The Passionate Runner

Matt Chittim is a former college basketball player and coach who started running at a young age. Though his running journey was far from typical, after college Matt started taking running more seriously and eventually became fully invested in the running community. Matt is the host of The Rambling Runner, a podcast about and for dedicated amateur runners who are working hard to get better and achieving inspirational results while balancing running with the rest of their lives. Matt believes that storytelling is a powerful tool and that amateur runners have some of the most fascinating stories to share.

Today, Matt talks to Whitney about the work he is doing to help amateur runners reach their enormous potential. He discusses some of the strategies he’s employed with his own running, such as increasing aerobic capacity and putting in more miles. Matt reflects on some of the mental, emotional and physical challenges he’s had to overcome, including injuries and not taking running too seriously. Finally, Matt talks about the importance of having the right mindset as a runner and why we should all strive to focus on controlling the things we can.

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

03:00 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Matt Chittim, who joins the show to share his passion for running and what his running journey has entailed

16:31 – Matt reflects on how running injuries led him to launch his podcast, The Rambling Runner

22:13 – The exponential growth of Matt’s podcast and how he turned a side hustle into a full-time job

27:35 – Overcoming obstacles and controlling what you can control

38:33 – Increasing aerobic capacity

42:17 – Getting back to marathoning

45:20 – Not taking running too seriously

50:41 – What Matt loves most about running

56:01 – Whitney thanks Matt for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow him

“So I thought, alright, a lot of pros are already getting interviewed. We don’t need another person interviewing these pro runners. I’ll just interview amateur runners who have interesting stories. I love those kinds of stories.” (20:55)

“For me there was the injury piece. I felt like I was always going from couch to race. There was no building upon fitness.” (29:39)

“I look back on periods of my life and I know I didn’t get the most out of my circumstances. Even if my circumstances didn’t change, I did not get the most out of them from a running perspective. And I have regrets surrounding it and I’m trying to remedy that situation now.” (38:14)

“Every long run I did at mile twelve it became a struggle. And I would finish my long runs but I was well aware that I needed to get stronger. And the only way this is gonna happen is if I’m running longer and putting more miles in. And it’s not simply in the long run. I need to do more of this and not just more meaning more per week, but also many more weeks of this.” (38:57)

“When I dwell on the competitiveness and some of the negativity that can stem from it, it makes me the kind of person that I don’t want to be. And that has an impact on all the other areas in my life. It’s easy to reign that in when I’m not taking running seriously.” (48:00)

“It’s the same reason I love all sports; it’s not running specific. It’s people who are working hard to get better at something in the face of whatever challenges that they have, whether those are physical challenges, mental and emotional challenges or situational challenges.” (50:47)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Matt’s Website – https://theramblingrunner.com/

Matt’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/

Matt’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

Matt’s Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rambling-runner-podcast/id1257440830

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production & Marketing by FullCast

Kristy Baumann is a registered dietitian, marathon runner, wife and mother to a six month old and a three year old. As a new runner, Kristy thought that she was eating healthy to support her training. In reality, she was eating too clean and, unknowingly, restricting calories, cutting out fat, and ignoring her hunger signs. It wasn’t until she began to change her mindset around food and understand the science behind nutrition and how the body works that she was able to learn to fuel properly, feel more energized and improve her running.

Today, Kristy and Whitney talk about Kristy’s journey as a runner, common mistakes marathon trainers make in regards to food and fueling and best practices for correcting those mistakes. Kristy provides insights on hydration, energy gels and post-marathon recovery. Finally, Kristy speaks to what she loves most about running and why she’s on a mission to spread the message that having a positive relationship with food is the foundation of fueling well as a runner.

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

00:56 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Kristy Baumann, who joins the show to share her running journey and how she became The Marathon Nutritionist

09:03 – Common fueling mistakes runners make during the marathon training process

13:42 – How to train your gut and the trouble with fasted runs

20:03 – The importance of eating easily digestible carbohydrates and what refueling should look like

25:16 – Preparing for Marathon Race week and why hydration is critical

28:16 – When should marathon trainers be carb-loading and recommendations on which fibrous foods to eat

31:27 – Common mistakes runners make on Race Day

34:53 – Advice on when to take the first energy gel during a marathon

39:00 – Hydration recommendations while running a marathon

41:20 – Recovery post-marathon

44:38 – How Kristy makes sure her athletes are eating enough throughout the day

47:26 – What Kristy loves most about running

49:14 – Whitney thanks Kristy for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

“I would always hear about eating disorders. But I never realized there was this whole realm of disordered eating as well where we have disordered thoughts about food which comes from diet culture and the pressure to look a certain way.” (06:51)

“As female runners, our hormonal makeup is completely different. And food and carbohydrates are essential in making sure that we’re able to perform to the best of our ability.” (16:18)

“So your body is always using different forms of energy; it’s not just using one. So, when you’re running slower, it’s using carbs and fats as a source of energy. But, there comes a point where even fat or protein as a source of energy takes longer for your body to break down in order to use it as energy.” (18:54)

“Honestly, the way you eat during taper doesn’t really change until a couple of days before the race. You still want to eat balanced meals. You still want to honor your hunger. Just because you’re running less doesn’t mean you should now be dramatically changing the way you’re eating or intentionally reducing carbs.” (25:48)

“Some people are totally fine eating foods made from white flour, while other people need to be more aware of eating and incorporating complex carbs like oatmeal, or incorporating a flax seed in order to prevent constipation or gut problems going into a race.” (30:28)

“Thirst isn’t a good indicator of when we need to drink water. There’s a lot of research on how we can’t rely on thirst alone when we’re exercising.” (40:37)

“Honestly, the part that I love about running is that when you run you learn so much about yourself, whether it’s through challenging workouts that you never thought you could complete to the personal self-confidence I’ve gotten from running.” (47:42)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Kristy’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/marathon.nutritionist/?hl=en

Kristy’s Website – https://kristy-s-school-921d.thinkific.com/bundles/personalized-running-nutrition

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production & Marketing by FullCast

Mary Johnson is a running and strength coach and Founder of Lift | Run | Perform, an organization that specializes in teaching runners how to use time in the weight room or in your own home to optimize your running performance. Mary is a USATF certified running coach, owner of Lift, Run, Perform, mother of two and she’s going after her own goals after having babies. Recurring injuries plagued Mary for years until she found strength training and it totally changed her life and training paradigm.

Today, Mary and Whitney talk about the struggles of returning to running postpartum and what that looked like for Mary. Mary shares the origin story of her company, Lift | Run | Perform, and provides some tips and best practices for strength training. Mary and Whitney explain the Five Major Movement Patterns as well as how different workout reps spur different changes in the body. Finally, Mary talks about some of the exciting projects she’s working on, including her ‘Breaking Three’ project.

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

01:18 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Mary Johnson, who joins the show to share her experience as a runner, running coach, mother and the work she did to overcome postpartum challenges in order to become stronger

15:02 – Why pregnancy is so polarizing

19:20 – The origin story of Mary’s business, Lift | Run | Perform

22:55 – Pros and cons of strength training for runners

26:31 – The Five Major Movement Patterns, explained

33:36 – How different reps spur different changes in the body

38:19 – Mary provides her thoughts on what strength training should look like when marathon training

45:25 – Mary suggests some workout equipment options

48:25 – Proper form and technique while working out

50:10 – How strength training has changed Mary’s experience running

51:48 – Mary’s ‘Breaking Three’ project

55:32 – Whitney thanks Mary for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow him

“I think having an easier delivery this time has made me aware of how significant and different every delivery can be.” (11:54)

“We knew that the best thing that was necessary for athletes was coaching the person as a human as opposed to coaching the person focused on a time goal. And that was our mission statement.” (21:26)

“When we’re running, we’re pounding. There’s a ton of force that’s put on our body. So, we hit the ground, it goes through our foot, to our ankle, to our knee, to our hip, to our back, and we are not stable when we hit that ground. We can absorb the shock fine but after step after step, the body doesn’t sustain that pounding very well. It needs to be strong. And that’s the simplified reason why running alone isn’t enough to keep us strong.” (23:09)

“First, I would make sure you take a month, pre-Marathon cycle, to lift. Yeah, you could run but you’re probably going to go down in mileage anyway. And this is a great time to get yourself in the gym. If you’re sore, that’s ok because it’s not gonna affect your workouts. But you have to be intentional about it.” (38:46)

“When you run without any aches or pains, it’s amazing.” (50:21)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Mary’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/itsamarython/

Lift | Run | Perform Website – https://liftrunperform.com/

Lift | Run | Perform Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Lift-Run-Perform-778360652345852/

Lift | Run | Perform Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/liftrunperform/

Link to Megan and David Roche’s podcast Some Work, All Play – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/some-work-all-play/id1521532868

At the age of twenty-four Dr. Jason Karp was one of the youngest college head coaches in the country and now he is the first American coach known to have moved to Kenya to coach Kenyans. Jason has written a dozen books including, Running a Marathon for Dummies and Running for Women and he has a passion for the science of athletic performance. In addition to being a coach and author, he’s an exercise physiologist, speaker and creator of the Revolution Running Certification, which has been obtained by coaches and fitness professionals in twenty-five countries.

Jason’s research has been published in many peer-reviewed journals and he’s also been an instructor for the USA Track and Field Level 3 Coaching Certification and four coaching camps at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. For Jason’s contributions to the industry, he has been honored with several awards, including the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition Community Leadership Award (twice).

Today, Jason and Whitney talk about the work he’s doing in Kenya, what it’s like for runners living there, and what his overall goal is while he’s over there. Dr. Jason provides some insights into nutrition, different types of training and his own experience as a runner. Finally, Whitney and Jason bust some common myths and misconceptions that are not backed by science like, ‘Does strength training really make you faster? And does your cadence actually matter?’

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

01:32 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, renowned running coach, Dr. Jason Karp, who joins the show to share his passion for the science of athletic performance and the work he’s doing over in Kenya

12:46 – Jason’s upcoming TED Talk

15:17 – What a typical day looks like for a Kenyan athlete

23:30 – Jason provides some nutritional advice to runners and the major metabolic differences between male and female runners

27:44 – The best time for women to be racing

31:09 – Training focusing on mileage

33:34 – The myth of the 80/20 Rule and how Kenyans train

39:40 – Strength training debunked

44:40 – The best types of training and how to prevent running injuries

49:22 – A unique workout that Jason has designed

56:50 – What has kept Jason so passionate about running

59:30 – Whitney thanks Jason for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow him

“So, I have a couple of different goals for why I’m here [in Kenya]. But one of the reasons is because, to my knowledge, there’s never been an American coach who has moved to Kenya to coach the Kenyan runners. So that is appealing to me. I wanted to do that because it’s never been done before.” (10:45)

“Sometimes you should do the long run without having breakfast first and you shouldn’t take carbohydrates during the long run because you want to deplete the tank. That’s one of the purposes of doing such long runs all the time is to deplete the tank so that you’ll respond and adapt to that situation by making a bigger fuel tank because that’s what improves endurance for next time.” (25:12)

“Ultimately, what causes the signal for adaptation is time because your legs have no concept of what a mile is. Mileage is arbitrary. Your legs have no concept. And, if you take two runners - one who is very fast and one who is slow - and they both run thirty miles a week, the really fast runner is running less total time than the slower runner. So the slower runner is actually under more stress even though their mileage is the same.” (31:36)

“Any time you add a new stress, a little bit of that stress has to be added first, let your body recognize it, adapt to it, and then you add a little more stress. I mean that’s the whole training process.” (48:59)

“If you were to go outside and run on flat ground and start out slow and count the number of steps in a minute and then you pick up the pace and then you count the number of steps in a minute, you should notice that the number of steps doesn't change much. You’ll only take maybe a few more steps over the course of the minute; you may not take any more steps over the minute. What influences the change of speed is stride length because, without even thinking about it, when you try to run faster you apply more force to the ground. It’s Newton’s Third Law of Physics: For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. So the more force you apply down and backward against the ground, the more distance you’re gonna cover. With each step you’re projected forward a farther distance.” (54:39)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Jason’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjasonkarp/

Jason’s Website – https://drjasonkarp.com/

Jason’s Books: 

Running a Marathon for Dummies – https://www.amazon.com/Running-Marathon-Dummies-Jason-Karp/dp/1118343085/ref=asc_df_1118343085/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=344057813277&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2025991103813497919&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004216&hvtargid=pla-491916290342&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=69543897352&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=344057813277&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2025991103813497919&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004216&hvtargid=pla-491916290342

Running for Women – https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/running-for-women_jason-karp_carolyn-smith/8782619/item/4680634/?gclid=CjwKCAiAo4OQBhBBEiwA5KWu_9h6GOneFyYfUhEKOP0P1O-MUgpGeCYWLVsx52ODUaSmKCvq3stREhoC8GEQAvD_BwE#idiq=4680634&edition=8040719

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast

Anne Maher is a wife and working mom who is passionate about running and triathlons. She discovered running later in life and is now setting some impressive personal records (PRs) and aiming for some ambitious goals. Today, Whitney and Anne talk about how Anne has been able to go from a beginner runner with no experience to Marathoner and how she’s achieved some major breakthroughs in a short amount of time. Anne speaks to how she balances her training with being a mom, wife and a professional, provides tips for staying mentally and physically healthy and shares her goals for 2022. Anne is currently taking her Pro License in Triathlon and is considering going after the new Marathon Olympic Trials Qualifying Standards (which is now a 2:37).

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

01:18 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Anne Maher who joins the show to share her inspirational running journey, from non-runner to Marathoner

15:31 – A strong belief and an incredible support system

25:19 – Setting intangible goals

29:25 – Anne’s Triathlon debut

33:09 – Balancing ambitious goals with family, work and everyday life

38:19 – Whitney and Anne share their thoughts on the new Olympic Trials Qualifying Standard

46:22 – What motivates and drives Anne

49:23 – Anne’s hilarious Instagram handle

53:10 – Whitney thanks Anne for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

“I started finally doing workouts and truly started run training and kinda finding my potential in running. It’s been a fun couple of years seeing how far I can go and continue to improve. And I’m not done but I’m enjoying it.” (08:52)

“Believing I can do things, asking for help and being patient for the right time to pursue my goals, those three things were instrumental in my breakthroughs over the last few years.” (18:52)

“And I think what these last few years have shown me is even if the race day doesn’t go the way you wanted, if the training cycle overall goes according to plan, they all stack up and build on each other. And if you’re being consistent and training in a thought out way, that is going to get you to those goals.” (24:12)

“One of my goals for 2022 is that I want to earn my ‘Pro Card’ in Triathlon and try to race as a Pro at least once by the end of 2022.” (31:49)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Anne’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/margsandmarathons/

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast

In this episode, Whitney welcomes three-time Olympic Trials Qualifier and Founder of the run coaching group, Get Running Coaching, Neely Gracey. Neely is an incredibly real and genuine person who has an amazing running story. She’s honest about the challenges she’s faced both as a runner and as a mother, and she truly wants to share her experiences to help other runners. Neely believes that coaching helps inspire her to keep working towards her goals as a runner, mother and business owner. She’s the eleventh American female ever to break 70 minutes in the half marathon.

Today, Whitney and Neely talk about Neely’s life as a professional runner, the challenges she encountered when she became a mom, and how she has exercised patience in reaching her goals. Neely opens up about her relationship with her husband, how a surprise pregnancy affected her running career, and what inspired her to write her book, Breakthrough, due out Spring 2022. Finally, Neely provides some sage advice to runners and shares the goals she has for herself in the coming year.

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

00:52 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Neely Gracey who joins the show to share her incredible running journey, motherhood, and how she’s overcome challenges throughout her career

11:52 – How Neely attained her pro athlete status as a runner

18:11 – Cultivating a winning running culture

22:23 – How Neely met her husband

26:56 – Neely’s injury history and how she started training with a world-class Adidas coach

32:14 – How Neely got to the point of easing off and letting her body guide her post-injury

34:08 – An incredible run to the Olympic Qualifiers

39:05 – The surprise of Neely’s life

42:48 – Neely’s upcoming book, Breakthrough, and what inspired her to write it

53:04 – Goals for 2022

56:16 – Whitney and Neely express their disappointment in the recently released Olympic Trials qualifying standards

57:35 – The vital role of sleep

58:24 – Whitney thanks Neely for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her and Get Running Coaching

“Teams need a leader and they need a leader that is positive and cohesive and respected.” (18:22)

“I honestly think it was all of the hormonal stuff. I think that was literally the reason behind all of [the injuries] and that my body wasn’t ready. And I mentally was ready so I pushed harder than I should have and pushed my body into it and my body just kind of put up the stoplight for me.” (30:10)

“Finally I just got to the point where I said, ‘Ok, I don’t even care if I ever race again. For me, I just want to be able to run every day and have fun with it.’” (33:18)

“My whole goal for 2020 was just to have a very steady progression of base-building fitness so that I could start racing again and feel really good and strong. And then, of course, the pandemic hit and I said, ‘Well, it doesn’t change my goal because my goal was to run consistently.’ And I had a great 2020.” (35:39)

“The main focus of the book is kind of a big picture of all the things it takes to be a good runner and to meet your goals.” (47:02)

“There’s tons of training books out there. There’s no one right way to train. Everyone is going to have a different approach and I’ve learned that as a professional.” (50:44)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Get Running Coaching Website - https://getrunningcoaching.com/

Get Running Coaching Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/getrunningcoaching/?hl=en

Neely’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/neelysgracey

Neely’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neelysgracey/?hl=en

Neely’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neely-gracey-2780054a/

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast

In this episode, Whitney welcomes writer, microbusiness owner and certified running coach Laura Norris. Laura is an amazing wealth of knowledge when it comes to the science of running. In fact, she has served as a mentor to Whitney and a co-coach for her athletes at The Mother Runners. She coaches adult recreational runners from beginners to Boston Qualifiers to 50K runners. She even qualified for Boston twice herself! Her areas of expertise include physiology, marathon training and long-term sustainability in sport. Today, Whitney and Laura dive deep into the science of running, from anaerobic and aerobic training regiments to how different types of runs help train the body’s systems to make us better runners. Laura discusses what happens to our bodies when we run and how we can use science to make us faster. Finally, Laura explains the Running Economy, Specificity of Training and why you can’t rush fitness.

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

00:42 – Whitney Hines introduces today’s guest, Laura Norris who joins the show to share her expertise in the science of running

10:53 – The many different systems the body utilizes for energy

14:53 – How different types of running help us train our body’s systems to become more efficient runners

18:08 – Developing a program for marathon training and how it differs from training for a shorter race like a 5K

21:47 – Specificity of training

24:23 – Advice for those starting out as a new runner

25:45 – How heart rate correlates to different types of runs and rate of perceived effort (RPE)

29:23 – What happens when you make the mistake of going too hard during your run and how Laura keeps her athletes in check

34:18 – The Running Economy, explained

38:58 – Why you can’t rush your fitness

42:04 – How Laura trains athletes who are struggling with their speed

45:40 – Common pitfalls Laura sees athletes make that hurt their performance

49:07 – A great goal for beginner runners

50:31 – Whitney thanks Laura for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

“I think the biggest thing that gets lost with people is you do lose that musculoskeletal fitness and that neuromuscular fitness much more quickly than say metabolic and cardiorespiratory adaptations. So a lot of people will lose the strength and elasticity of their tendons and that’s why sometimes when people come back too soon after a hiatus they get injured again.” (10:19)

“If you are doing anything below a 5K or longer, you’re gonna be predominantly anaerobic. Once you hit the marathon, it is almost one hundred percent aerobic energy, very little anaerobic going on. So that informs how a majority of the training should be. A majority of the training should maximize your aerobic systems. And that’s where easy runs come in.” (18:30)

“Heart rate can generally correspond with ventilatory rate. And ventilatory rate is more reliable than heart rate, I think.” (27:21)

“I think it’s first and foremost important to think about Running Economy as this multi-faceted thing. Essentially Running Economy is how efficiently you use the oxygen you consume.” (34:38)

“You always have to train where your fitness is, not where you want your fitness to be. Because, quite simply, if you’re trying to train your fitness to where you want it to be and you’re not there yet, you’re gonna be working all the wrong systems when you do workouts.” (39:44)

“Thirty minutes is where you get a lot of great health benefits from running. That’s where you’re going to improve your insulin sensitivity. That’s where you’re going to make your heart healthier and stronger. That’s where you’re gonna improve lung health. So, that’s always a great goal for beginner runners.” (50:00)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Laura’s Website - https://lauranorrisrunning.com/

Laura’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauranorrisrun

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast

In this episode, Whitney welcomes physical therapist, Dr. Joe Norton. Joe has dedicated his life’s work to helping runners get out of the injury cycle and back to doing what they love. This episode hits particularly close to home for Whitney as she’s been battling running injuries for the past two years so she knows a bit about how confusing and frustrating these battles can be. Today, Whitney and Joe talk all things running injuries, from what you can do to avoid them to how to tell when you need to take time off. They discuss the importance of maintaining a healthy regiment in order to be a good injured runner. Finally, Dr. Joe highlights the differences between bone and soft tissue injuries and provides detailed information on timelines for return to run.

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

00:42 – Whitney Hines introduces today’s guest, Dr. Joe Norton who joins the show to share why he pursued physical therapy and provides his thoughts on all things related to running injuries

07:29 – Identifying the source of a running injury

10:30 – The Disease of More and advice Dr. Joe would give to those recovering from running injuries

19:55 – Tightness, stretching and why rest is not always the best

26:11 – Best practices for being a good injured runner

28:42 – The importance of getting your injury looked at by a professional

31:54 – Proactive steps you can take to avoid the injury cycle

36:12 – Addressing running form

41:42 – The difference between bone and soft tissue injuries

45:23 – Timelines for return to run

48:33 – Patience, patience, patience

52:03 – Whitney thanks Joe for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow him

“Most people want to get better. So, it’s finding those opportunities to make some changes. And the least amount of changes I can make to someone’s lifestyle or exercise habits is usually the best.” (11:46)

“The layups for being a good injured runner are: make sure you’re sleeping well, make sure you’re eating well and make sure you’re getting in some type of movement every day.” (26:29)

“The risk of any activity is that you’re likely to develop an injury sooner or later.” (32:24)

“Focus on the process, not the destination. I tell myself that every day I wake up and I write out my daily plan and I write that upon my planner. Because it’s so easy to get stuck in the, ‘I can’t do this.’” (51:22)

Whitney’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-heins-02ba3b5

The Mother Runners Club – https://www.themotherrunners.com/

Joe’s Website – https://www.joenortonpt.com/

Joe’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/joenorton_pt/

Joe’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/joenortonPT/

Joe’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-norton-pt-ocs-cfmt-b8b73345/

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast

In this episode, Whitney welcomes physical therapist and expert in women’s health, Dr. Carrie Pagliano. Carrie has been a dynamic and innovative leader in the areas of Women’s/Pelvic Healthy for over twenty years. She is a double board certified clinical specialist in orthopedics and women’s health. She served as past President for the Executive Board for the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. Carrie speaks internationally in areas of postpartum return to sport and intercreative models of practice and pelvic physical therapy.

Today, Whitney and Carrie talk about the return to running after having a baby – how to do it, how not to do it – common misconceptions and mistakes and the hope that no matter your diagnosis, you can still have a future in this sport! Carrie is a wealth of knowledge and shares her expertise in a straightforward, practical and often humorous way. Whitney and Carrie discuss best practices and timelines for return to run postpartum, common myths about running postpartum and the importance of progressing the conversation about women’s pelvic health.

Runner Click Pro (use promo code "PODCAST" to get your first month free)

00:34 – Whitney Hines introduces today’s guest, Dr. Carrie Pagliano who joins the show to share her background as a physical therapist and why she chose to focus on women’s pelvic health

09:04 – Carrie opens up about her first pregnancy and a realization she had shortly thereafter

11:42 – Why the perfect pregnancy doesn’t exist and what you can do

17:07 – Why it isn’t necessary for everyone to see a pelvic floor specialist postpartum

20:28 – Signs you should be aware of when running postpartum

23:11 – Timelines for return to run

26:42 – How to tell when you’re ready to run and what the progression can look like

30:47 – Myth busting

36:55 – Advice for leakage and running

39:05 – Progressing the conversation of women’s pelvic health

42:49 – Commons mistakes made by postpartum runners

46:47 – Whitney thanks Carrie for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

“Fortunately, we’ve had some increases in postpartum research. We’ve had a lot of good education as far as return to sport, adding load and things like that. It’s all about just kinda taking everything that was around me and sort of mashing it up and seeing what we could come up with.” (10:40)

“We can go in with the best laid plans but be ready for things to change. And, I think that’s Parenting 101. You cannot control all of the variables. That’s the first lesson.” (13:05)

“I always tell people, ‘Worst case scenario, if we’re talking a surgical situation, you’re always gonna wanna go in stronger and more prepared so that you can protect the life of the surgery.’” (25:58)

“Somebody’s got an angle and a reason that they’re telling you that. And the fact of the matter is to drive from a position of fear as opposed to information on a vulnerable population is really shitty. It’s not ok.” (33:36)

“So much of this stuff we weren’t having these conversations because we didn’t have moms that were running and winning Olympic races or NYC marathons. We didn’t have role models that were doing these things and now we have this subset of people who are doing these things.” (39:58)

“I think getting back to running sounds so simple because you just walk out the door and do it. But it’s something that can be incredibly complex. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be if you can collaborate and work together with somebody that’s used to doing that.” (45:27)

Whitney’s LinkedIn

The Mother Runners Club

Carrie’s Website

Carrie’s Instagram

Carrie’s Facebook

Carrie’s LinkedIn

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast

Welcome to The Passionate Runner, the podcast that helps avid runners understand the science, simplify the complicated and remove hurdles so that your next run is not only fun and fulfilling, but fuels you with passion and purpose. Join lifelong runner, running coach, and mother of two, Whitney Heins, as she talks with experts in areas such as nutrition, training and physical therapy to share their insider knowledge so you can run your best & BE your best in the time that you have.

In this episode, Whitney welcomes Evan Wood to the podcast. Evan is an RRCA Level I certified running coach in New York City and he’s been running marathons and half marathons for over 10 years. Evan loves to help runners of all levels reach their goals which he does through his business, Just Another Running Coach. Today, Whitney and Evan talk about the mental strength we gain from running and how it can help us overcome challenges big and small, no matter what life throws at us. Evan talks about how running has empowered him, given him confidence and kept him motivated in all areas of his life.

Runner Click Pro

01:03 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Evan Wood who joins the show to share his background as both an RRCA certified running coach and a filmmaker

08:59 – Evan opens up about how the loss of his father, a diagnosis of Chron’s Disease and a life changing experience in the Bahamas played a role in his running origin story

21:22 – The decision to open up rather than internalize the pain

25:47 – The running community

32:48 – How running led to Evan’s dream career

37:51 – The journey to becoming a marathoner

42:49 – Evan talks about launching his coaching business, Just Another Running Coach, and speaks to his gratitude for the opportunity to share his story

46:20 – The common theme Evan has noticed in filming his documentary series about profiling inspirational runners

49:57 – What keeps Evan motivated and passionate

55:45 – Whitney thanks Evan for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow him

“My only option was to learn how to run. It was very challenging but, long story short, that is how I got introduced to running. And, by the end of the semester, I completed the half marathon. I started out as one of the slowest students in the school and it turns out I was the third student to finish the half marathon.” (17:35)

“It was amazing. And I was so lucky to have that support system. It’s that kind of support system that I would later find in the running community.” (25:16)

“Sometimes life is just out of our hands. Things happen and what can we do? We can still work hard. We can still believe that we don’t have to be defined by what happens to us. It’s like classic quote, ‘It’s not about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and get back up.’” (30:33)

“I’ve been really blessed. Having the opportunity to tell my story has been such an amazing opportunity. If it just connects with a couple of young people with Chron’s and inspires them, that just makes me feel like I’ve done everything I can hope to do in my life.” (43:32)

“At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that if you’re not motivated to run for six weeks in a row to build a base mileage, that’s ok. Do what feels fun and enjoyable. And I think that’s a huge part of it. It’s community but it’s also finding that thing that really makes it fun for you.” (52:46)

Whitney’s LinkedIn

The Mother Runners Club

Evan’s Website

Evan’s Coaching Website

Evan’s Email 

Evan’s Instagram

Evan’s Facebook

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production by FullCast