We love a good lightbulb moment. Especially when it comes to running gear.  That’s what Maureen, a half-marathoner in training, recently had. “I love running with a hydration vest: I can’t believe that in my 13 years of running, I’ve never thought to buy one. Sometimes you don’t know how much you need something until you get it,” wrote Maureen, who was one of nine BAMRbassadors who got to test a vest. “If you run distances over three miles, I think you should consider the investment of a hydration vest.” (We agree, Maureen!) Kerry, another tester, echoed Maureen: “I never saw myself usin ..read more

Injured: All us runners are either there or will be (sigh), so this is a critical episode to listen to. The guest, physical therapist Amy Benton, talks with hosts Sarah Bowen Shea and Coach Liz Waterstraat about how to return safely to training and racing after a sidelining injury. Amy—and Coach Liz— detail: -guidelines for when you’re ready to take the next step; -the importance of taking it slow and steady; -the length of your training cycle for a comeback race; -the power of positive thinking (for realz!); and, -why it’s all about the long game. Sarah reveals details how she’s found ..read more

Last winter, when I—Dimity—put together Go the Distance, our first AMR endurance event where you picked your activity, your distance/time, and your duration (6, 12, or 24 hours), I knew I wanted to play too. I had grand ideas of riding a 9.2 mile loop around nearby Cherry Creek State Park every hour for 12 hours. I could picture it perfectly: I’d set up my car in a parking lot with the hatchback down, snacks displayed like a charcuterie board and a cooler full of icy drinks. Next to it would be a camp chair so I could sit when I finished a lap and get on super clear WiFi. The weather would be ..read more

If you’re a fan or a runner of the Boston Marathon—or you just love a good vicarious race report—this episode is for you. Dimity chats with three women who ran the 2024 Boston Marathon: Briana Boehmer, who started her first Boston and her first marathon as an elite runner at age 45; Sarah Wassner Flynn, who ran her first Boston as a qualified runner; and Karyn Ryan, who ran her tenth consecutive Boston and her first as a charity runner. The three share their training journeys to the iconic Boston Marathon, as well as the ups and downs of 26.2 miles on a warm, sunny, always energetic day in ..read more

Today’s post is by Jackie Ayers, an Another Mother Runner brand ambassador who is gearing up to run the Portland Marathon again. Jackie, a night owl, lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and two young sons.  Hoping to stay engaged with upcoming marathon training when the weeks start to drag on, I decided to try out a more novel cross-training option: an Intro to Silks Aerial class. My friend Fed joined me, and we were the only adult novices in the packed class. For 90 minutes, we practiced new skills amongst tweens, teens, and a handful of more experienced adults. We each had our own ..read more

Whether #1 or #2, when you gotta go, you gotta go—even if you’re 2 miles from home on a run. Out here in Portland, the majority of home-reno/construction-project port-a-potties are padlocked, so it got us wondering where folks go when the urge strikes. Here are responses culled from a recent Facebook post—we hope you might discover a new place to go (and tactics for talking your way into using one!).  “I always identify potential bathrooms on my route in advance. On my morning runs, I do at least the first two miles (if not all) looping around the blocks near my house. I get quite anxio ..read more

We suspect images and stories from yesterday’s Boston Marathon are generating a swirl of daydreams in your brain. So today we are highlighting two mother runners who are raising the stakes on running Boston: They are on what is dubbed the Six Star Journey. Also called the World Marathon Majors (WMM), this undertaking involves running the marathons in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo. (Yeah, say it with us: WOWZA!) Martha Musto, 58, of Vail, Colorado, reached out to Lorrainne Stewart, 52, from Nashville, after hearing her on our podcast, and since then, they’ve been sharing ..read more

If you daydream about running the Boston Marathon, listen to this moving episode. The guests are two runners, one of whom is running Boston this year, and both are members of the Boston Bulldogs running club. With hosts Sarah Bowen Shea and Tish Hamilton, the guests detail: -how they found their ways to this inspired running club; -the lure of running the Boston Marathon; -helping recovered addicts strive toward their “true potential”; -why running is a powerful tool in battling addiction; and, -the exuberance of Boston Marathon spectators. The hosts talk women’s races before the first Bul ..read more

Dear Boston Marathon, I’m sorry. It’s not you, it’s me. When we first met, I was just 31, naïve and impressionable. I knew you were a Very Big Deal. That was the attraction—you were aloof, elite, hard to reach. People had to qualify for your attentions. Your exclusivity seduced me—as if running from Hopkinton to Copley Square conferred some kind of serious “real runner” status. We did have our fun. Remember when then-husband and I went to a Red Sox game with our husband-wife best running friends? And that time another friend and I drank red wine with linguini at a Back Bay restaurant and sipp ..read more

In this episode, the hosts dive into all things rucking, an exercise that’s trending for all the right reasons. It’s said to burn three times the calories of walking, strengthens your back and shoulders, helps with bone density, and has a low injury rate. Plus, it has a great communal vibe to it, which we get into with Sarah Sweeney, the race director for Tough Ruck 26.2 Boston, a rucking event that falls annually on the weekend before the other major marathon in Boston. Hear about: The history and basics of rucking; How to get started (hint: all you need is a backpack, some weights, a ..read more