The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. This year, getting an entry was harder than ever. Pandemic concerns saw the field limit cut by a third. For this series, we follow the stories of 9 women who did get an entry, from how they got started running in the first place, through to earning their Boston entries, and how they are living the marathon life as they prepare for this legendary event. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the start line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations. 

Strides Forward

Introducing Roads to Boston 2021: 9 Runners, 1 Finish Line

Megan started linking thinness with performance at a young age. Body commentary, prevalent ideals of what a winning distance runner should look, and the desire to be competitive led Megan down the path toward RED-s: she was amenorrhoeic (had stopped menstruating) by the time she was graduating high school. Her journey demonstrates the numerous challenges young women athletes face to get the health support and education they need to navigate away from the seriously harmful syndrome of RED-s.This story follows Megan’s journey through her early days of discovering her love of being an athlete, to her frustrations and struggles with RED-s through her NCAA Division I career, and on to how she’s created and found strength in community and taken hold of her own health.  Megan is the founder of Strong Runner Chicks, a community to support and uplift women runners. Ways to follow Megan and Strides Forward OnlineFollow Megan on Instagram: @meginspireFollow Strong Runner Chicks on Instagram: @strongrunchicksLearn about Strong Runner Chicks on their websiteLearn more about Strides Forward on our websiteFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardStrides Forward is on Facebook & please join our private Facebook group

Megan Flanagan: A Young Runner's Journey through RED-s (relative energy deficiency in sport)

Since this episode ran in early 2020, Dagmara was named to the Tokyo Olympic Team, so you can learn about her here and  then cheer for her at the Games. From Hear Her Sports: Sabre fencer Dagmara Wozniak is a two time Olympian – London in 2012 and Rio in 2016, where she won a team bronze medal. After recent ankle surgery she is now actively training and competing to make the Tokyo2020 Olympic team. Dagmara is 2018 Pan Am Championship gold medalist and 2015 Pan Am Games Gold Medalist. She also speaks at schools about body positivity and determination.In this episode she inspires with stories of rehab, Lindsey Vonn documentaries, winning well, strength training, whoop, and how sports is like art. She’s also just plain fun to talk to.Dagmara’s websiteDagmara’s Instagram Dagmara’s Facebook WHOOPInsight Timer app for sleep, meditationLindsey Vonn: The Final Season, documentary recommended by DagmaraLindsey Vonn: The ClimbRising Strong by Brené BrownHear Her Sports website: http://www.hearhersports.com/Find Hear Her Sports on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

BONUS: Hear Her Sports: Dagmara Wozniak, Olympic Saber Fencer

Beatie Deutsch had always been athletic. But after getting married and having four children in quick succession during her 20s, she realized she’d left that athletic part of herself behind to care for her growing family. In 2015, Beatie decided to make a change and sign up for a marathon. Now, in 2021, Beatie Deutsch is a professional runner, a two-time Israeli National Marathon Champion, and the mother of five. She’s also an orthodox Jewish woman who runs in modest dress. Beatie has become an inspiration to thousands of people and is shattering stereotypes both in her home country and beyond. Ways to follow Beatie and Strides Forward OnlineFollow Beatie on Instagram:  @marathonmotherLearn about Beatie on her website: beatiedeutsch.comFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardStrides Forward is on Facebook & please join our Facebook group: we discuss women's long-distance running.

Beatie Deutsch: Pregnancy, Fast Marathons, and Shattered Stereotypes

In 2017, Ann Ashworth was a really good runner who had ambitions of being a great runner. She found a coach who believed in her and in 2018, she won one of the most prestigious ultra races in the world, the 90km Comrades, and followed that up with a marathon personal best performance. Not long after, however, Ann’s running and health began to falter. We follow her challenging journey to her RED-s diagnosis, and how she's becoming a stronger, healthier competitor.I am very thankful to Ann for sharing her RED-s journey. Knowledge is power, and I am grateful to Ann for being part of that empowerment.  Ways to follow Ann and Strides Forward OnlineFollow Ann on Instagram:  @ann.ashworthFollow Ann on Twitter: @ultraashworthFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardStrides Forward is on Facebook & please join our Facebook group: we discuss women's long-distance running.

Ann Ashworth: A RED-s Recovery to Running Healthy, Strong, and Fast

Dawn Harper Nelson is an Olympic gold (2008) and silver (2012) medalist in the 100-meter hurdles. In this powerful and important interview, Dawn goes deep about her experiences as a Black woman athlete who also became the first American in her discipline to win a gold medal at one Olympics and then medal at the following Games. Dawn will be making her bid for a third Olympic team at the Track and Field Olympic Trials coming up in June 2021. Another excellent women helping women tie in here is that Dawn was chosen as one of three elite athlete moms to receive support from the nonprofit &mother as she trains for the trials. &mother aims to help women thrive in their career and in motherhood, and it was founded by Keeping Track’s Alysia Montaño.  Links for This EpisodeKeeping Track website: keeping-track.com Follow Keeping Track on Instagram: @keeptrackmediaFollow Dawn Harper Nelson on Instagram: @dharp100mhFollow Dawn Harper Nelson on Twitter: @DHarp100mHDawn Harper Nelson Facebook Fanpage: facebook.com/dawnharpernelson&mother website: andmother.orgFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardStrides Forward is on Facebook & now has a (private) Facebook group; please join usStrides Forward website: stridesforwardpodcast.comWe have merch! 

BONUS: Keeping Track Podcast: Dawn Harper Nelson's Cinderella Story

As Barbara Hannah Grufferman approached her 50th birthday, she was feeling, as she describes it, the “umpies”: lumpy, grumpy, and frumpy. Her health wasn’t great: she’d spent her adult life putting the needs of everyone else ahead of herself: work, family, community. And now those choices were catching up to her. And, she’d just gone through menopause, which had had it’s own challenging impact. The spark and grit she’d had before seemed to be fading into the past. Maybe this is what getting older and seeing the other side of menopause was all about? she thought.And then, a pointed comment by her then young daughter and a well-timed Wall Street Journal article changed everything. Barbara, who’d never been a runner, set down a path of marathon running, health and wellness, and discovering how to age the very best she could. Since that day, 15 years ago, Barbara has completed over a dozen marathons and one ultra, and there’s more to come. She also shares her wisdom and lived experience of achieving wellness and health after 50 with a growing number of woman in her work as an advocate for aging well. Barbara has written two books, writes a newsletter, has spoken in public on many occasions, and so much more. In a word, Barbara is vibrant. Ways to follow Barbara and Strides Forward, plus Coach Parry information Barbara’s website: barbarahannahgrufferman.comSubscribe to Barbara’s Menopause Cheat SheetFollow Barbara on Instagram: @barbarahannahgruffermanFollow Barbara on Twitter: @BGruffermanFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardStrides Forward is on Facebook & now has a (private) Facebook group; please join us Our Website is stridesforwardpodcast.comWe have merch! The Coach Parry  Running Through Menopause Training ProgramThe Coach Parry webinar, where we first "met" BarbaraWe recommend the podcast Hear Her Sports: hearhersports.com

Barbara Hannah Grufferman: How Menopause and a (Literal) Sign Ignited a Passion for Running and Aging-Well Advocacy

Sally Kipyego was born in Kenya and started running at a young age. She discovered early on that she had talent and a will be seek the ultimate limits of her potential. She had early success as a junior, and when she came to the United States and ran as a member of the Texas Tech cross-country and track team, she dominated by winning total of 9 NCAA championships. Sally turned pro after college, in 2010, and has been internationally competitive ever since. Among her many accomplishments, she placed 2nd in the 10,000 meter at the world championships in 2011 and 5th in 2015, and she won the silver medal at that distance in the 2012 London Olympics. During that time she was competing for her home country of Kenya, but in 2017, she became a US citizen. She currently calls Eugene, Oregon, home, and visits Kenya regularly.In 2016, Sally decided the time had come to become a mom. This episode traces her experience going through pregnancy and the bumpy, uncertain journey returning to her job of elite running. And it all culminates at one epic race: the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials. Through Sally's experiences, we learn about patience, listening to your body, and honoring the reality that every single pregnancy journey is different. Follow Sally Kipyego on Instagram: @sallykipyego Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardOur Website is stridesforwardpodcast.comWe welcome you to take a (~10-min) Listener SurveyWe have merch!  

Sally Kipyego: Becoming a Mother Runner, Navigating Pregnancy Toward a Bid for the Olympics

Charlotte Gibbs shares her very personal journey about how her pursuit to become the best athlete she could be led her down the far too common and ultimately detrimental path to RED-s, a syndrome that happens when you don’t give the body enough of what it needs to keep up with the demands you’re putting on it. It’s a condition that happens over time and left unchecked, it will get progressively worse. The key to avoiding RED-s is to recognize early warning signs, and correct course.  Charlotte shares her full journey back to rediscovering joy and health through running, while acknowledging the reality that this is an ongoing process. I am very thankful to Charlotte for sharing these personal details about her struggles with RED-s, overtraining, and restrictive eating. These topics can be tough to talk about, but these experiences happen more regularly than we recognize, and yes, awareness and knowledge are power. I thank you to Charlotte for being part of that empowerment. This episode is part of our series of stories focused on running in a woman’s body, where we’re focused on the topics of menopause, RED-s, and pregnancy. Each episode in this series features one runner talking about her experiences around one of these topics.You can also listen to our first series about experiences at South African's 90km Comrades Marathon, or enjoy our standalone episode featuring ultra superstar Courtney Dauwalter sharing her insights on problem-solving in ultras and strengthening her mental game.  Resources referenced in this episode: We recommend the podcast Hear Her Sports: hearhersports.comROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life, by Dr. Stacy Sims and Selene YeagerSelene YeagerDr. Stacy SimsWays to follow Charlotte and Strides Forward OnlineFollow Charlotte on Instagram:  @lottiee78Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @charlottegooda7Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardOur Website is stridesforwardpodcast.comWe welcome you to take a (~10-min) Listener SurveyWe have merch! 

Charlotte Gibbs: A RED-s Journey to Rediscovering the Joy of Running

Sophie Speidel is a lifelong athlete: being a competitor is motivating, rewarding, and fun. But there's a simple fact that comes with aging: our ultimate potentials in speed and strength begin to fade. In a sport like running, where we generally measure getting better as getting faster, how can we adjust to a body that's slowing down and still feel like we're improving?Sophie's journey explores this very question as she takes us through her menopause experiences and how she continues to thrive and achieve as her body ages.Mentioned in this episodeSophie Speidel's writing on Trail Sisters: https://www.trailsisters.net/author/sophie-speidel/Dr. Stacey SimsSelene Yeager and the Hit Play Not Pause podcastBarbara Hannah Grufferman's "Menopause Cheat Sheet"Coach Parry's YouTube channel "The Female Athlete" Coach Parry's "Running Through Menopause" training program Sarah Lavender Smith's blog, "The Runner's Trip"Ways to follow Sophie and Strides Forward OnlineFollow Sophie on Instagram:  @sophiespeidelFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardOur Website is stridesforwardpodcast.comWe welcome you to take a (10-min) Listener SurveyWe have merch! 

Sophie Speidel: A Menopause Journey as a Competitive Athlete

Each episode features one woman's running journey through a time of bodily change. The season features athletes from around the world and of differing levels of ability and interest. The one common thread is a love of running long distances, marathons and more. The first episode launches February 24. Follow Strides Forward on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StridesForwardFollow Strides Forward on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stridesforward/Follow host Cherie Turner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clouiseturner/Learn more at StridesForwardpodcast.com

Introducing Season 2: Running In a Woman's Body: Stories of Menopause, RED-s, Pregnancy

Courtney Dauwalter is well known in the ultra running community, and news of her accomplishments has even extended into mainstream media. She started gaining wider recognition in 2017, when she won the Moab 240 Endurance Run outright: that's 240, as in miles. She’s also won internationally prestigious races like the Western States 100 Mile and UTMB, she’s held the 24-hour world record, and in 2020 she won the US title for the Big’s Backyard Ultra Challenge. Courtney is undeniably one of the best ultra runners in the world. She’s also developed a deep interest in exploring the limits of human endurance. Through those pursuits, she’s learned a lot about the many obstacles runners face in ultra events and how to resolve them. One area she's particularly interested in is the mental side of ultra-endurance running. Here, we get into it. Follow Courtney on Instagram:  @courtneydauwalterFollow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForwardOur Website is stridesforwardpodcast.comWe welcome you to take a (10-min) listener survey: https://bit.ly/2Y3LXhcMerch! (half of proceeds go to nonprofits): https://www.teepublic.com/stores/strides-forward 

STANDALONE BONUS: Courtney Dauwalter + Problem Solving Ultramarathons: Bringing the Mental Game

At Strides Forward, we're always interested to learn about how running is more than the act of putting one foot in front of the other. What do we take into our everyday lives that we learn from running? How does this sport, and our participation in it, impact us and those around us? This episode speaks to those sorts of inquiries. We also announce the topic for our new season, beginning February 2021. And we announce that we have a special one-off episode featuring world-class ultra runner and all around outstanding human being Courtney Dauwalter coming out in January.Please fill out our listener survey. You can get to it by clicking the link at the top of our homepage at stridesforwardpodcast.com. Or go directly to the listener survey. Please follow us on Twitter: @stridesforwardPlease follow up on Instagram: @stridesforwardMusic and sound design by Cormac O'ReganDesign and website by April Mariner of Bonfire Collaborative

BONUS 2: The Transformative Ability of Running: Highlights from Season 1

This bonus episode features clips from ultramarathon runners Camille Herron, Renata Vosloo, Cathy Hopkins, Devon Yanko, Karen Williams, and Shirley Mosiakgabo. Even though these runners are very different in so many ways, they all share a common experience: running makes them feel better. Whether your looking for a little extra motivation to lace up for your run or just enjoy a little pick-me-up, this episode is sure to lend some inspiration. Please fill out our listener survey (it takes less then 10 min.). Just click the link at the top of the Strides Forward homepage.  Or go directly to the Listener Survey. Please follow us on Twitter: @stridesforwardPlease follow up on Instagram: @stridesforwardMusic and sound design by Cormac O'ReganDesign and website by April Mariner of Bonfire Collaborative