a really big goal that is an excuse to be better and pursue incremental improvements in yourself and with your performance. It’s a chance to learn and grow. We loved hearing about this adventure and no one but Stef and I can see her smile as she laughs, but it’s so contagious. And the fact that she is still out there inspiring other women and particularly moms to keep doing their thing, keep setting goals and embracing challenges is amazing. She says to all moms, “Don’t give up! It’s hard but it’s possible!” And she reminds us that not all FKTs are this involved - there are other routes, many short and doable, so go find your own challenge to undertake!!
Show Notes:
Find Renee’s FKT on fastestknowntime.com
Renee's Race Recap
CALTOPO
InReach Device
We mention the book “Roar” by Stacy Sims
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we chat with Lindsey Ulrich. Lindsey recently ran the Fastest Known Time for the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail. We hear about how she got into running ultras, how a stroke eight years ago was ultimately a big part of what led her to attempt this huge undertaking, and what it was like to be moving her body down a trail surrounded by a support crew for 9 days, 13 hours, 39 minutes and 20 seconds!
It was an honor to hear Lindsey's story and we hope you’re as inspired by it as Stef and I were!
Show Notes:
Read Lindsey’s write up on the FKT website here
www.pctoregon.com is a neat resource for information for the PCT!
@theneuronerds - a podcast and support group for people that have experienced a brain injury #changethefaceofstroke
Coach: Paul Lind.
Lindsey's Sponsor: rabbit
Gut Hook App
Spot Tracker article from Treeline Journal
Bemer recovery tool for inflammation
Favorite Race: Race the Wolf in Northern Idaho.
Lindsey’s Favorite Meal: Tacos with Spanish Rice.
Stef’s favorite thing: Goodr Sunglasses
Nikki’s fave: Hydrapak bladder
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we talk with fellow Bendite, Erika Litzer, about being a collegiate swimmer, river guide, ski patroller, having major injuries, ultrarunning and the real and raw mom life.
Her evolution to ultrarunning begins in the pool, swimming from when she was young and through a full ride athletic scholarship to Oregon State University. She has a difficult relationship with her swimming career largely because of how her education and life passions were affected by how much time and energy were consumed by swimming. She has a great way of putting into words what it was like to have so many people pulling at her to swim -- coaches, teammates, teachers, parents -- that it no longer felt like her choice to compete but a call to duty to keep going. By the time she graduated and swam in her last PAC-10 meet she was so burnt out that she got out of the pool and threw her cap and goggles in the trash.
We move on to her life as a river guide and ski patroller, what those communities mean to her, and how she transitioned into ultrarunning after a shoulder injury. And of course, we get into some real life, raw motherhood ranting and talking from the trenches. Erika notes how she’s done all these things in her life (all the badass things I’ve written above) and yet parenting is hands down the hardest, most challenging and rewarding thing she’s done to date.
Enjoy!
Show Notes
Erika’s Favorite Race: Elkhorn Crest 50k
Fave meal: Turkey Trot meatballs and Marathon Lasagna from Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow cookbook
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have a special episode dedicated entirely to SPORTS BRAS!! We talk with Molly Hanks, an expert in the field and the head Bravangelist at Title Nine. A good sports bra is perhaps the most essential piece of equipment for women runners - it has life changing capabilities and allows us women to keep showing up in our sports with the comfort, support and confidence that we need. We need to be free to run and frolic along our favorite trails without unnecessary bounce or discomfort from a bra that just isn’t serving us well. So in this episode we have the opportunity to pick Molly’s brain about all things sports bras - like how to measure correctly, what are common signs that a bra isn’t working, how to care for our bras, how to find the right support levels, how to minimize chafing issues which I’m sure we’ve all experienced and what to do in those awkward phases of pregnancy and nursing when our sizes are all over the place and “it’s like the Wild West” as Molly so accurately puts it.
A huge thanks to Title Nine and Molly Hanks for all this useful information! Stef and I will also be posting a future episode about some specific bras we are trying out in the hopes that a product review could point you to your future bra love! Stay tuned!
See Our write up on Treeline Journal for more notes on this episode.
Title Nine
Title Nine's Fit Calculator
Title Nine's Barbell Rating System for finding your support level needs
Molly's pic for a Nursing Bra - 3-Reasons Sports Bra
Molly's favorite for Post-Nursing: Booby Trap Sports Bra
Molly's favorite race: The Double Dipsea
Molly's Fave Chicken Marbella Recipe: "I don't have it written down so these are approximate levels. It's impossible to screw up and it's one of those things that my daughter has loved from 12 months ( or whenever I introduced meat ??) until now. It's salty and sweet and can be thrown together in like 5 min, and it cooks for an hour so you can go get a little run in."
2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of white wine
2-3 table spoons of capers
1 cup kalamata olives
1 cup of dried apricots
a little olive oil
Throw it all in a covered casserole dish and bake for 50-60 min at 350. Serve over brown rice and with a green salad.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week I share my race recap from Alpine Running’s Elkhorn Crest 50k last weekend! I tell Stef all about my spastic mom emotions (guilt and anxiety) going into the race, what a race looks like in 2020 and what safety measures were taken to keep runners healthy. I describe the stunningly beautiful and rugged mountain course and give the full play by play of how my race unfolded, complete with some unique takeaways from racing during a pandemic!
Give it a listen by clicking the link below. You can also search “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and share it with your running community! Thanks so much!
Show Notes:
Elkhorn Crest 50k
Look for other Alpine Running races this fall that are set to happen still!
Anyone know how to keep a bladder hose from freezing while running in cold temps? Message us!!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we get to chat with Ashley Nordell - a mother to two girls, a preschool teacher, a coach, and a very accomplished Central Oregon ultra runner with many race wins and FKTs behind her name. We hear about how Ashley grew up in a running family (her dad still runs ultras) and how her love for the sport grew out of a dislike but blossomed into a lifetime passion once she chose it for herself. Her running has evolved over time and she shares how ultimately, having kids helped the longevity of this sport for her because her pregnancies forced her into resting more than she would normally as a runner. She had to find out the hard way that running postpartum requires more patience than many of us would like to admit and after doing too much too fast in the first year after her first child, she learned to focus on quality training vs. quantity mileage. (Her first year postpartum included a ton of running and races - namely a 3 month postpartum pacing experience, a 10 month postpartum 50 miler, Western States (13 months), and Leadville (15 months). It was an amazing year but it caught up to her!
We also talk about mom guilt, creative long run hacks, training mileage for a 100 miler (it's less than you think!), FKT experiences, coaching, teaching, getting kids outside, etc! So many great takeaways in this episode!
Show Notes:
Stef’s Favorite Thing this week: Infinite Cold Brew Performance Coffee from The Feed
Nikki’s Fave: The Gym / Heavy lifting strength work
Sponsored by Rabbit
Coaches with Team RunRun
Ashley’s favorite race: Three Days of Syllamo
Ashley’s favorite recipe: Homemade Pizza
Kid’s cookbooks - America's Test Kitchen Kids Cookbook
Global Feast Kids Cookbook
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week on Run Hard Mom Hard it’s just Stef and I! We share life updates, recent family adventures and discuss how to keep running while traveling for said adventures. As a parent, I am fully aware of the unique challenges of family travel. Routines are off, alone time/quiet time is significantly decreased, our bodies feel the effects of long drives or airplane rides and suspect food choices. And of course, all of that comes into play when trying to stay consistent with training!
Stef and I share a little about what we do to run consistently while on the road; it takes extra planning (finding and mapping out trails), being flexible (always being ready to run when a window opens up and being creative so you don’t have to have FOMO about missing family memory making time), being aware of your surroundings (paying attention to gut feelings and making mental notes of where you are to decrease the risk of getting lost), and being prepared (bringing extra items you might need while in a new place where you don’t know what to expect). Lastly, we talk about navigating new places and how we deal with fear in unfamiliar places when running alone.
The world is still weird right now and a lot of summer travel plans have been nixed. But I also know a lot of people are OVER staying put and are needing at least some local escapes this summer, so this episode is intended to help keep you prepared and motivated to run even when you're out roaming new places with your kids in tow.
Show Notes:
Brave Breakfasts (Enter Treeline20 for 20% off your first order!)
Use Strava or AllTrails for finding trails at your vacation destination
Gaia App (This article will tell you all you need to know)
Spot Tracker (Read more about this nifty device here)
Scratch Labs Sport Recovery Drink Mix in Single Serving box
Colorado Brewing Running Series Virtual Race
The Outer Banks 100M Virtual Race - thank you listener for sharing!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have on Anne French! Anne is a newish runner (started running at age 42), a mom of two teenagers and does Taekwondo and Brazilian jujitsu. She shares about how she got into running two and a half years ago, what she’s learned in training for her first 50k, she describes her involvement in Bend’s local running community and more! Probably our greatest reminder from our time with Anne is that it is never too late to try something new in life and you never know -- it could actually turn into one of your greatest passions!
We loved our time with Anne and appreciated the reminder of how trail running is a skill that takes learning, relearning and practicing to keep getting better at over time. I constantly forget the basics I learned when I first started running and it’s so valuable to revisit them because they are the core of this sport.
Nikki’s Favorite thing: Suunto Ambit 3
Stef’s Fave: Treeline Journal Running Hat!
Find Anne on Instagram
Anne’s Coach: Eve with Rising Mountains Coaching
Anne’s Favorite Race: Race for the Roses in Portland, OR
Anne’s Favorite Meal: Taco Bowls with Homemade Taco Seasoning
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we had the opportunity to spend some time with Amy Clark – a local Bendite, a mom of twins, an ultrarunner, and the editor for Ultrarunning Magazine! We discuss all kinds of things ranging from IVF and pregnancy to her progression into ultras and her experience running Western States to what it’s really like to be an editor of a magazine. You will learn a lot in this episode, but maybe more importantly you will feel a lot from the stories Amy tells.
Nikki’s Favorite Thing this week: Skratch Labs Recovery Drink Mix
Stef’s Fave: Virtual Races:
– 100 Miles to Auburn (raced!)
-
Beast Pacing (pick a distance to accomplish each month)
-
UTMB For the Planet - Virtual Races (July 20-Aug 30 – pick your distance and elevation to complete! Free Entry, Donations go towards trail running and environmental impact projects)
Find Amy on Instagram
Editor for Ultrarunning Magazine – Subscribe here!
Favorite Race: Western States
Favorite Meal: A Chili Recipe from Eat & Run by Scott Jurek:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil;
2 garlic cloves;
1 cup onion; finely chopped;
1 cup red bell pepper; finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon ground cumin;
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander;
2 tablespoon chili powder;
2 tsp sea salt or according to taste;
1/2 teaspoon black pepper;
1 28oz can diced tomatoes;
1 6oz can tomato puree;
1 15oz can kidney beans;
1 15oz can black beans;
1 15oz can ointo beans;
2-1/2 cups water, depending on how much liquid from the beans you're using;
hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste
fresh cilantro; minced- for garnish.
Step 1:
Add the oil to a large pot. Saute the vegetables and spices in the oil over medium
to medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Add a few tablespoons of
water if the veggies begin sticking to the pot.
Step 2:
Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and simmer over medium-low
heat, covered, for 30 minutes. Stir and simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes
until the vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and, if more spice is
desired, hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste. Serve, sprinkled with the cilantro.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we chat with Beth Hoeck – a personal trainer with almost 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, an ultrarunner, and a mom to a 15 month old. We hear about what it’s like to be a one-on-one fitness coach for women, how she incorporates holistic health into her personal training, and how she’s woven motherhood into her work life (AKA she does it beautifully). Beth is also a great resource for busy moms. She shares life hacks on how to meal plan and prep, how she balances running with mom life, and what her return to running looked like after having her son.
She also shares her family’s recent struggles with us. Her husband has been battling testicular cancer since the fall of last year. In February he started intense chemo. Beth describes how hard it was and what it was like to become a single parent in a way as she tried to carry her family through it all. She compared the ups and downs of chemo to the peaks and valleys one experiences in ultramarathons. Luckily Beth had running through it all - she would squeeze it whenever she could and it helped her handle this immensely heavy time. And now, thankfully, her family is on the other side!
Show Notes:
Stef’s Favorite Podcasts (besides RHMH!) –
Ultrarunner Podcast
Trailrunner Nation
Mom Brain
Unruffled
The Fresh Start Family
Myths and Legends
Nikki’s Favorite Podcasts –
Unlocking Us
Simple Families
Work Play Love
Find Beth’s Work: Whole Movement
Beth’s Favorite Race: The Freedom 5K
Beth’s Favorite Meal: Tabbouleh with flatbread and hummus
Banana Egg Pancake:
1 banana
2 eggs
1 splash of vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon
(Any other fillers: flaxseed, oatmeal, pumpkin puree, spinach puree, crushed nuts, berries, etc)
In a bowl mash the banana and then add in all the other ingredients. Grease the pan and pour batter into the pan. Fry under low-med heat until golden brown on both sides. Top it with nut butters.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
In this week’s episode we talk with Amy Broadmoore – a mom of three, an endurance athlete and a photographer based out of Minnesota. Amy is the founder of an incredible photography and storytelling project called Onward, which focuses on women in endurance sports. A couple years ago, after she entered a gravel bike race and realized she was only one of six women on the start line, she became curious and decided to research the underrepresentation of women in endurance sports such as ultra running, mountain biking, gravel biking, and cross-country skiing.
Show Notes:
Stef’s fave thing: Brooks Glycerin 18
Nikki’s Fave: Treeline Journal Athletic Running Hats!
How to find Amy and all she’s doing with Onward:
Website
Resources for women interested in mountain biking:
Skirts in the Dirt
Trek Mountain Bike Camps
Amy’s Favorite Race: Squamish 50 miler
Amy does something so cool!! Her family splits the cooking duties – She cooks once a week, each of her three kids takes one night and her husband takes the rest. They keep it simple.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
We jump right in to answering some questions listeners sent in (thank you listeners!!). We chat about some of our favorite pieces of advice we’ve taken with us from previous episodes with our rock star ultra running mamas. We discuss coffee habits, how to maintain running and strength as we have more kids, and how we’ve changed our running goals during this funky 2020 year. We dive into how to navigate the weight of your needs as a mother, your baby’s needs and your partner’s needs when there might be tension between running and family dynamics. We chat about insecurities, negative body image, trying to work on self-approval, what it’s like to have a podcast, what a typical week looks like when training for a 50k/ 50 miler and... farm life. Random and not random, we talk about all of it. Give it a listen!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we have on Emmie Hiersche, an ultra running mom of one and 28 weeks pregnant with baby number two. In this episode we chat about running through pregnancy, running after becoming a mom and the power of positivity in daily life. Emmie shares valuable perspectives, tips on how to practice happiness and mantras that help pull her out of funks or hard parts of a race.
Show Notes:
Nikki’s favorite thing this week: Vuori Sweatpants
Stef’s fave thing: Croozer 535 Double Stroller
Find Emmie on Instagram
Emmie is also cofounder of Run NorthBest, who puts on a summer evening race
series in Portland each year.
Emmie’s Favorite Race: All the ones she’s ever done. But one of the most beautiful
she’s done was the NUT 50k (Stands for North Umpqua Trail)
Emmie’s favorite meal (Read Below):
Needed:
10 + Roma tomatos
Pinch of salt & pepper
Basil
Garlic
Box of penne pasta
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 sweet onion
Steps:
Bring water to a boil to blanch roma tomatoes to start making homemade sauce.
In separate skillet, put roughly 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Add cut
up sweet onion and let simmer.
Add garlic and pinch of salt to sweet onions and olive oil (your preference based on
how much you like garlic)
Take blanched roma tomatoes and start dicing them into small cubes to add to
skillet.
Add spices as needed, more salt & pepper.
Add box of penne pasta to boiling water that roma tomatoes cooked in on high heat.
Add pinch of salt to water.
Let noodles boil on high heat for 10ish minutes and continue to stir sauce.
Once sauce is 90% ready, add cut up basil and stir into mixture. Let marinate for 5+
minutes.
Once noodles and sauce are ready, strain noodles and pour sauce over them. Stir
and dish out. Add Parmesan cheese on top AND READY!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
In this week’s episode we have the honor of speaking with Trina Matthews. She is a woman who is rocking life and running ultras with 9 kids by her side. You read that right, Trina has 9 kids (all biological) ranging from 24-8 years old. And she’s still a runner pursuing time on the trails in the backcountry near her home. If that doesn’t inspire you, well, I don’t know what will. We talk with Trina about what life with a big family looks like, how she cares for herself and her marriage through the years of having kids, and we're left with great reminders for living in the present and seeing the beauty in each moment we get in this life! Enjoy!
Show Notes:
Stef’s favorite thing this week: KT Tape for IT Band
Nikki’s favorite trail shoe: Hoka Torrent 2’s - Find a pair locally through the Hoka website!
Trina’s Favorite Race: Beaverhead 55k
Favorite Meal: Wild Rice Burgers (the best wild rice is from Minnesota but any will do!)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
In this episode, we talk with Renee Jacobs, the FKT holder for California’s 14ers. On top of being a mom of a two year old at the time, Renee decided to embark on this grand adventure of running/climbing the 15 mountains in California that are over 14,000 feet tall. The previous record was somewhere around 9 days and 12 hours, she did it in 6 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes. We picked her brain on how she prepared mentally and physically for this massive undertaking, why it was so important to her to do this FKT attempt solo and without a man, how she protects her headspace on an adventure such as this to stay confident and in control while scaling mountains, and so much more.
Show Notes:
Stef's Favorite thing this week: Feetures Socks
Nikki's Fave thing: Roam & Run Tee
Renee's FKT Report
A Write Up Adventure Journal did on Renee
CALTOPO (How Renee planned her route!)
InReach Mini (How Renee communicated with her people!)
Books we talked about:
Relentless Forward Progress
Endure
The Joy of Movement
Broken Arrow Sky Race is probably her favorite race!
Favorite meal: Grilled Beef Share and CSA Vegetables, yum!
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
This week we get to chat with Andrea Brambila, a Licensed Professional Counselor and an ultra running mom from Texas. We talk about all kinds of mental health related issues that moms often face including postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, grief from pregnancy loss, mom guilt, shame cycles we get ourselves into, and so much more. Please note that this is not a “fix you/ here’s all the answers to solve your mental health problems” conversation, but rather, moms coming together to talk through our own experiences with these things.
Nikki's favorite thing this week: Ultimate Direction Handheld Bottle
Stef's fave thing: Nathan Women Hydration Pack/ Running Vest VaporAiress
Find Andrea on Instagram
Read her blog here
Andrea's favorite race: Alamo City Ultra 50k
Andrea's dream meal: Breakfast all the time, particularly a french toast charcuterie board. See Pinterest example
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Nikki’s fave thing this week: Body Glide Stef’s fave: Powerblock Dumbells Find Janessa Taylor on Instagram: @smokeymountainrunner Check out Alpine Running for awesome races in Oregon and Washington! Janessa’s favorite race: Orcas Island 100 Miler Janessa’s favorite meal: Rice Bowls with Peanut Sauce Peanut Sauce Recipe: 4 TBS chunky peanut butter 3 TBS Tamari 3 TBS Honey 1 inch Ginger Root - peeled & minsed 1 clove Garlic - crushed 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 1/2 Orange - juiced/squeezed Heat all ingredients together in a small pot over low heat, stirring until combined.
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Disclaimer: these show notes contain affiliate links. Stef’s fave this week: Garmin 230 Nikki’s fave: Huma Gels ProVitality Multivitamin - covers your nutritional bases Salmon Oil Plus (the mom brain and terrible two’s cure) Sport Performance Protein (all 22 amino acids, great mixed into anything) Shakeology - (Superfoods & Protein) Shakeology (Vegan Blend) - (Dairy Free) Audrey’s favorite meal: Rice bowls with her knockoff Yum Sauce from Cafe Yum Audrey’s favorite Plant Based Cheese Sauce. It’s great on kid’s mac n cheese or on a baked potato... It’s so versatile and only takes a few minutes to make Audrey's favorite race: Jupiter Peak 30k in Park City
-- Intro Music: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusicCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Nikki's Favorite thing this week/Tangent on sports bras: Oiselle
Emily Bliss's running bra recommendations page from mumsontherun.com
Stef's Fave: Black Diamond Headlamp
Sarah's favorite race(s): Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile, Dick Collins 50 mile, Superior Spring 50k
Sarah's favorite meal: Chicken Pot Pie with a Cornbread top
Send us an Anchor Voice Question to put in a future episode!
-- Intro Music: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusicCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Emily is a Physical Therapist at Step and Spine Physical Therapy in Bend, OR Find Emily on Instagram: @mumsontherunusa Read more on her blog: mumsontherunusa.com We talk about GPHAM: Global Pelvic Health Alliance Membership for finding a pelvic floor specialist near you! Emily's Favorite Race: Boston Marathon Emily's Sourdough bread recipe ** A fun bonus: Emily's favorite Pizza Dough Recipe!
Nikki's Favorite Thing this week: Stance Socks Stef's Favorite Thing: The Feed - Yum Butter and an easy way to order nutrition | Soft Flask Bottles
-- Intro Music: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusicCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
On this week's episode of Run Hard Mom Hard we interviewed Emily Carlson. She is an inspiring mother, ultra runner, coach and Adventure Mamas Leader.
Find Emily on Instagram: @adventuringmama
For Endurance Coaching: Magnetic North
For Adventure Mamas: Adventure Mamas Leader for the Upper Midwest Adventure Mamas Instagram: @adventuremamas
Favorite Fuels: Rx Nut Butter, Untapped Maple Syrup, NOKA Superfood Smoothie Pouches , Orgain
Emily's Favorite Race: Superior 50 Miler
Nikki's Favorite thing this week: Oiselle Triple Threat Running Tights
Stefanie's Favorite thing this week: Honey Stinger Waffles
*The amazon links from these show notes are affiliate links, meaning we get a small percentage of the profits made if you order something through the links we have provided at no additional cost to you!
-- Intro Music: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusicCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Presented by Treeline Journal and hosted by Nikki Parnell and Stef Wenninger.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to email us at runhardmomhard@gmail.com! Please leave reviews (and 5 star ratings! 🤩)
Stef's Favorite Race: Zumbro Endurance Run
Nikki's Favorite Race: Deception Pass 50k
Stef's Go to Meal: Pork Carnitas in the Slow Cooker
Nikki's Go to Meal: Miso Butter Salmon from Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow
--
Intro Music: Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusicCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message
Presented by Treeline Journal and hosted by Nikki Parnell and Stef Wenninger.
Please rate and review us! If you have any comments or questions, feel free to email us at runhardmomhard@gmail.com!
Intro Music:
Acoustic/Folk Instrumental by Hyde - Free Instrumentals https://soundcloud.com/davidhydemusicCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/acoustic-folk-instrume...Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/YKdXVnaHfo8
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/run-hard-mom-hard/message