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In this episode, we talk about something only moms can really understand—feeling like we lost ourselves in motherhood. We share our personal experiences of what it looked like for us in feeling disconnected to who we once were and our journey back to that (that some of us are still on). 

We also talk about the constant tug-of-war between personal identity and societal expectations, and the importance of community and connection among mothers. 

Our conversation highlights the need for social interaction, the significance of building a supportive village, and the understanding that struggles are often temporary. Ultimately, we hope episode serves as a reminder that every mother's journey is unique and worthy of recognition. Thanks for listening!

THIS EPISODE IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY RELAY ACTIVE.

Save 15% on these cute & comfortable running clothes with code MILESWITHMOMS. 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Its Purpose

01:08 Feeling Lost in Motherhood

10:11 The Struggles of Balancing Motherhood and Career

15:53 The Struggles of Motherhood During COVID

19:37 Finding Support and Connection

23:18 Rediscovering Identity and Self-Care

27:40 The Impact of Running on Mental Health

28:00 Navigating Guilt and Societal Expectations

33:02 The Reality of Stay-at-Home Parenting

37:29 The Evolution of Friendships and Identity

45:00 The Power of Social Connection

48:56 Building Your Village

50:48 Finding Hope in Community

51:42 Navigating Motherhood's Challenges

54:19 Engaging with Your Community

57:52 Inspiration Through Shared Experiences

About your hosts:

• Whitney Heins is a mom of 2 kids, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. IG: @themotherrunners.
• Shanna Birchett is a mom of 6 kids six years apart, including twins. She returned to running in 2022 after an 11-year break, running a 2:44 marathon in the summer of 2024. She is the co-founder of Endure 365 running, endure365.com, which offers heart rate-based training plans. IG: @motherhood_running.
• Tricia DeNardis is a mom to 3 young kids and a physical therapist specializing in the pelvic floor, pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation. After running 10 marathons, Tricia now runs ultras (& sometimes even wins them!). IG: @burpeesandburpcloths.
• Olivia Garcia is a mom of 2 young kids, who used to work as a paramedic. She fell in love with running in 2019, despite surviving a marathon that didn’t go according to plan. With a 2:57 PR, she's cut more than an hour off her marathon time. IG: @watch_oliviarun.

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