In this episode of the Miles with Moms podcast, we reflect on their experiences over the past year, discussing personal goals, challenges, and the impact of loss (yes, another one of us cries—but there is much more laughing!) WE share insights on adjusting to new environments and the importance of community and friendships in motherhood. In this conversation, the participants discuss their experiences with holiday isolation, the challenges of motherhood, and the importance of community support. We also reflect on our goals for 2025, including personal growth, running aspirations, and the significance of setting smaller, manageable goals. The discussion emphasizes the need for connection, self-care, and the value of friendships as they navigate their journeys into the new year.

Happy new year, mother runners!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and New Year Reflections
02:59 Personal Goals and Challenges for 2024
05:58 Dealing with Loss and Grief
09:04 Adjusting to Change and New Environments
12:03 Friendship Dynamics and Community Building
16:41 Navigating Holiday Isolation
20:06 Setting Goals for 2025
22:30 Running Aspirations and Personal Growth
24:40 Reflections on 2024 and Future Goals
34:16 Embracing Smaller Goals for the New Year

Keywords

podcast, motherhood, running, personal growth, grief, community, New Year, goals, change, friendship, holiday isolation, 2025 goals, running aspirations, personal growth, reflections on 2024, smaller goals, motherhood, friendships, self-care, community support

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. With a 2:57 PR, she's cut more than an hour off her marathon time. IG: ...