"It took a lot of work, realizing that the running community is made up of so many different people, so many different paces, so many different body types. And just accepting that — accepting that you don’t have to run a certain pace or look a certain way to be considered a runner... I finally accepted that truth."

Molly Hernandez grew up in Texas with big dreams of being a Disney Channel star. Running? A big "no thank you." Fast-forward to today, and Molly is a 10-time marathoner, two-time ultramarathoner, freelance copywriter, and content creator living in Austin, TX. She's best known on the internet as "Your Running BFF," and she's on a mission to make runners — especially new runners — feel less alone and less overwhelmed. In this conversation, Molly talks about going from non-runner to marathoner in the span of six months, and how her relationship with running has grown and evolved since then.

SPONSOR: New Balance. Click here to shop New Balance’s latest releases for the season. (The SuperComp Trainer is my favorite shoe!)

What you’ll get on this episode:

• How Molly is feeling after running the Oklahoma City Marathon last weekend (2:50)
• All about Young Molly and her Disney Channel dreams (4:45)
• How, when, and why running entered Molly’s life (7:25)
• Why Molly decided to run her first marathon, and what that training was like (10:25)
• The moment Molly finally decided to call herself a runner (15:10)
• A marathoner in the making! All about Molly’s first 26.2-mile race, and her decision to run more marathons (17:20)
• On running the Oklahoma City Half Marathon last weekend, and how Molly plans her racing schedule (21:20)
• How Molly became “Your Running BFF” (26:05)
• How becoming a content creator has changed Molly’s relationship with running (33:20)
• On becoming an ultra runner (36:40)
• On time, pace, and the numbers on the watch — and mid-race hallucinations (40:30)
• What’s next? (46:45)
• Molly’s advice to anyone struggling on the run right now (51:35)

Follow Molly:

• Instagram @yourrunningBFF
• YouTube
• TikTok @yourrunningBFF
• Website

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Join the Facebook group
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• Support on Patreon
• Subscribe to the newsletter

SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!