Another Mother Runner Launches Training Club

Information provided by Another Mother Runner

Another Mother Runner announces new series of running training programs for busy mothers called “Train Like a Mother.” The resources offer a community of support, flexible training programs, running swag from top running brands, and promises to provide a clear path for beginners new to the running and racing world, all the way to advanced runners who are seeking to complete a marathon or run a personal best.

The newly launched Train Like a Mother Club is a branch of Another Mother Runner, founded by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea. “We knew that if we created smart training plans, support runners from the first mile to the finish line, and give them a community of like-minded women with similar goals and challenges, we would make a solid difference for a variety of levels of runners,” says McDowell.

The natural fit to tap for developing the training plans came in the form of Christine Hinton, who has been coaching all levels of runners for more than a decade and designed the popular plans in the book version of Train Like a Mother. In addition to Hinton, the club has a variety of other coaches and experts chiming in with strength-training exercises, injury-prevention strategies and other specialized training plans.

“Back when our five collective kids were ankle-biters, we ran the Nike Women’s Marathon, wrote about our training for Runner’s World magazine, then turned the whole experience into Run Like a Mother, a chatty, advice-filled book published in 2010,” explains Shea. “Train Like a Mother followed in 2012, and Tales from Another Mother Runner completed the trilogy in 2015.”

McDowell adds that they have been surprised and extremely grateful for how Another Mother Runner has “flourished into an amazing community of women centered around the idea that the benefits of your miles ricochet through all aspects of your life.” Shea chimes in that, “When you run, you are a more patient mother, a more loving partner, a more productive worker, and a more positive person altogether.”

Unlike traditional programs that simply give daily mileage, the Train Like a Mother programs accommodate the unique challenges mothers in particular face when training for their first 5K or a time-consuming marathon. The initial Train Like a Mother Club challenges include a 10K Challenge, 13.1 (or half marathon) Challenge, 26.2 Challenge and Stride Into the New Year. A ten-week, 5K challenge will start in late February and culminate on Mother’s Day weekend.

The Train Like a Mother Club encourages daily interaction among participants via private social media pages and a members-only club, ultimately creating a community of “mother runners” who support one another’s goals and cheer other participants on along the way.

“The inspiration for Train Like a Mother comes from a deep bond runners and mothers form,” says McDowell. “Runners love to be part of a community and in the same way, mothers seek out other women to help them navigate the ups and downs of motherhood. We’re just combining two of the most challenging, rewarding and amazing experiences of our lives and enjoying the ride.”