The Marathon Juggle with Lisa Weightman
Balancing Olympic Training, Motherhood, and Real Life
Podcast: The Women’s Running Collective
In this episode, co-hosts Hayley and Justine dive into the beautiful chaos of balancing running with family life, travel, and the occasional illness.
Justine shares highlights from her tropical training runs in Fiji — including a few unexpected animal encounters — while Hayley reflects on the ups and downs of parenting through sick days.
Then, they welcome an incredible guest: Lisa Weightman — elite marathoner, four-time Olympian, Commonwealth and World Champs medallist, mum, wife, and all-round inspiration. Lisa opens up about what it really takes to juggle high-performance sport with a busy home and work life.
She shares:
Practical training tips
Her approach to recovery
How to manage setbacks
The importance of rest (even when life doesn’t slow down)
Plus, Lisa answers rapid-fire questions, including her favorite pre-race meal, racing mindset, and the unexpected truths of elite running.
Also in this episode:
A shoutout to listener Dawn, who’s fundraising for the Heart Foundation
Cheers for everyone who took part in the City2Surf run
A sneak peek at the brand new Women’s Running Collective website
Personal recommendations to fuel your next long run or rest day
⏱️ Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – Introduction
00:29 – Weekly running check-in
01:29 – Justine’s Fiji running adventures
03:42 – Training challenges and long run updates
06:56 – Interview with Lisa Weightman begins
14:21 – Lisa’s running journey + top advice
24:47 – Weekend training insights
25:07 – Marathon mileage + mindset
25:43 – Balancing motherhood and running
26:20 – Lisa’s training habits & superstitions
27:20 – Advice for female runners
28:42 – Pre-race meals & hydration tips
30:02 – Juggling elite running & a professional career
35:59 – Coping with nerves and pressure
41:07 – Encouragement for new runners
41:58 – Surprising facts about elite runners
43:13 – Sydney Marathon chat
44:23 – Rapid fire with Lisa
47:34 – Shoutouts & community updates
50:35 – Closing thoughts + new website launch
