WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM ELITE MOM RUNNERS
There’s a breed of trail runner not only finishing out front at nationally competitive races, they’re raising their children along the way. The challenge of being a mom may not lend itself to the elite runner’s life, but this bold class of women is rewriting what it means to be a mother athlete.
Create your own values.
“People will judge you and you need to ignore that judgment. The outside pressure of what motherhood looks like doesn’t apply. You just need to do what’s right for you and your family. The longevity of my running is in large part due to taking time off for my pregnancies. Having built-in breaks has given me time to emotionally and physically take a step back. Respecting the cycle of our child-bearing years is so important as a mother in this sport.”
—JEN BENNA, 38, of Reno, Nevada, has raced over 50 ultras in the last 15 years. She has wins at Zion 100 and American River 50 as well as podium finishes at Leadville 100 and Angeles Crest 100. Benna has continued racing competitively while raising two children, now ages seven and three.
This story is from the July 2018, #129 edition of Trail Runner.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2018, #129 edition of Trail Runner.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
You Cannot Erase us
Over the years and through thousands of miles of running, I have thought about the words that marked the beginning of colonialism on the land and the end of Indigenous sovereignty.
Inside The Adaptable Mind
How Courtney Dauwalter uses adaptability to stay cool, calm and collected when the going gets tough.
Take it Easy
How to stay at aerobic pace when you live in the hills
Here Comes the Sun
Where pessimism meets its match
Connecting the Dots
How Laura Cortez uses her passion for trails to build community.
Carbohydrate Confusion
When it comes to food and nutrition, we tend to overcomplicate things. Eat this, not that. Run fasted, restrict sugar. Unfortunately, much of the controversy stems from observations and sensationalized media headlines vs. actual data, leaving the consumer more confused from their Google search than they were before.
This Wild Life
ONE MAN’S 92-MILE RUN OF GRIEF AND SELF-DISCOVERY.
Our Town
Trail running is all about the community it fosters and the beauty and diversity within the community. Here’s a look at seven places, and the faces that call them home.
Fueling for Females
Here’s how female runners can use recent research findings for performance breakthroughs
Lose Weight with a Shake
Being a health and nutrition correspondent means that companies frequently send me their products, and ask for my stamp of approval.
