Tales from Another Mother Runner: Triumphs, Trials, Tips, and Tricks from the Road

"I no longer try to outrun heredity. I run to make my own history."—Nicki, another mother runner

Every mother runner has a tale to tell. A story about how she realized, fifteen years after being told that sheaEUR(tm)s best being a bookworm, that there is an athlete inside her. Or the one about how she, fifty pounds overweight and depressed, finally found the courage—and time—to lace up her running shoes. Or maybe itaEUR(tm)s about setting a seemingly impossible goal—going under two hours in the half-marathon—and then methodically running that goal down and tearing up across the finish line. Or it might be an account of friendship: she was new to town, was having a hard time making friends, was asked to join a group run, and now she's got four BRFs (best running friends) who are her allies, her cheerleaders, her reality checks. Maybe it's just a simple story of the beauty of starting the day off with an endorphin rush. Or, sadly, it could be about how, through the guidance of a thoughtful running friend, she found the space and rhythm to process being raped—and regained her strength and sense of self through every footstep.