Episode 163: Whitney Heins - The Mother Runners

Whitney Heins is the founder of The Mother Runners, host of The Mother Runners podcast, and a UESCA-certified running coach based in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was recently a guest on Whitney's podcast, and I've been looking forward to having her on here ever since. During this episode, sponsored by HUUG and Batch, we talk about: Pivoting from the Carmel Marathon to the Kentucky Derby Marathon after Carmel was postponed six weeks Running through Churchill Downs and why she does NOT recommend the Kentucky Derby Marathon if you're chasing a PR How her dad — who was told he'd never walk again after being wounded in Vietnam — ran the Marine Corps Marathon every year and is the reason she became a runner Running her first marathon as a senior in college, a 3:29, on a Hal Higdon plan targeting 3:30, powered entirely by not knowing any better 😂 Running Boston a couple of times, including the year her husband qualified, charged through the finish line screaming, and ended up in the medical tent The injury cycle she spent years stuck in — torn hamstrings, a labral tear, and the hard realization that her training wasn't the right fit for her body Misplacing her self-worth on race times and the mental work it took to untangle that Finding her current coach Nick Kostava at Running Explained and finally stacking two healthy marathon cycles back to back Starting The Mother Runners blog in 2019 because she couldn't find answers online that were written by people who had actually lived mom runner life Becoming a running coach because there weren't enough mom coaches who truly understood what mom life looked like What it was really like to be a one-woman-band TV journalist — covering manhunts alone in heels, interviewing governors, and walking into a trailer with 18 Chihuahuas and mounds of poop Why she barely scrolls Instagram and has a golden retriever account called Four Golden Life Her dad, now turning 80, who picked up Krav Maga at 71 and is absolutely crushing it What's next: a speed cycle this summer and the CNO Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in the fall — which means we will finally get to meet in real life! Sponsor Details HUUG – Use code ALLYB for 15% off your order Batch – Use code FINISH for 30% off your first order (good on subscriptions too!) Previous Guests Mentioned Jessica & Johnathan Jones – Episode 159 Eileen Poore – Episode 17 Other Links The Mother Runners podcast Follow Whitney on Instagram @themotherrunners Follow me on Instagram @allytbrett_runs Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.