High Country Trail Shoe
Lessons from a Mother Runner: Megan Connolly
Our Mother Runner collection celebrates the women who navigate the multifaceted identities that they carry, as mothers, runners, professionals, and the selves they're still discovering along the way. From the realities of returning to movement postpartum to redefining what strength looks like in a new season of life, Megan Connolly shares the highs, the hurdles, and the honest moments in between. Outside of being a mother to her one-year-old, she’s a podcaster, WWE host, and recent 2028 Olympic Trials qualifier.
From running cross country at Northwestern to now 13 marathons under your belt, how has your relationship with running changed, and what do you prioritize now compared to your early races?
My entire relationship with running has changed a lot over the last decade. I left college in a really bad place with running. I didn’t know if I ever really wanted to race again. What helped change my relationship with the sport was when I moved to Orlando for work. I was struggling to find my community in a new city, so I joined a running group called The Sandbaggers out of Track Shack in Orlando. They made Orlando feel like home. Each of them helped me fall back in love with the sport and got me over my fear of running with a watch.
Similarly, when I moved to Connecticut, I joined a running group through coach Heather Knight called Knight Training. The group instantly gave me a sense of community in yet another new city. It also gave me a support system and group of dear friends. While fast times and races are wonderful, my proudest running moment was when my Connecticut running family all came to a baby shower to celebrate with me. They even gifted me a jogging stroller to share miles with my daughter. To me, the community and the relationships are the best part of this entire sport.
What inspired you the most about seeing so many women and mothers on the 2020 Olympic Trials starting line?
Before then, I felt like a “has-been.” My successful high school running career led to a DI running scholarship, but in college, things never really panned out. While I still loved the sport, I struggled to find out how it fit in my life. I was afraid of going all in and made up every excuse in the book as to why I couldn’t train seriously.
Watching the trials in 2020 changed my life. That probably sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s the truth. I saw a record number of women toe the line to accomplish something bigger than themselves. They weren’t all professional runners. In fact, most weren’t! They were mothers, doctors, lawyers, successful businesswomen, and so much more. For the first time in my life, it really clicked that you don’t have to be one thing. You can be a career woman, mother, and high-level athlete.
Easy? No.
Doable? If you want it to be, why not?
I was inspired. I wanted to be there. For me, that race set everything in motion.
How has motherhood shaped your training, pacing, or motivation, and what feels different or exciting about races after becoming a mom?
I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, because I don’t have time to. I don’t overanalyze my runs or any of my splits. I walk in the door from my run, and I’m onto the next thing. While running has always meant a lot to me, now it means more, because it’s the one time every day where I choose myself.
Mother Runner, podcaster, media personality, you know what it means to be multi-faceted. For other moms trying to balance running with the demands of life, what’s the guidance or encouragement you’d most want to share from your own experience?
Now more than ever, I just take things one hour at a time. It’s really hard for me right now to look ahead because I feel like every day I’m juggling so much. I try my very best to stay present each day and in each moment.
How has your experience as a woman commentator in wrestling shaped the lessons and values you want to pass on to your daughter?
It’s such a great time to be a woman in wrestling right now because the women’s division is absolutely on fire, and I am constantly in awe of the star power they have. I feel so honored and lucky that my job is to talk about how incredible these women are. I think that just like the women on the starting line at the 2020 Olympic Trials, the women of WWE are showing that you can be multifaceted. I can’t wait for my daughter to experience wrestling with me.
What do your “off-the-clock” moments look likehow do you recharge or sneak in a little fun?
I love coffee shops and whole milk lattes. Being outside is my happy place. I am also a massive, MASSIVE sports fan. I love playing fantasy sports, betting on sports, and watching all sports. If I’m not running or watching wrestling, I’m typically watching sports.
