Run Hard Mom Hard

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.

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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.

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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.​

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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!

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!

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. 

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!

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!

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!

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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