CAITLYN GERMAIN: The Surprising Power of Self-Awareness in Overcoming Pain, Injury, and Life’s Hardships

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt like your body is working against you, this episode is for you. We’re joined by Caitlyn Germain, a former standout runner and mom who battled mysterious lower-leg pain before discovering she had popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. Caitlyn shares her journey from being sidelined from running to finishing the Boston Marathon, and how self-advocacy, patience, and trusting your body helped her move forward. This conversation is a powerful reminder for runners and moms to listen to their bodies, protect their health, and keep going. In this episode, we discuss: 🌀Caitlyn’s running journey and mysterious lower-leg pain 🌀Her diagnosis of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome 🌀Returning to running, Boston Marathon, and lessons in self-advocacy Caitlyn’s insights on meeting yourself where you are and the power of persistence—is sure to move you. THANK YOU, SPONSORS!: 💗 BEAM MINERALS plant based liquid minerals. Save 20% with code MOTHERRUNNER. 💗 LITTLE SPOON meal/snack delivery for kids ages 0-12! Save 30% with code MOTHERRUNNER. RESOURCES: caitlyngermain.com IG: @caitlyn_keeps_tri.ing TIMESTAMPS 0:01 — Caitlyn is introduced as a standout runner with elite speed, setting up her identity as a competitive athlete. 0:06 — She talks about how running shaped her identity, showing how deeply tied she was to the sport and performance. 0:31 — She’s still trying to return to running, which highlights the long road of recovery, resilience, and getting back to the sport. 0:51 — She begins telling her origin story as a runner, which is useful for runners interested in how an athlete builds a training base and competitive mindset. 1:17 — She describes reaching the NCAAs while dealing with pain, showing the tension between competition, endurance, and hidden injury. 2:01 — This is where she starts to suspect something is wrong, an important runner moment around early injury signals and listening to your body. 2:20 — She admits, “I thought it was me,” which reflects common runner self-talk around self-blame, mental toughness, and ignoring symptoms. 2:53 — She describes legs throbbing after hard efforts, a relatable runner keyword moment around training load, recovery, and unusual pain patterns. 4:36 — She remembers being told that pain meant she worked hard, which shows how runners can normalize discomfort, effort, and overtraining signals. 6:45 — She talks about the pain becoming more frequent, marking the shift from manageable discomfort to a real injury pattern, declining performance, and a need for answers. Whitney Heins is a mom of 2, a lifelong runner, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com . When training for her first marathon as a mom, she found a dearth of information related to running and motherhood. She also felt extremely isolated as a new mom. As a former TV journalist and a freelance writer she decided to use her skills to fill the void with an online resource and community, called The Mother Runners. Whitney also recognized a need for run coaches who understood the demands of motherhood, so she also became a running coach—unearthing a passion for helping moms reap the rewards and empowerment of running. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, two kids, and three dogs. www.themotherrunners.com <li