May 5, 2023

Ali on the Run Show Episode 638: Run Your Way with Molly “Your Running BFF” Hernandez

Podcast: The Ali on the Run Show

“It took a lot of work, realizing that the running community is made up of so many different people, so many different paces, so many different body types. And just accepting that — accepting that you don’t have to run a certain pace or look a certain way to be considered a runner… I finally accepted that truth.“

Molly Hernandez grew up in Texas with big dreams of being a Disney Channel star. Running? A big “no thank you.” Fast-forward to today, and Molly is a 10-time marathoner, two-time ultramarathoner, freelance copywriter, and content creator living in Austin, TX. She’s best known on the internet as “Your Running BFF,” and she’s on a mission to make runners — especially new runners — feel less alone and less overwhelmed. In this conversation, Molly talks about going from non-runner to marathoner in the span of six months, and how her relationship with running has grown and evolved since then.

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What you’ll get on this episode:

How Molly is feeling after running the Oklahoma City Marathon last weekend (2:50)
All about Young Molly and her Disney Channel dreams (4:45)
How, when, and why running entered Molly’s life (7:25)
Why Molly decided to run her first marathon, and what that training was like (10:25)
The moment Molly finally decided to call herself a runner (15:10)
A marathoner in the making! All about Molly’s first 26.2-mile race, and her decision to run more marathons (17:20)
On running the Oklahoma City Half Marathon last weekend, and how Molly plans her racing schedule (21:20)
How Molly became “Your Running BFF” (26:05)
How becoming a content creator has changed Molly’s relationship with running (33:20)
On becoming an ultra runner (36:40)
On time, pace, and the numbers on the watch — and mid-race hallucinations (40:30)
What’s next? (46:45)
Molly’s advice to anyone struggling on the run right now (51:35)

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about ali

I’m the creator of the Ali on the Run blog and the host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast. I’m also a freelance writer and editor, a race announcer, a runner and marathoner, a mom, and a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (way better than the first one!), and reliving my glory days as a competition dancer in the early 2000s. I’m really happy you’re here.