How One Busy Mom Rediscovered Herself Through Running

If you talk to Jocelyn Jimenez for even a few minutes, it's easy to understand what this season of life looks like.

During our interview, she's carrying her youngest on one hip while her other two children run around in the background. Questions are interrupted by little voices. She's answering while simultaneously being a mom, because that's simply what her days look like.

For a long time, they all revolved around everyone else.

After the birth of her third child last March, Jocelyn experienced postpartum depression while also navigating a difficult medical journey with her youngest daughter, who has vision and hearing loss. Appointment after appointment brought discouraging news, and her anxiety continued to grow.

"We were getting a lot of negative feedback from the doctors," she said. "It put me in a really not-so-great place mentally."

Somewhere in the middle of caring for three kids and carrying the weight of everything her family was facing, she realized she'd stopped doing the things that made her feel like herself.

"My husband kept encouraging me to find something I enjoyed doing," she said. "And I couldn't even remember what I enjoyed anymore. I'd kind of lost myself in being a mom of three kids."

Running had always been part of her life. She ran in high school while playing lacrosse and hockey, then discovered distance running after college. In 2008, she completed Grandma's Marathon with her mom, and running stayed with her over the years, even if life occasionally pulled her away from it.

On the weekends, when her husband was home, she'd lace up her shoes and head out for a run. Those weekend runs reminded her how much she missed it.

Eventually, she and her brother-in-law signed up for Grandma's Marathon this year. Training wasn't perfect. She squeezed in runs whenever she could, balancing marathon training with raising three young children. Even with limited training time, she crossed the finish line almost 30 minutes faster than she had in 2008.

"It really jumpstarted everything again," she said.

Like many runners, though, she found herself wondering what came next once race day was over.

That's about the time she discovered Still I Run.

Late one night, she saw someone she follows on Instagram talking about the organization. She started reading about the Mental Health Runner Program and felt like she'd found exactly what she'd been looking for.

"It seemed like a really cool organization and something I would benefit from."

A Program That Meets You Where You Are

Now in Week 8 of the Self-Guided Mental Health Runner Program, Jocelyn says it's given her something she didn't realize she was missing: structure without pressure.

The workbook helped her think differently about goal setting, especially the SMART goal exercises. But the part she's looked forward to most each week has been something much simpler.

"The reflection questions have probably helped me the most," she said. "They've helped me stop and think about how I felt that week, how my body felt, and what I needed to pay attention to."

For someone who's used to spending every waking moment taking care of other people, those few minutes of reflection have become an opportunity to check in with herself.

The program has also helped her let go of the idea that every workout has to look the same.

"I don't have to just run," she said. "I can go walk with my kids, and that counts, too."

That mindset has been freeing. Some weeks she has time for a run. Other days, a walk with her kids is what fits into life. Instead of feeling like she's falling behind, she's learning that movement doesn't have to be all or nothing. Every step still supports her mental health.

Asking for What She Needs

One of the biggest changes Jocelyn has noticed hasn't been in her pace or mileage. It's how she communicates with her family.

"I'll say, 'I need to go for a run. I need a break, and I need to go run.'"

Before, she often pushed those feelings aside. Now she recognizes that taking time for a run isn't taking something away from her family. It's one of the ways she cares for herself so she can show up for them.

Running has become an outlet when her anxiety starts to build, and giving herself permission to make time for it has made a noticeable difference.

Looking Toward the Next Starting Line

Jocelyn already has plenty of goals on the horizon. She'd like to shave another five to ten seconds off her pace, run another marathon, and beat her current personal best. She's also hoping to tackle the Twin Cities Marathon next year, so hill training and strength training have become part of her routine.

But unlike past training cycles, she's no longer focused only on the finish line.

The Self-Guided Mental Health Runner Program has helped her build habits she hopes will last long after her next race is over. Instead of wondering what comes after marathon training ends, she has a framework that helps her keep moving forward, both physically and mentally.

Her Advice to Other Moms

Jocelyn knows there are other moms who feel like they've lost themselves in the demands of everyday life. Her advice is simple.

"Keep going. You CAN do it."

She encourages moms to find people they trust and be honest about what they're experiencing.

"Find your people first. Talk to them and share what you're going through."

Then she shared something that has stayed with us ever since our conversation ended.

"We always tell our kids they can do hard things. You can be an example for them, too."

It's a reminder that taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's one of the greatest gifts you can give the people who depend on you.

If you've been looking for a way to reconnect with running—or simply want a healthier relationship with movement and your mental well-being—the Self-Guided Mental Health Runner Program is designed to meet you where you are. Work through the program on your own schedule, reflect on your progress each week, and discover how movement can become part of caring for your mental health, one step at a time.