The Mother Runners Podcast: Moms Chasing Personal Bests

Send us Fan Mail

You know—Iife is busy and we haven’t had a chance for all four of us to talk and catch up. So that’s what this episode is! We just banter about whatever and cannot be held responsible for what comes out of our mouths. 

We discuss our experiences during summer break, the challenges of parenting and managing kids' sports, and the competitive nature that often arises in youth sports—hopefully, highlighting the lighter side of parenting amidst the chaos. 

There may be some talk about strange protein sources and surprising things we have seen at the zoo. You’ll just have to listen. Thanks for being here!

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Catching Up

03:00 Navigating School Transitions

05:58 Managing Expectations as Parents

09:02 Mother's Day Reflections

11:58 Summer Plans and Camp Experiences

15:00 Moving and Community Connections

20:01 Summer Break and Family Dynamics

23:04 Sports and Parenting Challenges

26:02 Competitive Spirit in Youth Sports

29:57 Humor and Parenting Experiences

34:02 Summer Activities and Safety Concerns

37:07 The Protein Debate

41:00 Zoo Tales and Animal Antics

43:59 Humor in Healthcare

47:00 Running and Recovery

50:02 Listener Engagement and Reflections

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the Miles With Moms Podcast, we are so honored to interview Jen Hughes (@jenhughes56 on Instagram). Jen is a remarkable woman who has overcome significant challenges in her life. 

Jen shares her journey from a life-changing car accident that left her in a wheelchair to becoming a competitive runner and enlisting in the military at the age of 45, being the oldest person to enlist. 

Throughout our conversation, Jen emphasizes the importance of resilience, mental toughness, and the joy of running. She discusses her experiences in basic training, the respect she earned from her peers, and how she balances her roles as a coach, mother, and military member. This episode highlights the power of determination and the pursuit of one's passions. 

We challenge you to listen to this episode and not be inspired!!

MORE ABOUT JEN:

Jennifer Hughes is a dedicated coach, soldier, wife, and mother, known for her resilience and faith. After a life-changing car accident left her in a wheelchair, she fought to walk again, eventually returning to competitive running and aiming for the Olympic marathon trials. Jennifer has run in all 50 states and 28 countries.

With over 15 years of coaching experience, she currently coaches high school track & field, cross country, and Unified Sports. She has received numerous accolades, including the 2024 Brooks Most Inspirational Coach in the Nation and her school’s Coach of the Year for 2024/25.

At age 45, Jennifer made history as the oldest woman to enlist and complete basic training, now serving in the Army National Guard while maintaining her coaching and competitive training. Grounded in her faith and family, she embraces life and seeks new experiences, cherishing her love for running and connecting with people worldwide.

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

This week marks our last installment of our special Mother’s Day episodes where we are interviewing amazing moms. Today we chat with Tess Chupinsky (@tesschupisky on Instagram), an entrepreneur/founder of @therunmylifejournal, homeschooling mom of 5, foster mom, and marathoner. 

Tess shares her experiences with running during pregnancy, the transformative power of journaling for mental health, and how she balances family life with training. She also discusses her journey into fostering and how it has impacted her family dynamics, as well as the importance of building a strong partnership in marriage. Tess’s journey highlights resilience, self-care, and the significance of gratitude in daily life.

Some amazing takeaways from our conversation:

-how Tess qualified for the Boston Marathon running just 3 days a week

-how journaling helped get Tess out of a pool of grief & shift her mindset

-the importance of self-care for parents

-what led Tess to starting her journal business for busty moms, 

-and her secrets to maintaining a health marriage, among other things. 

More about Tess:

She is 35 year old mom of 5, runner by early morning light, entrepreneur and homeschool mom by day, reader by night. After just achieving her 10 year long quest to get to Boston, she has her sights on eventually breaking 3 and chasing 6 (7) stars. “I love the place running takes me, on the brink of my limits, breaking the barriers and discovering the truest, strongest parts of myself. I use the combination of my morning routine, the run my life journal and running to help me mentally and emotionally be the best mom I can be,” Tess shares.

Thank you Tess for sharing your inspiring story!

Please consider sharing and reviewing this podcast!!

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

(We wanted to call this the Snail Trail episode--you will have to listen to find out why...) But ok! THIS WEEK on the Miles with Moms podcast we were so honored to have Elizabeth Ropp, a pediatrician and homeschooling mom of 6, as our guest as we continue featuring fellow mother runners all month long to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Elizabeth is a 40-year-old mom who started running a little over two years ago after baby six as a means to battle postpartum anxiety and depression. She recently completed her first World Major Marathon at the Boston Marathon, her third-ever marathon.  She is planning to run Chicago later this year. Elizabeth homeschools her six children and recently went back to nearly full-time as a pediatrician working as a Nursery Hospitalist at our community hospital.

Some topics we chat about:

-HOW SHE FITS IT ALL IN. Elizabeth walks us through a day in the life, including what she does if her kids don't comply with their teacher aka mom.

-FINDING RUNNING LATER IN LIFE. Elizabeth talks about how running saved her during a hard time in her life, and how she keeps it fun while also having big, serious goals. She also opens up about her battles with imposter syndrome.

-HER DECISION TO GO BACK TO WORK. Elizabeth shares why she decided to go back to work after staying home with her kids for many years. Her self-awareness and courage are inspiring. 

Olivia also drops some of her usual hilarious nuggets including one that will never make you look at snails again. She also talks about the humor she found in her marathon DNF earlier this month. 

Thanks to our sponsors Lagoon Sleep and Happy Curves for supporting this episode!

Save 15% on Lagoon Sleep pillows with code MOM and save 10% on Happy Curves products on Amazon with code MilesMoms10.

DISCLAIMER: We had technical issues so the audio is less than perfect. Thanks for bearing with us!

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

This week we are so honored to have Natalie Mitchell as our guest as we continue featuring fellow mother runners all month long to celebrate Mother’s Day.

Natalie is one of those people who is just a bright shining light, filling any space around her with positivity. Her heart is so pure and her perspective so moving. We think you are going to just love our conversation with her.

In this episode, some topics we chat about:

-AGING IS A MINDSET. Natalie, who is 52, is going over her fastest times yet.

-FINDING STRENGTH IN THE HARDEST TIMES. Natalie & her family have gone to hell & back including narrowly surviving the LA fires.

-EMBRACING THE POSITIVES OF BEING A MOM ATHLETE. Natalie shares how being an athlete positively impacts her role as a mom inc. staying close with her kids.

MORE ABOUT NATALIE MITCHELL:

I am a certified running coach, have written many articles for Women's Running Magazine, am an Ambassador for Maurten and Previnex, an athlete with H2O Audio and have coached many athletes to their first marathon and beyond. I currently coach in person (Assistant Coach for high school cross country and track) and online athletes in distance running.

I was a D1 cross country and track athlete at UC Santa Barbara and have run 15 marathons so far with a PR of 3:05 in the marathon (2019) and 1:27 in the half marathon (2018). I have been coached by some of the best coaches in the sport and I'm currently training to run a much faster marathon. On the weekends you’ll find me race announcing. I also host the Suite Run podcast with my husband Jerold, where we talk to passionate runners each week about running and travel. 

Instagram: @natrunsfar

Blog & coaching: natrunsfar.com. 

Podcast: SuiteRun.com. 

Her family is still recovering from the LA Fires. Help at https://shorturl.at/bciCJ. 

This episode is sponsored by HAPPY CURVES! Save 10% on Amazon with code MILESMOMS10. 

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

This episode kicks off something fun we are doing for May (the month of Mother’s Day)—we are featuring fellow mother runners to shed light on their journey, insights, and how they “make it work.”

Our first feature is of Kayleigh Schwartz Hendricks, an athlete that Whitney has coached for three years. 

Kayleigh is a pediatric nurse practitioner who works in the pediatric hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant unit at the University of Michigan. She is also an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and teaches undergraduate pediatric clinicals. These positions involve a constantly changing schedule with night shifts. 

She’s also a mom to three young boys (and two dogs, a cat, six chickens, and some fish). 

To say Kayleigh's life is full is an understatement. Kayleigh has such a beautiful and refreshing outlook on running that truly is the recipe for longevity, health, and happiness in the sport. She shares how she manages to stay consistent with her training despite such an inconsistent work schedule and maintain her love of the sport—which she has had since the age of ten. 

We loved chatting with Kayleigh so very much, and learned so much from her—and we think you will, too! 

This episode is brought to you by Lagoon Sleep, lagoonsleep.com. Save 15% with code MOM. It is also brought to you by Happy Curves. Save 10% on Amazon with code MilesMoms10. 

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

“We had been in and out the hospital so many times and thank God for my mom's my rock. She's my best friend. She was with me through everything.  So she knew that I needed to start running again for like my own mental sanity.” 

This week we feature Francesca Barbetta ( @5ammommyrunner on Instagram) because she is truly inspiring. And while her accomplishments & day-to-day commitment are so inspiring as a mother runner, it’s what she has overcome that is arguably the true inspiration. 

While many on Instagram may know her as the mom who wakes up way too early to run far on a treadmill with her three littles at home—what they don’t know is the how and why she does it. 

That’s what we wanted to get reveal. And Francesca was graciously so honest with us sharing how her life was on a total different trajectory. 

She shares: 

-how running saved her when she was in the depths of postpartum depression and anxiety while navigating a serious medical condition with her baby

-how she does those early morning runs and what helps her stay energized throughout the day

-the biggest lessons in her postpartum running journey

-& what she wishes every mother runner (or woman in general) would stop doing. 

Francesca’s journey is a true story of adversity. 

Big thanks to this episode’s sponsors:

Lagoon Sleep save 15% with code MOM at lagoonsleep.com &

Happy Curves save 10% with code MIlesMoms10. On Amazon

Please don’t forget to leave a review & check out our Patreon.com/mileswithmomspodcast

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

This week we are doing something extra special. We have two special guests Polly Cunes (@mommytosubthree) and Michelle Baxter (@therunnersplate) to talk about getting FASTER as a MASTERS runner. 

They share what they changed to keep feeling good and nabbing those PRs. Polly has been slaying her PRs at the age of 41 including a 2:43 marathon and a 1:18 half. Michelle has PRed in 5 distances at the age of 41 including an 18:20 5k and a 2:56 marathon. Meanwhile, your over-40 co-hosts are also improving their running while "over the hill." Tricia, 41, is killing the ultra distances, placing first among women in her first 50 miler this year. Whitney, at the age of 41, also PRed in several distances including a 1:20 half. At 43, she's feeling better running than ever. 

In this podcast, we talk about the training tweaks, nutrition changes, and recovery hacks that have made all the difference in training so that our best running years are ahead. We discuss the power of mindset and not letting naysayers (probably the same ones who told you to quit running when you became a mom) stop you from chasing your dreams. We hope to inform and INSPIRE with this very honest conversation. 

MORE ABOUT POLLY & MICHELLE: 

Polly is a full time teacher, a mom of two and a competitive runner. She started running in her early 20s after competitive sports as a way to stay fit and channel her inner competitiveness. She fell in love with racing but didn’t train seriously until after becoming a mom. She thrives on training hard, fitting running into her busy life and chasing big goals. This year, the age of 41, she has run personal bests in the marathon (2:43:35) and half marathon (1:18:22) and she’s not done yet! 

Michelle is a mom of two, a running coach and founder of the running blog, therunnersplate.com. At the age of 41, she PRed in the mile, 5k, half marathon, 10 mile, and marathon. Michelle started running at the age of 10 and was an “average” runner in high school and at her Division III college. But with some dedication and more structured training, she was able to get faster as a mom—and even faster as an over-40 runner. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two boys.

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Shanna & Olivia catch us up on their training which leads them into an inspiring conversation about chasing goals as a mom. Olivia never thought she would be chasing sub-3 hour marathon times as a mom. In fact, she talks about how she still struggles to see the paces she is hitting. And Shanna discusses what it's like to compete on the track as a mom among a sea of college runners. 

Both highlight the importance of believing in yourself and knowing that it is NEVER too late to go after your goals--whatever your goals may be. They also discuss what "makes someone a runner", how to hop into the track scene, and why the marathon distance is so amazing and terrifying. We also have our mother runner shout-out. 

If you are interested in competing on the track, check out directathletics.com or athletic.net to find events near you. 

Special thanks to our sponsor, Lagoon Sleep, for supporting this episode. Take your quiz at lagoonsleep.com and save 15% with code MOM. 

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we (Olivia, Tricia & Whitney) answer a question we’ve been asked often by listeners: what it was REALLY like for us to return to running postpartum and when we finally felt NORMAL running after having a baby. (Shanna could not make it today—we missed you Shanna!)….

SPOILER ALERT: None of us had a BOUNCE BACK story to share. In fact, quite the opposite. 

-We talk about the impacts beyond the physical changes recovering from pregnancy including sleep deprivation and hormonal changes. 

-We share the impact of breastfeeding had on training. 

-And we discuss how stress & anxiety around having a baby impacted our recovery. 

-We also talked about lessons learned and Tricia, as a pelvic floor physical therapist, gives guidance for new moms. 

We hope sharing our journey shares a REAL account of what it is like to return to running after having a baby—not just someone’s highlight reel. 

As usual, we give a mother runner shout-out (to Shri!), read a listener review (thank you!), and give a reminder to drop a review and check out our secret podcast on Patreon.com/mileswithmomspodcast. 

Thanks for being here! 

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.

• www.themotherrunners.com
• Instagram: @themotherrunners
• YouTube: The Mother Runners
• [email protected]