In this episode we chat about the importance of fueling for runners and share personal stories of their fueling fails and go-tos.

We share some humorous stories about their experiences with nutrition and food choices as runners & discuss the challenges of pre-workout nutrition, the importance of breakfast for long runs, and their personal race day rituals. The conversation highlights various nutrition strategies for runners, focusing on pre-race fueling, the use of gels and electrolytes during runs, the role of caffeine in enhancing performance, and the importance of post-run recovery meals. We share our preferences, highlighting the significance of finding what works best for individual needs in endurance sports. We also talk about mental challenges faced by runners, and the importance of finding joy in the process.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Hosts
05:11 Celebrating Mother Runners: Tess Shipinski's Journey
09:17 The Importance of Fueling for Runners
14:06 Epic Fueling Fails: Learning from Mistakes
19:10 The Perils of Pre-Workout Nutrition
24:44 Breakfast Choices for Long Runs
31:03 Race Day Rituals and Food Choices
34:26 Fueling for Performance: Nutrition Strategies
36:51 Gels and Electrolytes: Finding What Works
39:31 Caffeine: The Secret Weapon for Endurance
44:57 Post-Run Recovery: What to Eat After a Workout
54:33 Fueling for Performance: The Importance of Nutrition
57:18 Mental Toughness and Overcoming Past Struggles
01:00:01 Finding Joy in Running: Personal Experiences and Wins
01:05:21 Navigating Pressure and Expectations in Racing
01:11:21 Community Support and Real Talk in Running

Keywords

running, fueling, mother runners, marathon, health, fitness, nutrition, personal stories, challenges, motivation, nutrition, running, pre-workout, breakfast, race day, marathon, food choices, digestive health, training, athletes, nutrition, running, gels, caffeine, recovery, endurance, hydration, marathon, performance, fueling, running, nutrition, mental toughness, performance, joy, racing, community, support, expectations, motherhood

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 5-year injury cycle which included a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon, she is training to run faster as a master’s athlete. IG: @themotherrunners.
• Shanna Birchett is a mom of 6 kids under 8, including twins. She returned to running in 2021 after an 11-year break, running most recently 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. She’s since cut more than an hour off her marathon time and gunning to break 3 hours. IG: ...