Episode 10 | Emmie Hiersche on the Power of Positivity and Running While Pregnant
by Nikki Parnell — May 22, 2020
This week we talk with Emmie Hiersche, an ultra running mom of one who is 28 weeks pregnant with baby number two. Emmie and I go way back – we met in college, did triathlons together, we’ve done many ultras together and have watched each other step into motherhood. It’s a beautiful thing to watch a dear friend transform from a woman into a mother and continue to show grit and determination in the running world post-babies. In this episode we chat about running through pregnancy, running after becoming a mom and the power of positivity in daily life. Listen and feel the sunshine that Emmie radiates!
I always love hearing about people’s running journeys – some have been doing it as long as they can remember and have an old, loving relationship with it. Others just picked it up yesterday and the possibilities within the sport are so new and thrilling. Running for Emmie has been a constant in her life pretty much since the time she was six years old when her mom would take her running. Now it’s been over two decades and so much life has been lived from then until now, but running is still there, a place she can go to be free, to reset; it’s the keeper of so much joy. Emmie looks forward to passing on the gift of running to her son and soon-to-be-born daughter.
During this episode Emmie was at 28 weeks and has been running farther in this second pregnancy than her first one. She’ll run around 4-5 days a week, 3-6 miles, with long runs (like virtual half marathons) sprinkled in here and there. She also incorporated a daily strength routine that helped her feel strong too. Emmie talks about her mindset during running through pregnancy. She focuses on being grateful for what she can do each day, because the next day could be different. As you’re listening more intently to your body during pregnancy, one day you could be able to handle 5 miles and a couple days later your body might say no. So every run you’re able to get in is great, it’s a win and not to be taken for granted. She also does daily reflections and check-ins with herself to stay in tune with what is going well and what is bothering her and she adjusts her running and life around those. One interesting thing we discussed was the idea of how maybe it’s us, the mothers, who put up more guardrails than are necessary while pregnant. We try to stay safe and cautious when pregnant which is inherently good but we might not have the limits we perceive. All that to say, Emmie and Stef both proved to me that a second pregnancy can actually be better running-wise than a first pregnancy (which was not my experience but maybe I just threw in the towel too early, “accepting” that a second pregnancy should feel harder!).
Next we broached the subject of positivity. Emmie is just one of those people that is so freaking positive! When asked how she is such a positive person, Emmie talks about her impactful upbringing with supportive parents and how you are who you hang out with. She surrounds herself with people that inspire her and uplift her with their energy – her husband, son and soon-to-be born daughter included. Stef and I loved one of Emmie’s mom’s regular quotes – that “the glass isn’t half full, it’s refillable!”
When asked how she gets out of a funk, it becomes immediately clear that Emmie is someone who practices happiness (often just naturally and subconsciously but practices it nonetheless). She’s always been one to try and see the good, to ground herself in thankfulness and to run with mindfulness. Running is how she recharges her mind and grounds herself when work is stressful or her son is having a rough day. She tends to be more on edge while pregnant, which I think is very common, so she takes deep breaths and thinks, “This moment is what it is. It’s temporary. There are lots of great moments and lots of crazy moments that come throughout the day so you have to appreciate each one for what it is. The crazy moments make the great moments even better. If every moment was just perfect then you wouldn’t have anything to compare it to.”
Running is such an outlet for all of us, but what about when it’s just super hard and draining? We’ve all been there. Emmie describes one of her toughest race stories and how she overcame mental battles by saying aloud to herself, “Every step forward is momentum”, “the toughest climbs have the best views” and “Positive Vibes” as reminders of the good things coming to her. She believes that if you can convince your mind that everything is good then your body will follow and start to regain energy.
One thing is certain. You will find new strength and energy after listening to this! Listen below or search for Run Hard Mom Hard wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe! It helps us out a lot!
Show Notes:
Nikki’s favorite thing this week: Vuori Sweatpants
Stef’s fave thing: Croozer 535 Double Stroller
Find Emmie on Instagram
Emmie is also cofounder of Run NorthBest, which puts on a summer evening race series in Portland each year.
Emmie’s Favorite Race: All the ones she’s ever done. But one of the most beautiful she’s done was the NUT 50k (Stands for the North Umpqua Trail in Southern Oregon)
Emmie’s favorite meal:
Needed:
- 10+ Roma tomatos
- Pinch of salt & pepper
- Basil
- Garlic
- Box of penne pasta
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- 1 sweet onion
Steps:
- Bring water to a boil to blanch roma tomatoes to start making homemade sauce.
- In separate skillet, put roughly 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Add cut up sweet onion and let simmer.
- Add garlic and pinch of salt to sweet onions and olive oil (your preference based on how much you like garlic)
- Take blanched roma tomatoes and start dicing them into small cubes to add to skillet.
- Add spices as needed, more salt & pepper.
- Add box of penne pasta to boiling water that roma tomatoes cooked in on high heat.
- Add pinch of salt to water.
- Let noodles boil on high heat for 10ish minutes and continue to stir sauce.
- Once sauce is 90% ready, add cut up basil and stir into mixture. Let marinate for 5+ minutes.
- Once noodles and sauce are ready, strain noodles and pour sauce over them. Stir and dish out. Add Parmesan cheese on top AND READY!
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