Miles with Moms
This is a podcast for moms who run, by moms who run. Our goal with this podcast is for mother runners everywhere to never have to run alone–or feel alone in their mom life struggles or journey to accomplishing BIG GOALS–because guess what? Taking time to take care of yourself and to chase big goals as a mom is not only OK–it is AWESOME! For you and the lessons you’re teaching your kids.
Miles with Moms
Our TOP MARATHON Advice for First-Timers
This one is for the first-timers—but really for anyone who wants to take on the marathon distance & feel like they nailed it (well, the best they can…).
On this episode, we give our top marathon advice for first-timers but it’s really lessons and tips that can benefit any runner. We share lessons, experiences, and mistakes to avoid.
As with most episodes, we start with a tangent (this one about aging), and then venture into marathon-related topics such as fueling tips, do’s & don’ts, tips to mentally & physically prepare for the distance, what’s normal & what’s not, taper tantrum tips, mental game tactics, and much more!
We hope our discussion pumps you up AND sets you up for success in going 26.2 so that you are ready to respect the distance & meet it healthy & ready.
This episode is sponsored by:
Save 15% with code MILESWITHMOMS
RELAY ACTIVE clothes
Save 15% with code MILESWITHMOMS
Chapters
00:00 Aging Gracefully: Embracing the 40s
02:44 The Perception of Age in Society
05:42 The Role of Podcasts in Daily Life
08:23 Marathon Advice for First Timers
11:20 Exploring Ultra Running
13:55 Sponsorships and Product Recommendations
16:03 Marathon Advice for First Timers
17:38 Fueling Strategies for Marathon Training
27:59 The Importance of Practice Runs
37:08 Recovery and Nutrition for Marathoners
38:24 The Marathon Mindset: Overcoming Mental Blocks
39:53 Building Up to the Distance: Training Strategies
41:36 Time on Your Feet: The Importance of Gradual Training
43:35 Understanding Fatigue: The Reality of Marathon Training
46:25 The Taper: Preparing for Race Day
49:03 Listening to Your Body: The Balance of Training
51:18 Setting Yourself Up for Success: Choosing the Right Race
About your hosts:
- Whitney Heins is a mom of 2 kids, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. IG: @themotherrunners.
- Shanna Birchett is a mom of 6 kids six years apart, including twins. She returned to running in 2022 after an 11-year break, running a 2:44 marathon in the summer of 2024. She is the co-founder of Endure 365 running, endure365.com, which offers heart rate-based training plans. IG: @motherhood_running.
- Tricia DeNardis is a mom to 3 young kids and a physical therapist specializing in the pelvic floor, pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation. After running 10 marathons, Tricia completed her first 50k in the fall of 2024, and is now hooked! IG: @burpeesandburpcloths.
- Olivia Garcia is a mom of 2 young kids, who used to work as a paramedic. She fell in love with running in 2019, despite surviving a marathon that didn’t go according to plan. With a 2:57 PR, she's cut more than an hour off her marathon time. IG: @watch_oliviarun...