Maggie Mertens

In this episode, I sit down with Maggie Mertens, a Seattle-based journalist whose work spans sports, culture, gender, and beyond. She’s the author of Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women. After finishing her book, Maggie returned to running at age 37 and recently completed her first half marathon.

We dive into the realities and myths surrounding women in sport, the intersection of motherhood and athletic identity, and the cultural narratives that shape how women move through the world. Maggie also shares her insights on returning to fitness postpartum, navigating societal expectations, and the powerful connection between exercise and mental health.

We Talk About:

-balancing motherhood and athletics

-breaking down myths of women in sports

-the victim mindset

-exercise and mental health

-returning to fitness postpartum

Time Stamps

1:00 Introduction

5:15 how far back can we look?

9:50 women who have been lost to history

16:53 motherhood versus being an athlete

19:42 race and the research

24:09 women being treated as delicate

29:50 societal pressures

33:40 breaking barriers in the mile

37:15 women’s marathon history

40:57 coming back to running

50:17 what’s next

52:13 rapid fire questions

CONNECT WITH CARRIE

IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/

Website: https://carriepagliano.com

CONNECT WITH MAGGIE:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/maggiejmertens/

Website: https://maggiemertens.com/

Substack: https://maggiemertens.substack.com/

Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/maggie-mertens/better-faster-farther/9781643753355/

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