Each month, we celebrate two athletes monthly in our #motherrunnner community.
[because sports awards aren’t just for youth soccer]

One athlete participates in our Many Happy Miles program and the other one is in a Train Like a Mother Club program: nothing like vicariously living through workout specifics, training cycles, and upcoming (virtual) races, right?

More importantly, they both epitomize the traits that keep us all moving forward: perspective, diligence, badassery, flexibility, and grit.

APRIL HOPKINS

Location: Bakersfield, California

Kids: Two kids – 1 girl (9) and 1 boy (5)

What’s your running story?
I started running in my early twenties after being totally sedentary my entire life. I immediately loved it. I ran a lot of 5ks for a few years. I ran my first half marathon in 2007 and took a break from long races until 2016. Like so many other mothers, I realized I needed an outlet after having my kids! Since then I’ve done 3-4 half marathons a year.

Why did you join Many Happy Miles?
I’ve been a faithful follower of Another Mother Runner since 2014. I’ve used the plans from the Train Like a Mother book for every race! Last March I needed something to keep me busy in between races so I joined. Best decision ever!

It’s so nice to have a schedule to follow. Dimity really makes the best workout plans! And the community is so supportive.

Best workout in Many Happy Miles so far:
I LOVE interval runs! I especially love shorter intervals like 2:1 because they make the workout fly by.

Hardest workout in Many Happy Miles so far:
Any hill workout is challenging for me. I live in a flat area so I have to use the treadmill for hills and it’s not my favorite.

Upcoming races?
I would be training for 2 fall half marathons right now, but everything is cancelled. I’m very excited to see what the new AMR race series is going to be, because I’m definitely signing up!

When I run, I feel: strong AF!

GINNY ERICKSON EBBEN

Program: Love the Run You’re With Race Series

Location: Katy, TX (western suburb of Houston), originally from New Jersey, then Boulder, CO, then Indiana, then Washington, D.C., then London, U.K., then Houston, then Calgary, Alberta Canada, then Katy, TX. So… :-)

Kids: Three great kids – ages: Isabel (16), Henry (14), Lucy (12), one great dog, Simba (6)

What’s your running story?

From the ages of 10 – 21, I ran to stay in shape for sports. During the ages of 21-35, I ran to be fit and remain an athlete. From 36-52, I run to keep my sanity, to keep feeling joy, to feel the reward of overcoming a physical challenge, to feel like an athlete, and to keep my health. Finally, I am training to be in the Olympics when I’m in my 90s and have outlived and outrun all others.

Why did you join the Love the Run You’re With virtual race series?
I’d trained with a coach for the January Aramco Half Marathon in Houston and loved the individual attention, having someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to help push me out of my comfort zone, and someone telling me, “YOU CAN DO IT,” because she had helped me aim for reachable (challenging) time goals.

Up until that point I’d trained with an awesome running group, Gotta Run Katy, and loved the community aspect but wanted workouts tailored to my goals.

Love the Run gave me a great combo of both of those without the person-to person contact during this Covid-19-ridden time and without the price of a personal coach.

This program is a steal for four months of coaching, swag, community, yoga, strength, love, and joy.

Best workout in Love the Run You’re With so far:
I vacillate between the Tuesday intervals and Thursday hills. I love me that track workout because I feel like a badass getting on the track and pushing it and reaching for short goals and then that feeling of “AHHHH” in the recovery.

The book “Endure” by Alex Hutchinson really helped me overcome a fear of the hard track workout.

The Thursday hills are fun because I run a mile and a half to a parking garage (there are four to choose from so it’s a la carte hills) and then just run up and down until twenty minutes are up. Then I run home. I like how the run is broken up so each segment feels brief yet I feel accomplished.

Most challenging workout in Love the Run You’re With so far:
The twelve mile long run was the most challenging for me. Long runs are always head games. Large chunks of time at the same pace.

Now I’m focused on zone 2 for the first two miles then zone 3 for the bulk of the long run and then I finish in zone 4 – picking it up for the last two miles or so. At least that’s the goal. ;-)

What goals have you set for the races in this series?
Each race I’ve set the goal to finish strong, feeling good about my effort. My fitness had flagged since January so coming to terms with being slower and feeling creaky took some time.

When I run, I feel: EMPOWERED.