Still Running

We're told that sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our health, recovery, and running performance. Eight hours. Consistent bedtimes. More deep sleep. Better sleep scores.

But what happens when life has other plans?

Ashley hasn't slept through the night in more than two years, thanks to two little kids. Trax is navigating early-morning wakeups, night sweats, and the sleep disruptions that come with perimenopause. And both are wondering: Are we actually getting enough sleep, or have we just gotten used to being tired?

This week, we're tackling sleep from three very different perspectives.

First, Dr. Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist specializing in behavioral sleep medicine, explains why women's sleep changes as we age, when poor sleep deserves medical attention, and why trying too hard to sleep can actually make things worse.

Then, two-time Olympian Molly Huddle gets refreshingly candid about motherhood, fractured sleep, and accepting that she can't train or recover the way she once did. She's still racing, still finding joy in running, and learning that sometimes showing up with what you've got is enough.

Finally, champion mountain runner Grayson Murphy shares what happened when her nine-hour sleep routine collided with new motherhood, how sleep deprivation affected her workouts, and why she's now training based on what she can recover from rather than how much she can do.

Along the way, we talk sleep trackers, caffeine, co-sleeping, perimenopause, training through exhaustion, and the pressure to optimize absolutely everything.

Because yes, sleep matters. But maybe getting a little less anxious about getting it perfect matters, too.

In this episode:

• Why women's sleep changes with age and hormones
• What to do when you wake up at 2 a.m. and can't fall back asleep
• Whether sleep trackers are helping or making things worse
• How to adjust training when you're not recovering well
• What two elite runners have learned about motherhood, sleep, and athletic expectations
• Why one bad night doesn't have to ruin your next race
• When to seek professional help for ongoing sleep problems

Still Running is a podcast for women runners who are still figuring it out. Hosted by Ashley Arnold and Rebecca Trachsel. Visit stillrunningpod.com for more! 

Poor sleep. Slower recovery. Mood changes. A body that suddenly feels unfamiliar. It must be perimenopause, right? Not necessarily.

Ashley and Trax talk with Dr. Kate Ackerman, sports medicine physician, endocrinologist and co-founder of the Women’s Health, Sports and Performance Institute, about why perimenopause can be especially difficult to identify in runners. Its symptoms can overlap with underfueling, RED-S, iron deficiency, thyroid issues and the cumulative stress of training and life.

Strength coach Gaggi DeStefanis explains why lifting matters as women get older and offers a manageable way to begin. Then professional ultrarunner Amanda Basham shares what happened after she was diagnosed with early perimenopause at 36, why she began questioning whether that explained everything, and how eating more, addressing her anxiety and taking training one day at a time helped her run her best UTMB yet.

This episode is about looking beyond an easy diagnosis, supporting the whole athlete and remembering that you do not need every answer before you can begin feeling better.

Learn more at stillrunningpod.com. 
And use code STILLRUNNING10 to get 10% off your next Altra purchase. 

Does turning 40 mean your fastest running years are behind you—or can women continue getting stronger, more durable and even faster as they age?

Ashley and Trax confront their own questions about aging, ambition and how long they can continue chasing big goals. They talk with masters runner Jenny Hitchings, who ran a lifetime-best marathon at 59; 82-year-old record-setting runner Jan Holmquist; and exercise physiologist Dr. Susie Reiner.

Together, they explore what really changes in our bodies as we age, what can still improve and why longevity may require more intentional training, fueling and recovery—but not less ambition.

The takeaway: Aging may change how we train and measure progress, but it doesn’t mean our best years are automatically behind us.

Find complete show notes and guest resources at stillrunningpod.com.

Still Running is presented by Altra and supported by founding partner Fleet Feet. Still Running listeners receive 10% off at Altra with code STILLRUNNING10.

Walk into any supplement aisle and you’ll find an overwhelming number of things women runners are supposedly missing. But do we actually need collagen, creatine, iron, magnesium, omega-3s, vitamin D—or any of it?

Ashley and Trax talk with sports dietitians Nicole Farnsworth and Catherine Kruppa and board-certified OB-GYN and menopause specialist Dr. Sarah Berg about how to make more informed supplement decisions.

They explore why there is no universal list, how nutritional needs change through postpartum, perimenopause and menopause, why “normal” lab results may not tell the whole story for athletes, and what third-party testing seals to look for before buying a supplement.

The biggest takeaway: start with food and adequate fueling, identify a real need and make sure every supplement has a job.

Find complete show notes and resources at stillrunningpod.com

Are you doing too much—or have you just not figured out how to make it all work yet?

Ashley and Trax begin with two slightly different versions of the same problem: Ashley is moving through life with a constant sense of urgency, while Trax is stacking hard training days and trying not to admit how tired she feels.

Professional runner and mom of two Keira D’Amato shares how support, boundaries and clear decision-making filters allow her to pursue ambitious goals without losing sight of why she runs. She explains why she has learned to be stubborn about the things that matter while remaining flexible about how they happen.

Trax’s friend and training partner Samantha introduces her “varsity edit”—a process for addressing the everyday points of friction that drain our energy and creating more room for the people and pursuits that fill it.

Finally, clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman explains why so many women believe they should be able to do everything, how to recognize when moving fast is no longer working and why balance doesn’t mean giving every part of life equal attention.

The takeaway: You may be able to do all the things you care about, but probably not all at once—and not without support.

In this episode:

• Why women often remove the things they want for themselves when life gets too full
• How Keira creates boundaries before she is stressed and forced to make a decision
• Why Keira began running for a “we” rather than only for herself
• How being both stubborn and flexible can help protect time for running
• Why a life filled with things you love can still become overwhelming
• How Samantha’s “varsity edit” creates more space and reduces everyday friction
• Why cultural expectations and social media make women feel as though they should be able to do everything
• Dr. Rachel’s “life pie” framework for navigating changing priorities
• The signs that moving too fast is no longer working
• How one small adjustment can interrupt overwhelm before it becomes burnout
• Why asking for help is an essential part of pursuing meaningful goals

Find complete show notes, guest information and resources from this episode at stillrunningpod.com.

Our partners:

Fleet Feet is a founding partner of Still Running. Visit the Still Running website to learn more about Fleet Feet’s personalized outfitting and No Boundaries training programs.

Still Running is presented by Altra. Visit the Still Running website to explore Altra’s naturally shaped footwear and low-drop Experience line.

Follow us on Instagram at @stillrunningpod.

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Is your watch helping you train—or changing how you think you feel?

In the first episode of Still Running, Ashley and Trax unpack their complicated relationships with wearable technology, from obsessively checking sleep scores to letting heart rate variability shape expectations for a workout or race.

Exercise physiologist Dr. Rachele Pojednic explains what HRV actually measures, why your individual trends matter more than a supposedly “good” number and how wearable data can influence how you feel—even when the data is incomplete or inaccurate.

Two-time Olympian Kara Goucher shares why she has spent most of her career training and racing by feel, how she learned to recognize her body’s subtle cues and why she believes runners need to intentionally practice racing without relying on their watches.

Finally, biomechanist Dr. Kirsten Seagers Szalapski explains where wearables can be useful, where their limitations remain—particularly for women—and why your nervous system still knows more than an algorithm.

The takeaway: Data can be a useful tool, but it should add context—not override what your body is telling you.

In this episode:

•  What HRV actually measures—and why a low number isn’t automatically bad 
•  Why your personal baseline matters more than comparing your data with someone else’s 
•  How wearable feedback can change your perception of sleep, recovery and readiness 
•  Why sleep-stage data from consumer devices is only an estimate 
•  When taking off your watch may be better for your mental health and performance 
•  How Kara Goucher learned to train and race by feel 
•  Why watch-free workouts can help runners rebuild their internal sense of effort 
•  The benefits and trade-offs of watches, rings, chest straps and arm-band sensors 
•  Why women remain underrepresented in wearable-validation research 
•  Why a single bad score may not mean much—and your body still deserves the final say 

Meet the guests:

Dr. Rachele Pojednic is an exercise physiologist, researcher and science communicator. She is the director of education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine and a faculty member in Stanford’s Human Biology program. Read her article, “Should You Trust Your Wearable?”, and follow her on Instagram.

Kara Goucher is a two-time Olympian, World Championships medalist, author, television commentator, podcaster and mom. She is the author of The Longest Race and co-host of Nobody Asked Us with Des & Kara. Follow Kara on Instagram.

Dr. Kirsten Seagers Szalapski is a biomechanist and movement scientist focused on injury prevention, wearable sensing and the real-world application of biomechanics. She is a research associate and sports biomechanist at the Women’s Health, Sports & Performance Institute.

Resources:

• Research on wearable fitness trackers and activity-adequacy mindsets
• Stanford Mind & Body Lab
• Activity Adequacy Mindset Measure

Still Running is presented by Altra.

Fleet Feet is a founding partner of Still Running.

Visit stillrunningpod.com to learn more and sign up for the newsletter. Subscribe to Still Running wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss an episode.

Welcome to Still Running, a podcast for women runners still figuring it out.

Hosted by Ashley and Trax — two women runners 10 years apart — Still Running is like the long-run conversation we’re all having about running, motherhood, hormones, ambition, identity and what it means to keep chasing big goals through a changing life.

In this short trailer, we introduce the show, why we started it and the kinds of questions we’ll be asking with help from experts, athletes and each other.

Follow Still Running wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us as we figure it out in real time.