Motherhood, Ultras & Letting Go of Perfection with Francesca Barbetta

Fresh off completing her first 50-mile ultramarathon on Mother’s Day weekend, running coach and mom of three Francesca Barbetta joins the podcast to talk about the realities of ultra marathon training, balancing motherhood and running, and learning how to let go of perfection in the process. In this episode, Francesca shares how she transitioned from chasing marathon goals into the ultra running world, why the ultra community completely changed her relationship with racing, and what training for 50 miles actually looked like while working full time, raising three kids, and coaching runners. We also dive into:Why marathon culture can sometimes steal the joy from runningManaging mom guilt while prioritizing trainingBurnout, recovery, and the pressure to constantly “do more”The importance of fueling, sleep, and realistic trainingWhy progress in running is never linearLearning to adapt training around real lifeThe emotional lessons Francesca learned during this training cycleHow running helped her reconnect with faith, peace, and perspectiveThis conversation is honest, relatable, and deeply human. Whether you're training for your first marathon, thinking about ultras, navigating parenthood, or simply trying to balance running with real life, this episode will remind you that you do not need perfect training to accomplish big goals.Francesca Barbetta is a certified run coach, marathoner and full-time working mom of three. Since 2012, she has completed 12 marathons — including one entirely on a treadmill — along with 21 half marathons and 3 ultramarathons.She shares her passion for running, training and balancing motherhood with endurance sports through her social media community where she provides approachable and valuable running tips drawn from her experience as both a longtime runner and coach. Francesca is happily married to her husband whom she met when she was a single mom to her oldest son.Follow Francesca:Francesca Instagram: Follow the show:Instagram Running Explained: Follow Amanda Follow NickIf you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow, rate, and review the podcast to help more runners find us.