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 shea€?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 ita€?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.

In Mother Runners, elite runners Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea share not only their own stories of personal triumph on the pavement but also the inspiring stories of many members of the vibrant mother runner community they've built on their popular site, Run Like a Mother. While the common theme is running, the variations that happen through the miles are as endless as the miles themselves: losing weight, gaining confidence, finding yourself, connecting with friends, expecting more, setting goals, dealing with disappointment, figuring out how to train efficiently, clearing your head, reconnecting with your memories, building a better you. Whether you've run more marathons than you can remember, or you're just getting started, you'll find the inspiration you need to get out there, keep pushing, and run like a mother.

A veteran of eight marathons with a competitive streak a mile long, Sarah Bowen Shea is a freelance writer specializing in fitness, health, gear, and parenting. She contributes to a variety of publications, includingShape, SELF, Runner's World, Whole Living, and the New York Times. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Jack, and three young children, including boy-girl twins.

A dedicated if not natural runner, Dimity McDowell writes regularly about sports and fitness for a range of magazines, includingRunner's World and ESPN: The Magazine. She lives and runs (at 5,280 feet) in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, Grant, two kids, and two dogs.