The Mother Runners Podcast with Whitney Heins

GOAL GETTER (PART 3): YOUR YEAR to BUILD A CONSISTENT STRENGTH HABIT with Strength Coach Mary Johnson

• The Mother Runners I Whitney Heins

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THIS IS YOUR YEAR TO GET CONSISTENT WITH YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING! 

In today’s episode, we dive into the third installment of my special GOAL GETTER series, designed to help you seize your goals this year.

In previous episodes, I've engaged with a behavior change coach to help you make and break habits, and a registered dietitian to fine-tune your nutrition for 2026. Today, I’m PUMPED to welcome strength coach Mary Johnson, the founder of Lift I Run I Perform.

If you've been thinking about starting or leveling up your strength training, you're not alone! Strength training is a game changer for runners—it improves performance, reduces the risk of injuries, and simply feels amazing. But I get it; it can be confusing to navigate. How heavy should you lift? When should you train in relation to your runs? What exercises are best suited for runners like us?

Mary is here to demystify it all! Specializing in personalized strength training programs for endurance athletes, she has a wealth of knowledge to share. A former collegiate rowing athlete, Mary turned to lifting after struggling with her fitness post-college, eventually transforming into a competitive marathon runner. Her balanced, health-centered approach focuses on long-term athletic development.

Some topics we discuss:

·      What a lifting routine for runners should look like

·      Tips for consistency

·      The ONE piece of strength training equipment you NEED

·      How to time lifting with running (including marathon training)

·      How to ensure your lifting is not a WASTE OF TIME

·      How heavy is HEAVY enough? 

·      And so much more!

Join me as we explore how to make strength training less daunting and more accessible, so you can confidently pursue your strength goals in 2026. I can’t wait for you to hear my enlightening conversation with Mary!

THANK YOU TO THIS EPISODE’S SPONSORS:

Previnex offers the highest quality supplements that can help runners feel and perform better. Save 15% off your first purchase with code MOTHERRUNNER at Previnex.com.

Amazfit  offers high-quality wearable tech for half the price! I love the Balance 2 watch. Save 10% on the GPS watches.

Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.