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Andi Ripley should be angry. But she is filled with gratitude.

Andi has a lot of running talent and was just getting started when she suffered serious injuries that have since stunted her competitive running career. But Andi was able to see the beauty in this disappointment and re-focus her priorities.

Starting her running journey at the young age of 8, Andi embarked on a competitive running career that carried her through college. After welcoming her first son, she embraced stroller running and unstructured training, making an impressive marathon debut with a time of 2:55—only to later discover she was pregnant. After the birth of her second son, she became coached by her husband, Zach, also an incredibly fast runner, and achieved a remarkable 2:43 Olympic Trials qualifying marathon time—with bilateral hip labrum tears.

Andi ran the Olympic Trials and then underwent surgeries for both hips but has battled injury ever since.

You might think she’d feel frustration over her untapped potential, but Andi chooses to view her challenges differently.

In this episode, Andi shares how she:

🌀Embraces the beauty of her need to pivot, shifting her focus from personal records to helping others find joy in movement through her coaching and support.

🌀How she navigated this transition, honing in on what she loves about running, and replicating it in other faces of life.

🌀Achieving “unhurried” healing.

Alongside her husband Zach, both Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers, Andi co-hosts The A to Z Running podcast, which I highly recommend.

RESOURCES:

AtoZRunning.com

@atozrunning

@andiripley

THANK YOU SPONSORS!:

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💗CURE HYDRATION delicious & clean hydration: Save 15% with code MOTHER RUNNER.

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
• whitney@themotherrunners.com

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Have you ever felt like taking a pause in your running journey was holding you back? If so, you won’t want to miss this empowering conversation with Erica Hopper. In this episode, we explore how these breaks can transform into opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.

I’ve known Erica for many years, and while our paths diverged for a bit, we reconnected when we both signed up for the Chicago Marathon this past fall. I was blown away by her incredible running journey, which inspired me to invite her onto the show.

At 40, Erica achieved a remarkable marathon personal record of 2:57 in Chicago, shattering her previous best of 2:58—set 15 years earlier! Just a year prior, she was navigating the challenges of postpartum life with her fourth child and struggling to shed the baby weight. Erica made a pivotal change that she credits for her breakthrough, and we dive into what that transformation entailed.

In addition to her running accomplishments, Erica has launched a new business, Fueled Up Kitchen, dedicated to providing moms and their families with nutritious, wholesome meals. With her background as a seasoned pastry chef, food stylist, and food blogger, she’s well-equipped to guide others on their culinary journey.

Some topics we chat about:

🌀how she fits in her high-volume training

🌀the big shift she made to have her marathon breakthrough

🌀the power of pauses to redirect your life,

🌀and the lessons her running is teaching her kids.

Erica is just getting started. As a busy mom of four young kids and now 41, she’s not only pushing the limits of her running as she trains for her 20th marathon but also paving a new career path to inspire and uplift fellow mothers.

Join us for this uplifting episode that showcases the resilience of mothers who run!

Follow Erica on IG: @fueledupkitchen!

BONUS MEAL PREP TIPS at Patreon.com/themotherrunners.

THANK YOU SPONSORS!:

💗Amazfit offers high-quality wearable tech for half the price! Save 10% on the GPS watches.

💗Previnex offers premium supplements. Save 15% off your first purchase with code MOTHERRUNNER at Previnex.com.

💗RelayActive Cute & comfy run fits. Save 15% 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
• whitney@themotherrunners.com

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Dr. Carrie Pagliano wants to set the record straight on your pelvic health. Women do not need to feel broken if they have incontinence, prolapse, or pain. You can overcome these issues and come back stronger!

With 25 years of experience, Carrie is one of the foremost pelvic health physical therapists in the US and has been a trailblazer in a field that is continually evolving.

In this episode, we explore Carrie's journey into pelvic health, including the evolution of pelvic health awareness and recent shifts in knowledge.

We talk about:

🌀misconceptions about pelvic health and debunk myths,

🌀main symptoms that people don’t realize are connected to pelvic floor dysfunction,

🌀the impact of hormonal changes including from pregnancy to perimenopause on our pelvic floor function, and

🌀four crucial insights she wishes every woman knew about pelvic health.

Join us for this insightful & empowering conversation!

THANK YOU, SPONSORS!

Amazfit offers high-quality wearable tech for half the price! I love the Balance 2 watch. Save 10% on the GPS watches.

TravelRunner.com A travel booking site for runners. Get a 5% discount on your first booking with code MRUN5.

MORE ABOUT CARRIE PAGLIANO:

Dr. Carrie J. Pagliano is a pelvic floor physical therapist, running coach, and longtime advocate for helping active women feel strong and confident in their bodies at every stage of life. She has worked in women’s and pelvic health for over 25 years & is double board certified in Orthopaedics and Women’s Health.

Carrie has served on Executive Board of the Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, been a national media spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association, & currently serves on the NIH Pelvic Floor Disorders Network Advisory Board. She's held faculty roles at Marymount and Georgetown University School of Medicine.

In addition to clinical practice, Carrie is a certified running & weightlifting coach. She speaks internationally on postpartum return to sport and is the founder of Carrie Pagliano Physical Therapy in Arlington, Virginia. She’s the host of the Active Mom Podcast, a wife, mom of two, and early-morning mover.

Resources:

@carriepagliano

https://carriepagliano.com

https://carriepagliano.com/patients/free-resources/

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
• whitney@themotherrunners.com