Running on Empty: Are We Doing Too Much?
Episode overview
Are you doing too much—or have you just not figured out how to make it all work yet?
Ashley and Trax begin with two slightly different versions of the same problem: Ashley is moving through life with a constant sense of urgency, while Trax is stacking hard training days and trying not to admit how tired she feels.
They talk with professional runner and mom of two Keira D’Amato about the support, boundaries and decision-making filters that allow her to pursue big goals without losing sight of why she runs. Keira explains why she has learned to be stubborn about the things that matter while remaining flexible about how they happen—and why running for a “we” has become more powerful than running only for herself.
Trax’s friend and training partner Samantha shares what happened when a life filled entirely with things she loved still began to feel like drinking from a fire hose. She introduces her “varsity edit”: identifying the everyday points of friction that drain your energy and creating more room for the people and pursuits that fill it.
Finally, clinical psychologist Dr. Rachel Goldman explains why so many women believe they should be able to do everything, how to recognize when moving fast is no longer working and why balance doesn’t mean giving every part of life equal attention. She offers practical ways to interrupt overwhelm before it becomes burnout—including checking in with yourself, making one small adjustment and allowing different priorities to take up more space during different seasons.
The takeaway: You may be able to do all the things you care about, but probably not all at once—and not without support. The goal isn’t necessarily to want less. It’s to make intentional choices about what matters now, ask for help and remain flexible about how it gets done.
In this conversation
Ashley shares the observation from her husband that stopped her in her tracks: “Life is not urgent. Everything is not urgent, but you are acting like everything is urgent.”
Trax admits that racing a hot 5K, running 15 miles the next day and following it with another humid run may have been too much—even if she would rather call it “enough.”
Why training for a meaningful running goal can become another source of pressure when the rest of life already feels full.
Keira D’Amato explains why having a strong support system—and learning to ask for help—has been essential to everything she does.
How Keira creates boundaries around family time, racing and travel before she is stressed and has to make a decision in the moment.
The question Keira uses to filter opportunities during serious training: “Is this going to make me a faster runner?”
How headaches, exhaustion and other physical signals tell Keira when her body needs her to slow down.
Why Keira’s reasons for running changed when she returned to the sport in her thirties—and how running helped her find confidence, identity and community during a difficult period of motherhood.
What Keira means when she says she began running for a “we” rather than only for herself.
Why women so often remove the things they want for themselves when their days become too full.
How being stubborn about making time for running—and flexible about when it happens—helped Keira avoid breaking under the pressure.
Why running would remain important to Keira even without records, podiums or professional success.
How involving your family in the logistics of a long run can help you protect the time without assuming everyone else should simply accommodate it.
Samantha describes the moment when a life filled with work, parenting, yoga and running began to feel like drinking from a fire hose.
Why editing an overloaded life can feel messy at first, particularly for women with perfectionist or overachieving tendencies.
How Samantha’s “varsity edit” helps her identify recurring points of friction and build simple systems that make daily life feel more spacious.
Why planning backward from the activities that fill your cup can help ensure they do not get crowded out by everything else.
Dr. Rachel Goldman explains how cultural messages and social-media highlight reels reinforce the belief that women should be able to do everything—and that something is wrong with them if they cannot.
Why no one is truly doing it all without help or without allowing different priorities to take turns.
Dr. Rachel’s “life pie” framework and why balance does not require every part of life to receive an equal share of your attention.
How parenting, work and training may each take up more space during different seasons without the other parts of your identity disappearing.
Why defining what it means to be a “good enough” parent can help interrupt guilt around pursuing a personal goal.
How a shorter period of genuine presence may be more meaningful than showing up exhausted, distracted or resentful.
The signs that moving too fast may no longer be working, including careless mistakes, irritability, illness, injury and feeling pulled in too many directions.
Why regular pauses and check-ins can help you hear the signals your mind and body are already sending.
How making one small adjustment—rather than abandoning every goal—can begin to reduce overwhelm.
Why runners can use what they know about proactive fueling, hydration and recovery to care for themselves in the rest of life.
The difference between slowing down and prioritizing one goal now while intentionally saving another for later.
Ashley and Trax share the changes they want to make: asking for help, honoring the current season, checking in more often and learning to be both flexible and stubborn.
Meet the guests
Keira D’Amato is a professional runner for Nike, former American record holder in the marathon, business owner and mom of two. After stepping away from competitive running in her twenties, she returned to the sport in her thirties and built an extraordinary second chapter rooted in joy, community and a desire to show other women what may be possible. She is the author of Don’t Call It a Comeback: What Happened When I Stopped Chasing PRs and Started Chasing Happiness.
Samantha is an interior designer, yoga teacher, marathon runner and mom of two. She joins Trax to share the personal editing process that helped her create more spaciousness, joy and connection in a life filled with work and pursuits she genuinely loved.
Dr. Rachel Goldman is a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker and consultant specializing in the mind-body connection, stress management, burnout prevention and sustainable health behavior change. She is a clinical assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and uses evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy, to make mental-health tools practical and accessible. Follow her on Instagram.
Resources mentioned
Our partners
Fleet Feet is a founding partner of Still Running. Visit a local store for personalized outfitting and Fleet Feet’s fit id® experience.
Still Running is presented by Altra. Explore Altra’s naturally shaped footwear and its low-drop Experience line.
Stay connected
Subscribe to Still Running wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss the next episode. Our partners
Fleet Feet is a founding partner of Still Running. Visit a local store for personalized outfitting and Fleet Feet’s fit id® experience.
Still Running is presented by Altra. Explore Altra’s naturally shaped footwear and its low-drop Experience line.
Stay connected
Subscribe to Still Running wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss the next episode.
Comments