About The Mother Runners!
I’m so glad you’re here! On this website, you’ll find information at the intersection of running and being a mom, including topics such as running while pregnant, running postpartum, stroller running, and training tips to run and be your best.
About me
Hi! I’m Whitney Heins, the creator of this website and community. I’m a former award-winning TV journalist who found a void of information related to running as a mom when training for my first marathon after having a baby.
I was searching for questions such as “how to train for a race with a stroller” and “is it ok to run on no sleep?” or “how to get rid of mom guilt” and came up empty-handed or with articles clearly written by people who didn’t live it. I felt compelled to use my journalism background to sleuth up the information to help fellow mother runners like me.
I started this site in 2019 while working from home in public relations with a 5-year-old and 2-year-old. I soon let go of my PR gig to focus full-time on The Mother Runners and grow the community.
I then became certified in run coaching because I also found a lack of run coaches who understood “mom life”—and the key to flexibility in training to bend with it. It’s a pure joy for me to coach women around the world who are either new or getting back into running or chasing big goals such as a BQ.
As for me, I’ve been a runner since I was 6 years old. Despite people telling (pregnant) me I should “kiss my running goodbye” when I became a mom, I clung to it dearly. In the throes of new motherhood, it was the only time I felt like myself again.
At the same time as The Mother Runners was born, I also began chasing a goal to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon. Unfortunately, I learned that training intensely and not sleeping much wasn’t a good combination and I fell into an injury cycle. I was able to run a 2:54 marathon and a 1:20 half-marathon at the age of 41 in 2022-3. Competitive by nature, I continue to strive to be “faster as a master” while maintaining a healthy balance as a mother and runner.
I call Knoxville, Tennessee, home, where I live with my husband Jake (known to run a few ultras in his day); my two fiery children, Eleanor (10), and Cal (7); and our two furry children (pups), Riley (14) and Niki (1). I got my degree in Government from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and my master’s in public relations from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
I am so thankful you are here. I truly believe that when we do something that makes us feel good and feel good about ourselves, such as running, that spiderwebs out into all we do. The people in our lives including our children are positively impacted by our improved mood and health, healthy habits we are sharing, and life lessons they are learning through us.
It’s not easy being able to run as a mom, but it’s definitely worth it.
In the Media
It’s been an honor to have The Mother Runners and my expertise featured in media outlets such as Nike, Runner’s World, SELF, and Women’s Running. I was also a regular contributor to Marathon Handbook and Runner Click, and hosted RunnerClick’s podcast, The Passionate Runner.
See a complete list of my media interviews in my In the Media section.
Miles with Moms Podcast
After hosting The Passionate Runner, it became a dream to host my own podcast JUST for mother runners. That dream came true in the fall of 2024, as co-host to the Miles with Moms podcast with three other amazing mother runners—Shanna, Tricia, and Olivia. Our goal with this podcast is for mother runners everywhere to never have to run alone or feel alone in their mom life journey to accomplishing big goals.
Listeners tell us it’s just like being on a run with their besties. No topic is off-limits, and we share personal stories, training tips—and laugh (a lot!). Listen on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube.
Readers’ Favorites
I write about an array of topics for fellow mother runners! Here is a list of some fan favorites:
- What to Expect After You Run a Marathon
- Hoka Bondi 7 vs. Hoka Bondi 8: An Honest Review
- Should Runners Take Creatine?
- The 6 Best Recovery Shoes for Runners
Connect with Me!
I love hearing from my readers about their running journeys and ideas for articles. If you have a problem or question, please let me get you the information to help you!
Send me an email at whitney@themotherrunners.com. You can also find me on:
Resources
A disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor (although I do interview them here) so my advice should not be considered as such. I share the results of my own experience, research, and interviews. Please do not take anything you read on this website as a medical directive and always consult your doctor before you put into action any of these tips.