Episode 609: Natalie Hatch
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Natalie Hatch, a 31-year-old mother of four from Kalispell, Montana, shares her transformative journey of returning to running after years of physical and emotional challenges. Once a teenager who used running to cope with anxiety, she later paused due to motherhood, postpartum depression, and the life-threatening illness of two of her sons, which led to significant weight gain and a loss of self. In January 2025, she impulsively posted on Instagram that she would train for a half marathon, marking the start of a powerful personal evolution. With minimal training and no prior running experience, she began with 10-second sprints and walk breaks, gradually building up to eight-mile runs. Her story is one of resilience, self-compassion, and finding joy in the process rather than perfection. She discusses the mental health benefits of running, her successful weaning off SSRIs, and the importance of patience, body positivity, and community. Natalie also critiques the fitness industry’s obsession with metrics, zones, and extreme intensity, advocating instead for beginner-friendly, realistic, and joyful approaches to fitness. Her authenticity, humor, and vulnerability have resonated with thousands online, making her a beacon for overweight, postpartum, and mentally overwhelmed runners who feel they don’t belong in the sport.
Start where you are: Even 10 seconds of running is a win. Progress is not linear, and consistency beats intensity.
Running can be a mental health lifeline—especially when used as a tool to process grief, anxiety, and depression.
You don’t need to be fast, thin, or perfect to be a runner. The sport is for everyone, and joy matters more than pace.
Avoid over-reliance on apps and heart rate zones—especially as a beginner. Use your body as your primary data source.
Patience and self-compassion are the most powerful tools in long-term fitness transformation.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome & Introduction to Natalie
Bracken and Kirk welcome listeners and introduce Natalie Hatch, a mother of four from Kalispell, Montana, who recently began her running journey after a decade-long break. They discuss her early experiences with running, her family, and her surprising viral Instagram posts.
From Anxiety to Running: A Teenage Coping Mechanism
Natalie recounts how she used nighttime runs on a dirt road in Montana to cope with severe anxiety and restless legs as a teenager. She shares her first race experience at age 17, a muddy Spartan 5K, and reflects on how running became a form of emotional release.
Motherhood, Illness, and the Hospital Parking Garage Runs
Natalie describes how she resumed running during the hospital stays of her two sons, who both had IPEX, a fatal immune disease. She ran up and down hospital parking garage stairwells to maintain sanity, using physical pain as a way to manage mental anguish.
The January 2nd Decision: Launching a 10,000-Follower Journey
“I just thought, I bet you there are other people who want to run because the internet is so saturated with runners and just like mile 12602, you know, and like I bet there are other people who like want to try running, who see like these beautiful young, you know, super cute girls in Utah running together and matching outfits.”
The Truth About Fitness Culture: Zones, Apps, and the Fat Burning Myth
“The fat burning zone. Do you remember seeing that on all the cardio machines in college? Yes, your body is primarily using fat as a resource for its energy needs. But like if you go run four miles in your fat burning zone and then you go run four miles with lactate up to your eyeballs at a million beats per minute, the post-workout burn after your hard four mile run might last days.”
“The fat burning zone. Do you remember seeing that on all the cardio machines in college? Yes, your body is primarily using fat as a resource for its energy needs. But like if you go run four miles in your fat burning zone and then you go run four miles with lactate up to your eyeballs at a million beats per minute, the post-workout burn after your hard four mile run might last days.”
“I just thought, I bet you there are other people who want to run because the internet is so saturated with runners and just like mile 12602, you know, and like I bet there are other people who like want to try running, who see like these beautiful young, you know, super cute girls in Utah running together and matching outfits.”
“I feel like a veil was lifted and I was just like, Oh my gosh. Like I love the taste of homemade bread and butter. I love the sunlight in the morning, my kids laughing and playing and watching Harry Potter for the 20th time. Wonderful.”
Hosts
Guest
Natalie Hatch
person
Bracken Crocker
person
Kirk DeWint
person
other
Kalispell, Montana
place
Lexapro
product
Whitefish Montana 5K
other
Whitefish Half Marathon
other
The Biggest Loser
media
Hal Higdon
person
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