Another Mother Runner

Join elite ultra runner + Train Like a Mother Club coach Stephanie Howe Violett and Dimity as they talk through training for—and finishing!—your first 50k or 50-miler. Among other things, the duo cover how to pick the right race for you; what kind of prereqs, both mentally and physically, an ultra requires; and why conservative (not crazy!) mileage is actually key for a great training cycle. On Ma...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Tish Hamilton chat with three single mother runners about how they juggle all the demands of parenting, running, work, and life. The first guest is Bethany Mazura , a mom of two young sons in Albany, New York, where she works as an attorney. Bethany reveals she re-started a stalled running habit because she “needed a goal to restart” her life post-divorce. Marvel at how she th...

 Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell counsel Kara in southern Indiana on starting a running group, plus organizing runs for people of various paces. They offer differing advice for Marcella from Arizona on the best ways to utilize a pacer in a race to hit a goal time. Dimity sheds light on why Leah in Fort Collins might be particularly susceptible to a “cold bum,” then Sarah and she offer suggest...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell welcome Christie Aschwanden, author of the just-released GOOD TO GO: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery , to talk about, you guessed it, recovery. Christie, a former competitive runner and Nordic skier, tells how people undervalue recovery—and how that oversight can limit people. Learn what she deems the most important...

In the intro, Sarah goes co-host-free in favor of a catch-up conversation with prolific Portland runner Paula Harkin , who just passed the 10-year mark of her running streak. (Yowza!) Paula details what constitutes a running streak—and how to make it official . (Who knew?!) She also confesses her daily run is “a challenge every single day.” Paula shares all sorts of Portland race news, including t...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell try to relate to extreme-cold conditions by sharing a collegiate rowing mishap. Keeping with the weather theme, they tell Andrea from near Toronto (but who is headed to Florida for vacay!) to tune into effort while working out during her balmy break, rather than worrying about acclimatization. Dimity tells Courtney, a mom of two littles in Red Lodge, Montana: “...

Sarah Bowen Shea and co-host Maggie Palmer chat with three dynamic women who head up (and, in two cases, founded ) running groups for moms. First up: Karissa Johnson, founder of Moms on the Run . Learn how this self-described “introvert” went from leading one 26-woman running group (promoted by paper flyers she stuffed in mailboxes!) to overseeing MOTR franchises in soon-to-be eight states. Kariss...

Sarah and Dimity sat down in person in Houston with Megan Saloom , a 2016 Olympics Marathon Trials runner who is now a new mother, then the AMR duo gabbed with Calum “Cal” Neff , a super-speedy father runner who holds two world records for pushing a running stroller in races. The two were hours away from running the Houston Marathon (Megan) and Houston Half-Marathon (Calum. Spoiler alert: He PR’d!...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell counsel Rebecca in South Carolina on how to let running return to being a stress relief—instead of a stressor . Switching emphasis to the “mother” part of Another Mother Runner, the duo talks about surviving the toddler years in response to a question from Amy in Batavia, IL. They share the details about training by heart rate with Penny from Cazenovia, NY, who...

Sarah and BRF Molly dive into a conversation with Ashley Kilpatrick, who works with Back on My Feet , a national organization that combats homelessness through, in part, the power of running. The mother runner of three young children describes why she started running in law school. Ashley shares the intriguing origin story of Back on My Feet, and she talks about how the program restores a sense of...

Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin share a sit-down with professional runner Neely Gracey , who’s also a running coach and mother of a 5-month-old baby. Neely, the top American woman in her debut marathon (Boston 2016), talks about playing the long game, laying out her five-year plan that includes the next two Olympic Marathon Trials. With refreshing candor, Neely details her fitness endeavors while...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell help steer Stephanie toward an ideal choice for her first marathon, especially reminding the Rochester, NY, mom it’s not the likely weather on race day that should guide her. Cheers to Amy from Pittsburgh, who asks about an occasional glass of wine during marathon training. Drawing on their decades of gear-reviewing experience, the duo gives Reedy (yes?) from M...

Sarah and Dimity talk with three coaches to help you put your best foot forward in 2019. First up is Jenn Gill , a certified personal trainer and strength coach in addition to being a running coach (did we mention she has three kids, too?!). Jenn talks up the overlooked beauty (and discomfort) of 5K races, and she shares tips on how to maximize results in shorter races. She gets teary when telling...

An annual tradition, Sarah chats with her coterie of co-hosts to talk about the highs and lows of the past year—and what races the gals are eyeing in the New Year. Molly; Tish; Dimity; Amanda; Maggie: All share insight + laughs. E.g. - Dimity talking about how her focus is now on “adventures instead of races; experiences instead of data.” - Amanda on how she keeps her motivation burning bright and...

Sarah and co-host Ellison chat in the intro, then the episode has Sarah as a guest on a podcast called The Four Top . That episode is a roundtable discussion with the co-authors of Good Food, Great Medicine . Topics covered include carbohydrates, protein bars, and bowls. Definitely listen to hear Sarah’s TMI question about corn! In the intro, Ellison talks about defending her age-group title in a...

Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin connect with four women to hear about how they each started to run in a different decade. First in line is Julie Mayne Baker, who began running in her 20s—nearly four decades ago. Julie shares how her running changed over the years; find out what launched her into marathons in her 40s. The started-in-her-30s runner is Erin Wright, who took her first running steps af...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell counsel Amy in Chapel Hill on how to help her sister get right with a race finish time, suggesting someone set intentions at the start of a training cycle. They guide Zoe in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on resuming running after an illness, including “doing less than you think you can.” The duo points out to Rebecca in Sarasota, Florida, that motivation and “decision-f...

Sarah and co-host Tish Hamilton convene with three BAMRs who each nabbed a personal best in Twin Cities races to find out how they got the job done. First up is Kathy Bray, an attorney and mom of two, who bested her Twin Cities 10-Miler from eleven years ago. (Despite sandbagging like a champ to SBS at the expo!) Kathy tells how rediscovering gratitude about being healthy and injury-free pushed he...

With an eye toward the New Year, Sarah and co-host Amanda Loudin discuss the ins-and-outs of planning a successful race calendar. Answering a variety of questions from BAMRs on the AMR Facebook page , they start with debating “the sweet spot,” the optimum number of races per year. Amanda, a coach for a decade, talks about the importance of making decisions about your goal for the year—then making...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell give guidance to Ohioan Tammy who is planning her annual race calendar; Dimity offers up the pearl of “know your race rhythms.” In response to Sandy from Nashville, the gals talk about cross-training, particularly working around OrangeTheoryFitness workouts. They counsel Bertina in Wisconsin about coaching options, and they air their dirty laundry (!) in respon...

Sarah and Molly tuck into another round of TMI topics with Mara Altman, the author of Gross Anatomy: Dispatches from the Front (and Back) (and mother of toddler twins!). The trio quickly goes there, talking about “ hoohoos ” and hemorrhoids. The first of many fabulous lines uttered by the guest is her admission, “I’ve always had anal issues.” From there, the conversation naturally ( naturally !) m...

Sarah and BRF/co-host Molly Williams got stood up at the last minute by a guest, so they settle in for a gab-fest. They conversationally skip from Molly’s tenant (her oldest daughter’s 25-year-old boyfriend) to Sarah’s twins’ musical to Portland water issues. Find out what Molly would do when she becomes mayor! The running buddies then debate their 2019 training plans, with SBS showing a glimmer o...

Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell offer winter running gear advice to Atlantan Stephanie, who’s planning ahead for a holiday visit to her North Dakota in-laws. They remind post-baby Britney from Birmingham, Michigan, that it’s “9 months in, 9 months out,” as well as tell her how to find her workout groove again. After a detour to “Beverly Hills 90210,” the duo offers Kelly suggestions on steppi...

Fresh off running her 9th NYC Marathon, Tish Hamilton co-hosts with Sarah. Tish talks about why it was a great race to spectate, but rough for participants. NYC was Tish’s 54th marathon—find out what #55 is going to be. (#GreenWithEnvy—or should we say #VertWithEnvy?) The duo welcomes Kelly Herron, a two-time survivor of assaults while running and founder of the platform Not Today MF . (Good spoil...

Sarah Bowen Shea is joined by dear Ellison Weist to discuss how parents (in their cases, their respective fathers) started them down their path to becoming dedicated runners. Laugh along at the “jogging” attire Ellison remembers her father sporting—and why it got him pulled over by the police while out on an early morning jaunt! SBS talks about how her father’s devotion to two water-related sports...