runhardmomhardpod (2024)

25/08/2023

New Episode this morning!! 💗🏃🏽‍♀️☕️
Stef and Nikki chat about life updates (international moves and health) and we hear about Stef’s latest 50 miler and how training is going for her 100 mile race in September!
Cheers friends! Sending you all some extra love, energy, grace and strength!

28/07/2023

💗✨🫶🏼We’re back this week (!💃🏼!) with an awesome conversation with Martha Slocomb - an ultrarunner, mom, ordained minister, and yoga instructor out of Omaha, Nebraska! We talk with Martha about (all the) things like how she became who she is today, the integrated connection between body and soul, and how “we were made to run - mind, body, spirit” because of the healthy, rejuvenating place it puts us in as humans. Martha shares a saying from yoga, “May all beings benefit from this practice”, which can be applied to our running and how it is a ripple effect. If you do something that makes you feel whole and calm, everyone you interact with afterwards will benefit from your calmness and maybe become more regulated themselves. We also hear how running can be a spiritual and mindful practice by shifting our attention to the present, slowing our breathing, and being curious and noticing (not judging) what is around us and the feelings inside our bodies. While training and racing, we can take our focus off achievement - instead, tuning into gratitude and seeing races as opportunities, recognizing that not all opportunities work out or can be taken as parents but opportunities flow and we can believe that more will come down the road.
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We also hear about some of Martha’s FKT endeavors and she encourages women to get out and try it - especially routes that have never been logged by a woman (you don’t have to be fast, you just have to be first)! They are fun, low pressure challenges that set the stage for other women doing FKTs too.
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It was really enjoyable having a chance to reflect on our relationship with running, ponder why we do it and wonder how we could be more intentional about it. Huge thank you to Martha for giving us her time and wisdom! Listen by clicking the link in bio or searching Run Hard Mom Hard wherever you get your podcasts! 🥳
🙏🏼Check out our sponsors for this episode: & - all you need for a great adventure!

16/06/2023

This week we get to talk with - a Canadian ultrarunner and mom of two living babies and one, Baby Googoo, in the heavens 💫

Melissa connects with people on and off the trail who are living with grief. She is a great resource and advocate for women that have experienced pregnancy and infant loss - or grief of any kind (as Melissa says, though our stories might not look the same it doesn’t mean our feelings aren’t relatable). She is creating the kinds of safe spaces where women can talk about loss, find support for mental health and stop apologizing for crying when they’re sad. As moms, we can feel the need to protect our children and the people around us, often times from our own feelings when in actuality it’s ok to be sad and honest about our emotions and it shows our kids that they have permission to be human and feel all their feelings too. Melissa reminds us that grief and happiness can coexist and she shares how she has found healing through trail running, learning to trust her body again and reuniting with her Algonquin Métis roots that encourage her to be more present and a part of the interconnectedness of nature.

Melissa finds a way to dig in and help with things she’s passionate about. What I mean, is that she is an ultra runner, but also became the VP of the Association of Canadian Ultramarathoners supporting Canadian athletes. She suffered pregnancy loss, but also heads the social media and marketing team for -You get the gist, she’s a mover and a shaker and doing amazing things that reach out into many communities!

A huge thank you to Melissa for being vulnerable with us and inviting us into the hard and beautiful parts of humanity! Listen wherever you find your podcasts, don’t forget to share this one with anyone else who might need these powerful messages! Thank you!

26/05/2023

💥NEW EPISODE💥
Hi friends!! This week we have a riveting story hour with ! Ashley tells us about her November Unsupported FKT attempt on the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas, where there were no dull moments to say the least! Tune in for some suspense, some laughter, and some lessons on rolling with the punches, the true power of sleep deprivation and how women in our sport might go about tackling their own trail adventures! It's always a pleasure chatting with Ashley, hope you enjoy this convo as much as we did!
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Link in bio to listen! Subscribe & share! Thank you! 💗

12/05/2023

Hey hey hey!! 👋🏼 We are BACK! And so happy about that fact!
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We have been busy bees 🐝 doing all the things, being moms of three, working, running, moving, starting businesses, planning for future adventures, etc! But we’ve settled on a sustainable rhythm moving forward for this passion podcast of ours and we’re excited because we’ve missed you all!
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Tune into the latest episode to hear more [link in bio] and thank you all for your patience while we’ve been on hiatus! Hope your Mother’s Day weekend is off to a wonder-full start with long runs and sleep and quiet time and strong coffee (at least that’s what we’re hoping for 😅)! Here’s a forever reminder that YOU GOT THIS 💪🏼
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☕️ Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off a bag of our Run Hard Mom Hard blend ~ the ultimate mom fuel ~ from 🥳

17/02/2023

Hi Friends!! Between Stef’s big camping trip and Nikki’s international move (updates in the episode) it’s been another long minute since posting a new podcast episode but we finally (!!) have a conversation to share this week! Hooray!

We chat with Whitney Heins – a speedy marathoner, running coach and the founder of - an inclusive and uplifting community of… well, people like us! Mothers and runners! Whitney started this online space for moms out of a desire to learn more about how to wear these two hats and it has become a remarkable resource for women who are still showing up for themselves in the form of running after having kids.

In this episode Whitney shares her learnings from racing CIM in December and helpful mental processing when a race doesn’t quite go as planned. She talks about reframing disappointment, having big goals while at the same time making peace with the chance of failing and teaching our kids about how to grow from setbacks. Whitney has come off of three years of injuries too and shares a compassionate perspective on what that’s like for anyone who is facing injury.

We loved our time with Whitney and are thankful for what she’s doing in our sport! A woman supporting women! Search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform to listen in! Enjoy!

16/12/2022

This week we had the pleasure of talking with Erika Hoagland! was previously the editor for Ultrarunning Magazine and today she still writes a column called I Am An Ultrarunner as well as she owns a cookie company (she makes the most beautiful cookies .cookies ), she is a mom and she trains for and races ultras. We chat about the joys and insanities of motherhood, her journey through child birth and her consistent racing through the years. Erika ran Western States this year after using the pregnancy deferral when she had her daughter in 2017. She explains her experience, how it works and why it’s so important in our sport to allow moms the freedom of not having to choose between racing and growing their family. Briefly, here’s how it works: if you raced your way into Western States or had your name drawn in the lottery but you are pregnant or get pregnant before the race and feel like it’s not the best time to be running 100 miles, you can defer your race to another year when you’re more ready to run without any punishment of loosing your place in this race that is so difficult to get into. This allows mothers to do what is best for their bodies and families (Hallelujah).

Erika shares about her race at Western States this year and the fears, anxieties and stresses she carried with her in training and the race itself. She didn’t have the race she hoped for and it brought about some heavy emotions that she has processed and thankfully shared with us because her words were so relatable and life-giving to the rest of us (at least for Stef and I!) As humans, and especially as moms, we can tend to compare our past selves to our current selves and cringe when we don’t feel like we’re “back” to where we once were athletically. We can intertwine our self-worth with our race times and be saddened by unmet expectations. But Erika is moving forward and embracing the runner she is right now, ditching the stress of outcomes and finding joy in ultra running. We loved our time with Erika and are so inspired by her! Link in bio to listen or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts!
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12/12/2022

Happy birthday to this AMAZING cohost, mom, wife and runner !

You constantly inspire me and you’re an amazing human being! I hope you had the best birthday ever!

09/12/2022

🎄Holiday Giveaway! 🎄

This weekend we’re giving away a little Peace and Joy! A toy for your kid(s) and some coffee that you can enjoy while it’s hot! This includes a .us box starter kit plus a bag of our blend of coffee “You Got This” from ! The Toniebox is an imagination-building, screen free digital listening experience that plays stories, songs, and even meditations! Designed for kids ages 3+ you can even record your own voice and play it! They have so many options for Tonies and are the perfect stocking stuffer!

To enter:
🎉 like this post

🎉 follow run hard mom hard, Tonie box and treeline coffee

🎉 tag 2 friends that would like a little peace and joy in their life!

🎉🎉 extra entry — share this post to your story and tag us!

Entries end Sunday, Dec 11 at 11:59pm and a winner will be announced Monday!

26/11/2022

⚡️NEW EPISODE⚡️
This week we have on the podcast again (if you didn’t tune in for episode 44 back in 2020 you should listen to that one too)! Heidi is our favorite Sports Dietitian – she specializes in nutrition for endurance female athletes, RED-S, amenorrhea, disordered eating and more.

Today we discuss how we as parents can talk about food and body image in a healthy way with our kids! We learn about body neutrality (“our bodies are the skin suits that allow us to experience life” as Heidi says), body positivity when appropriate, steering away from the mindset that our bodies have anything to do with our worth as a human, and how to set kind and/or firm boundaries with other people who comment on our kids’ bodies. Heidi emphasizes how we can communicate the benefits of our kids eating complete meals but how all foods can fit within that and how we can move past many of the food shaming and negative judgments of certain foods we hold onto (ex: listen in to hear how Luna Bars compare with Pop Tarts)! We also hear about Heidi’s personal experience with an eating disorder, how she extends freedom and permission to herself in her recovery and offers the same freedom and permission to us as well, and we’re so appreciative.

This was an incredibly helpful conversation for us and we hope it brings insight and inspiration to you too! Just remember, we won’t do this perfectly, but trying to be intentional, maybe breaking some negative intergenerational cycles where we can, and embracing the little teachable moments with our kids goes a long way towards raising healthy, confident, self-loving humans!
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Don’t forget to use code RUNHARD10 to get 10% off delicious because a cup of coffee is basically a cup of vegetables (**refer to the conversation in this episode) and the best way to start your day
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18/11/2022

💥NEW EPISODE💥
This week we talk with Jodi Fisher – a mother, a runner and the founder of which is a company dedicated to empowering active individuals with self-defense tools. Unfortunately we live in a world where all women have known fear and we must take our safety seriously, even or especially when we’re running. Go Guarded makes products that are one of the many layers of self-defense we can protect ourselves with. There are rings with serrated blades and handheld tools that come with a blade, personal alarms, and/or pepper spray. Each piece is designed with convenience, comfort, effectiveness and affordability in mind to give runners those couple seconds they need to get away from a scary situation. We also talk about the importance of equipping ourselves with knowledge, awareness and confidence that comes with self-defense classes and other ways women can protect themselves.

We love that Jodi started this business and is helping women feel a little more prepared while doing the things they love, like running and being outside! Check out her website linked in the show notes to learn more and to read through many useful safety resources! Listen by clicking the link in bio or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast and share this one with other mother runners! Y’all stay safe out there!

11/11/2022

☕️🍰🌸NEW EPISODE🧦🧠🕯PLUS A COUPON TO YOU FROM US, you’re welcome 👆🏼💕
This week we reflect on what runners can do when they find themselves in a season of low (or maybe zero) mileage. Sickness, injury, busyness, low energy, mental health, whatever may be the cause we have all experienced low points in running and we explore how that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. When you look at all the areas of your life competing for your energy and if you’re physically running less miles, maybe you can nourish other parts of you that have been impoverished.

The main point here is that rest is not failure and you have our permission to take it whenever you feel like you need it!

We hope you all are finding wholeness and well-being no matter what season of life or running you’re in! Tune into this episode by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts, don’t forget to subscribe and share with other mamas! Thank you!

05/11/2022

At a wellness expo with ! Don’t forget to use RUNHARD10 for 10% off!

04/11/2022

We’re finding our podcasting rhythm again people!! 🥳 We are going to try to be more regular with episodes, cause we’ve been missing all of you! This week Stef shares her big, exciting racing plans for 2023, tune in to hear what they are! We talk about Hardrock and what they’re doing to increase women’s’ chances of running the race, life and travels in Costa Rica for Nikki, and the importance of manifesting your dreams and being brave enough to realize what you want, ask for it and take little steps towards it. You never know what will come your way! We discuss parenting, dropping perfection and rewiring negative thoughts with positive affirmations for ourselves and our kids.

Listen by clicking the link in bio or searching Run Hard Mom Hard on your preferred podcast platform! If you’re reading this you are part of this amazing women and motherhood community and we are so thankful for you!
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Rock on and happy Friday! 💃🏽🏃🏽‍♀️

01/10/2022

Happy international coffee day to our strong mamas out there! While I didn’t have a bag of “You Got This” with me while camping I can’t leave home without my ! Plus these blend names fit this mom tribe pretty well too.

Get yourself a bag of “You Got This” or a subscription with coupon code RUNHARD10 for 10% off

16/09/2022

Hi friends!! It’s been a minute (or two or ten) but we have a ✨NEW EPISODE✨ this week!! Tune in and hear all about ‘s latest race - Superior Fall Trail Race 50 miler - not to give too much away but she did amazing! Nikki also shares about what it’s been like moving to Costa Rica as a family of five! Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe and share with your community! Listen by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you! 🥳
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11/08/2022

🌴New Episode!!🌴
And it’s not even Friday! But it’s been a serious minute since we’ve had a new episode of us chattering away in your ears, so here’s a little update conversation with Stef and Nikki! We have some big news coming at ya - Nikki and her crew are moving to COSTA RICA… today!! Listen in to hear some of the details on that. We’re still planning on keeping the podcast rolling - one of the beautiful things about living in our technologically connected world. Remember, you can find us by searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on any podcast platform and thank you for tuning in and being a part of this awesome, inspiring and uplifting mother runner community! We love you all!

01/07/2022

This week we had the pleasure of chatting with - an inspiring multi endurance sport adventurer, author and mother of two. Jennifer has done some amazing things - like raced ultras on 5 of the 7 continents, climbed several of The Seven Summits, swam the Hellespont from Europe to Asia, done stage races, adventure races, and recently created and completed a 100 mile paddle down the Missouri River - just to name a few!
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She immerses herself in the places she goes - learning as much as she can before a big trip - reading the literature, studying the culture. She’s driven to push herself outside her comfort zone and to find and be the best version of herself. Jennifer says ultra experiences are like parenting experiences condensed so the mental strength for both of them mirror each other. One of the mindsets she carries with her in endurance sports and motherhood is that how you feel now is not how you’re going to feel later - a powerful reminder to give yourself time, space and grace in the low moments of an ultra event or while parenting!! It WILL turn around.
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It was such a joy talking with Jennifer and getting inspired to go do an adventure - near or far! Enjoy this episode and check the show notes for how to find a copy of her book, “Go Far: How Endurance Sports Help You Win At Life”! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and share this with your circle! Thank you! 🥳
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This episode is sponsored by - grab a bag of delicious, lifesaving mom fuel with code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!

03/06/2022

💥NEW EPISODE - Ladia Part 2!!💥
opens up our conversation with a bang by challenging the prescribed narratives we feel we have to fit into as women and mothers in this place and time in society. For example, the “bouncing back” culture we experience after having babies and seeing body changes as a disservice to the other parts of our life (including running) often does not honor what we go through or how we want to embrace the growth we can find in that space. Ladia says, “but I don’t want to go backwards. I don’t need to be the person I was yesterday or ten years ago…. Whether in pregnancy and postpartum or not, that’s not what I’m trying to move towards. I want to embrace who I am, where I am, today and every day moving forward.” We ponder how to find, process and represent our true experiences with language that will free us and others from societal expectations. The things we go through shape us and we can hone the power of that growth and channel it when facing hard things (like ultra running and motherhood). We talk about the need for mothers to have space to talk candidly about their struggles without being dismissed or having to prove their gratitude of being a mother and the importance as mothers to show our kids our full humanity. Ladia mentions, “The most important thing we do as mothers is be ourselves”.

We hear about how Ladia moved through the early postpartum days when building up running in a way that showed kindness to her body and honored her emotions and anxiety of leaving her baby for long runs. AND! We hear about her INCREDIBLE 4th place finish at Canyons 100k in April! From funny stories to positive energy to trail beauty to racing as a way to feel connection amidst the loneliness of motherhood to numb legs to oozing poison oak, it was so fun to hear Ladia tell the race day tales.

Enjoy this episode (Click link in bio)! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this with your people! Thank you!
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Sponsor: with the best mom fuel out there ☕️ use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off!
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27/05/2022

✨🌈NEW EPISODE🌈✨
This week we had the privilege of talking with on the podcast! Ladia is a data analyst, runner for FKT holder, Olympic Marathon Trials runner, Western States finisher, Chuckanut winner (twice), mom of a 17 month old and a really beautiful soul. We set out to talk with her about her recent 4th place finish at Canyons 100k in April but we honestly didn’t even make it to that (this episode is part one)! There were too many other things we needed to learn from Ladia about being human, living life fully and holding space for all the paradoxes of life – the beauty and the heartbreak.

We loved Ladia’s perspective on competition- how it is an opportunity for connection with others, a chance to surprise yourself, how it doesn’t need to be adversarial and how you can bring others along with you when racing. When you open your journey up to fellow competitors and they do the same, it allows for all of us to be invested in each other – where one person’s victory is everyone’s joy.

We hear about her dear and deep friendship with the late Gabe Grunewald who passed away in 2019 from a rare cancer and how Ladia’s life has been impacted forever from that. Gabe found a way to adjust to every interruption as it came, not fighting the circumstances of her cancer but continually fighting for the things that made her feel alive. Gabe was brimming with self-love and self-respect so she could give love away endlessly to others. She kept trying (most obviously through running as she was a professional runner through her whole 10 year cancer journey (!!!)) and she set the example for all of us to not give up on the things that bring you joy when life gets hard. (See show notes for Foundation information!)

Ladia also put motherhood into powerful words when she said, “There’s something to grieve every moment and something to rejoice in every moment and sometimes I’m struck by how those two things not just coexist but almost belong together and are inseparable.” It’s a tough feeling to describe but we think all parents know this to be true!
⭐️Enjoy this one and share with someone who could use these words today!💫

08/05/2022

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas out there!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 The physical, connected-by-blood mamas, the adopted mamas, the figurative mother figures who love us like their own, the women hoping to become a mama, those who have a mama, those who have lost a mama, anyone who has known the power of a [[MOTHER]], we see you and are in awe of you and the selfless love you give day in and day out to your people - when you’re feeling unstoppable and also when you’re at your wits end but show up anyway. We see your strength, we know the endurance event that is just living life and we applaud you and the difference you make everyday to your family and therefore the world 🌎 It is no small feat. You are a badass!!! 🫡⚡️
Xo,
Nikki & Stef (and their crews)

22/04/2022

New mini episode for the day! 🤗
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Recent race recaps and life chatter with Nikki & Stef! Check it out! (Link in bio)
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01/04/2022

💪🏼NEW EPISODE💪🏼
This week on the pod we have Brittany DeRoche! is a cancer AND Peripartum Cardiomyopathy survivor and a strong mom and ultra runner. We hear about the physical, mental and emotional toll these events took and we see the resolve, courage and strength Brittany has shown to overcome them. So inspiring! Huge thank you to Brittany for sharing her story! ✨

Give this episode a listen by clicking the link in bio or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform. Thank you!
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☕️ Don’t forget to head to to stock up on the best fuel out there - use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off the yummiest coffee! ☕️
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17/03/2022

The daily rise & grind is maybe getting slightly easier with the turning of seasons?!! Anyone else feeling like that? It’s smelling like spring - even on these dark, cold mornings and I’m not complaining about it! 🌕🌿🙌🏼

11/03/2022

✈️NEW EPISODE✈️
This week on the podcast we talk with .urbanski – a mom of two, co-founder of with her husband Matt, seriously epic world traveler and triple crown thru-hiker! Team RunRun is an awesome run coaching company that helps pair athletes with coaches and Julie shares what is important in a coaching/athlete relationship and how having a coach can really benefit your whole family by making training and racing a more successful experience.

Julie and Matt have traveled and lived all over the world and have hiked the PCT, CDT, CT and AT and now they bring their boys all over as well. Their first son visited 18 countries and 5 continents by the time he was 3. We get to hear valuable travel tips about how they’ve made a nomadic lifestyle work and how they travel with kids – pointing out that kids are hard anywhere (as Julie says, “it can be pure hell to have them in your house all day”) and view long travel days like an ultra – take it one step at a time and try to do each section as best as you can to get to the finish line. Julie shares her favorite places to travel with kids, how she and Matt train while abroad, how to travel light and how they navigate the pull between being close to family and adventuring in far away places. They were oversees for a couple years in New Zealand during the pandemic and we hear about what that was like!

Julie describes her experience becoming a mom and the immediate understanding she found for other parents, what recovery was like from a C-section and then V-back and the difficulties with returning to running postpartum. Julie is so relatable and we received so many chunks of wisdom from her stories about all aspects of life! Fair warning: this is a long episode and it may make you want to sell all your possessions and travel the world 🌎 Just a heads up! Listen to this episode by clicking the link in bio or searching “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe and share!
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04/03/2022

💥NEW EPISODE!💥
This week we have on the podcast! Allison is an amazing athlete – she’s done triathlons and cycling races all over the world and is currently a professional runner for , in addition to being a mom to her almost 11 month old son. We talk about all the things – how pregnancy helped her overcome some of the restrictive diet cultures she experienced in collegiate running and cycling, the nerve-wracking emotions found in pregnancy and the early postpartum days, the feelings of brokenness after having a c-section, how she manages life and training with her husband who is also an athlete and so much more! Allison and her family are super active and adventurous – her husband is from Mexico so they’ve traveled a lot with their son and they’re checking off peaks in the Colorado mountains when they can. Throughout her stories she reminds us of the power of pivoting when something isn’t going right in life and to keep trying new things cause you never know where life will take you. Focus on doing your best and the decisions you make in life / motherhood / running will be right for you!

We loved chatting with Allison – she’s hilarious and her descriptions of what so many of us go through in motherhood are so relatable!! Give this episode a listen by clicking the link in bio or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” wherever you get your podcasts! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this one with your community! Thank you!!

Use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off the best, most delicious mom fuel from ! ☕️🥰

18/02/2022

This week we have back on the podcast! If you didn’t catch her remarkable story last time, go back and listen to episode 36. During this episode we chat with her about what she’s been up to in 2021 including races like Cocodona 250 and Tahoe 200 as well as a recent postpartum issue and surgery she just went through. Birth trauma from 8 years ago gave Jessi a rectocele (a type of prolapse that affects the supportive wall of tissue between the re**um and vaginal wall) that had been causing her extreme pain, annoying symptoms and made life and running so much harder. She shares how she found answers, made the decision to do surgery to fix the problem and how recovery was tough but she now has gotten her life back because of it.

It can be a lonely and depressing place to be when you’re dealing with issues that can be embarrassing to talk about but the more women like Jessi who share their experiences the more women won’t feel quite as alone if they find themselves in a hard spot – particularly after childbirth. Jessi is an advocate for being in charge of your own health and conversations like this bring our mom community together while taking the shame out of talking about our bodies and the real problems we experience! Huge thank you to Jessi for sharing her story! To listen, click the link in bio or search “Run Hard Mom Hard” on your preferred podcast platform! Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast and share this with anyone out there who might need to hear it! Thank you!!
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Pick up a bag (or two or 5) of delicious coffee from and use code RUNHARD10 for 10% off 🥳
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