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In this episode of the Miles with Moms podcast, we take on dealing with other people's opinions and trying not to care what other people think--whether in real life or on social media. The discussion emphasizes the struggle to balance personal identity with societal expectations. We also talk about the challenges of authenticity, the fear of judgment, and the importance of vulnerability.

We each open up about our experiences with self-acceptance, the impact of sharing personal stories, and the importance of community support in overcoming personal struggles. We all have different battles on this topic but agree there is a need to embrace imperfection and the realization that everyone has their struggles, fostering a sense of connection and understanding among mothers.

Chapters

18:15 Navigating Public Perception and Personal Struggles

21:08 The Challenge of Authenticity on Social Media

24:13 Embracing Vulnerability and Overcoming Fear

30:18 The Complexity of Independence and Asking for Help

39:22 The Impact of Sharing Personal Stories

44:08 Understanding the Weight of Opinions and Self-Perception

49:19 Embracing Authenticity and Self-Acceptance

52:51 The Pressure of Perfection in Motherhood

55:34 Finding Comfort in Imperfection

01:00:09 Navigating Relationships and Fear of Judgment

motherhood, running, personal experiences, cultural differences, overcoming fear, podcast, self-care, community, parenting, mental health, social media, vulnerability, authenticity, motherhood, public perception, personal struggles, mental health, independence, self-acceptance, community support, authenticity, motherhood, self-acceptance, community, perfectionism, judgment, support, relationships

About your hosts:

• Whitney Heins is a mom of 2 kids, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. Coming out of a 5-year injury cycle which included a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon, she is training to run faster as a master’s athlete. IG: @themotherrunners.
• Shanna Birchett is a mom of 6 kids under 8, including twins. She returned to running in 2021 after an 11-year break, running most recently a 2:44 marathon in the summer of 2024. She is the co-founder of Endure 365 running, endure365.com, which offers heart rate-based training plans. IG: @motherhood_running.
• Tricia DeNardis is a mom to 3 young kids and a physical therapist specializing in the pelvic floor, pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation. After running 10 marathons, Tricia completed her first 50k in the fall of 2024, and is now hooked! IG: @burpeesandburpcloths.
• Olivia Garcia is a mom of 2 young kids, who used to work as a paramedic. She fell in love with running in 2019, despite surviving a marathon that didn’t go according to plan. With a 2:57 PR, she's cut more than an hour off her marathon time. IG: ...