Athlete Spotlight:
Lindsey Dasher
Let us introduce Lindsey Dasher. As a Mom of 2 active kids, working full time, owning her own business (Dasher Law Firm) and married to a working spouse, it’s fair to say that Lindsey’s life is busy. Yet she continues to find a way to put in her miles and strength work each week and go chasing after big goals. From starting out running just under 4 hours in the marathon, Lindsey has since gone out to PR in the marathon and achieve one of her big goals of running a Boston Qualifying time, which she did at the Coastguard marathon last year, running 3:31:19. During that time, Lindsey has set PRs in the Half Marathon, 10k, and recently tied her 5k PR (despite being led off course).
The stats are impressive, but not nearly as impressive as her dedication to training. Despite her busy schedule and fluctuating kids sports schedule, Lindsey is more consistent than most. It’s rare she misses a run or strength session, and when she does, it’s for a good reason. Her training is not perfect, but she’s constantly getting creative finding ways to make her training work so she can continue to chase big goals. It’s not unusual for Lindsey to get in a few miles, drive the kids to their own training, and squeeze in a few more miles during that time, before picking everyone up to drop off at the next adventure for the day.
There are also times when Lindsey’s busy schedule catches up to her (even super Moms have their limits), and that mental fatigue and burnout can start creeping in. Lindsey is very aware of what she can manage and great at communicating that so her training can be adjusted so that her priorities outside of training also stay balanced and healthy. Having a global view of her priorities and knowing when to push or back off is a key ingredient to Lindsey’s success.
There are many barriers and challenges that working Moms training for races like Lindsey face, but we hope Lindsey’s story will spread some hope to others out there that it is possible.
Where are you from?: Tega Cay, South Carolina
Occupation: Attorney / Mediator / Law Firm Owner
How long have you been running for? Since 7th grade track & cross country – so, about age 13.
Do you, or have you played any other sports?
I was a D1 college cheerleader and played many other sports in my middle school and high school years (track, cross country, gymnastics, soccer, softball, dance team, etc.). I danced in studio and competitively for my entire childhood until I went off to college. My parents encouraged us to try everything and do it all. These days, when I am not running, you can find me attempting to learn the rules of pickleball, rock climbing with my kids, or riding bikes with my husband.
Why do you run?
That answer has evolved over the years, for sure. Nowadays, I definitely run for my mental health more than anything else. I’m a business owner, a working mom of two active kids, and a pastor’s wife – carving out time for running is pretty much my only time for myself these days, and I cherish it. Even when everything in my professional and personal life is crazy, I always have running to calm my mind and to ground me. I also truly love racing and the challenge of always trying to improve as a runner.
Tell us in detail about your running story (How did you get started? Did others influence you? When did you realize you enjoyed running? Did you have any breakthrough moments that changed the course of your running journey?) – (Write in complete sentences)
My parents have always been fit and active and they encouraged me to start running when I was younger. I spent many years as a young child watching my dad compete in triathlons, so I have never really known a life without running being in the forefront. I started running in middle school, but I don’t think I truly enjoyed it until my later high school years. Admittedly, as I transitioned into college, I kept up with running more for the physical aesthetics side of things and in order to try to maintain some kind of cardiovascular endurance for other sports.
I ran my first half marathon in college with my boyfriend (now my husband) in 2008 (the former Thunder Road!) and I was officially hooked on racing after that! After I had my first child in 2013, I was anxious to find a local fitness community, and I stumbled across Females in Action (FiA) in Charlotte. I tackled workouts, races, and relays with this group of women for many years, and they gave me one of the best communities I’ve ever known.
After I had my second child, I challenged myself to jump back into running as quickly as I possibly could, and to really push myself with new goals. I ran the Blue Ridge Relay with a FiA team just 6 months after my daughter was born, resulting in lots of fun memories of using my breast pump in dark parking lots before a multitude of long training runs.
After BRR, I realized I was a stronger runner than I gave myself credit for and that I could probably up my running game. This resulted in me training for my first marathon, which was the Rock & Roll Country Music Marathon in Nashville in early 2017, right after my daughter’s first birthday. I remember lots of arguments and stress in our household around that time as we navigated me working full-time+ and training for a marathon with a 3 year old and a 1 year old at home. I would say that finishing that (super tough and hot) marathon forever changed the course of my running journey. It took a few years (and some growing up for my kids), but by 2022 I knew I was ready to try to work on speed, tackling more marathons, and just becoming a more all-around focused and serious runner, which is when I found Flow Motion. The rest is history!
Top artists/podcasts do you listen to on your run? Feel free to list 3 of each
Podcasts: The Popcast, Ali on the Run, The Drop
Artists: Taylor Swift (duh), any upbeat country artists, 90s/2000s songs from high school. My sister and I always joke that if someone were to sit down and listen to our running playlists, they would be super confused by our random selections.
What shoes do you like to run in?
As daily trainers, the Hoka Mach line has been my go-to for a while now. I’m in the Mach 6s right now. For race day, Nike Vaporflys.
What fuel do you like to use on race day / during training?
I don’t like most gels/gus, but I tolerate Maurten gels! I typically alternate between caffeinated and non-caffeinated Maurtens. I also use Salt Stix and Nuun for hydration/electrolytes.
Do you have a pre-race or big workout routine? If so, what is it?
My coach would want me to say lunge matrix and leg swings, right?
Whether it’s a race, workout, or hard run, I am always drinking some coffee and taking in some nutrition (usually a banana) beforehand. For a race, I’m eating more, of course. Part of my routine also includes drinking a TON of fluids and peeing about 17 times before a race starts. I also always pray before a race, for my health/endurance and the health/endurance of those around me, and thank God for the ability to exert my body at this level.
I have a series of active stretches and movements I always do before a big run or workout. I want to get better about doing a longer warmup before short/easy runs, too. I often find myself just running out the door on those days.
What race are you working toward and what is your goal?
I’ve got a few races on the books right now, but the one I’m working toward with the biggest goal is the Berlin Marathon in September of this year. I was so excited to get a bib and be given the opportunity to race my first world major! My goal is to PR and to go sub-3:30, which would another Boston qualifying time for me – hopefully with enough buffer this time to actually get to race Boston in 2026.
What race or performance are you most proud of and why?
I would have to say I am most proud of my performance in the Coast Guard Marathon in 2024. I set a goal to qualify for Boston at the Kiawah Marathon in 2023 and fell short by just 3 minutes. I was proud of my Kiawah PR, but I knew immediately that I wanted to try again as soon as I could and try to redeem that BQ goal. Just 4 months later, I had a great race at Coast Guard. It was one of those perfect races where everything came together and I exceeded my goal. I worked so hard to get there and to bounce back from falling short of my goal originally, and I am really proud of that.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned about training for a race?
To have patience. I like to set big goals and accomplish them quickly. I am not a very patient person, but I’ve learned over the past 3 years that a truly worthwhile goal should be something that feels like a long shot and may come with lots of failure and setbacks along the way, and I need to be okay with that.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a runner when training for a goal?
Mental fatigue and burnout due to my schedule would probably top the list. Training for and racing 3 marathons within one year last year was really tough. I remember feeling really emotional, overwhelmed, and exhausted on the back end of all that training. I had to step back mentally and try to figure out how to decrease my stress levels at work and at home in order to make sure I could still be healthy when toeing the starting line. All in all, my biggest daily and weekly challenge is to balance everything I have on my plate and still train at the level I want to.
My job is stressful (I’m a family law attorney and a family court mediator), as is owning the firm and our office building, and I try to be really involved in my kids’ lives and their sports. As they’ve aged, they’ve become more invested in their respective sports, and as any modern-day South Charlotte parent knows – that means a lot of time goes into those commitments, all week (and weekend) long. This results in me having a really limited amount of time in which to execute training runs and not having much flexibility in my schedule to pivot, which is challenging.
What do you love most about being a Flow Motion Running Team Member?
The support system. I love having a plan, a coach in my corner, and a team of crazy people who are all out there chasing these big goals just because we want to be better.
If you could turn back time, what advice would you give to your younger self?
Oh gosh. Hindsight is 20/20, right? With respect to my overall health and fitness – prioritize your nutrition as much as possible! Don’t feed yourself garbage and overly processed foods.
Favorite race you’d recommend to others and why?
I have a soft spot for the Coast Guard Marathon now and often highly recommend it to others (hidden gem!), but my favorite race every year is the Around the Crown 10k. I love the energy of that race, the unique course, and being surrounded by so many local friends at the start line.
Tell us about any funny incidents or horror stories you’ve had whilst running.
I’ll spare you all of the typical runner bathroom horror stories (because I have a lot of those) and tell you about the scariest and weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me on a run. A few years ago, I was running with one of my best friends on Highway 51 passing through the Arboretum area at dark-thirty – around 5:30am. Anyone who runs around town knows how close the sidewalks on 51 are to the main road. While we were running and chatting, a car sped past us and slammed into a huge deer running across the road. The deer launched into the air and landed no more than a foot in front of us on the sidewalk, where it struggled for a bit before it died.
We had no idea what to do and were completely shell-shocked and freaked out that we were just a foot away from being flattened by a flying deer. I think we ended up walking the whole way home because we were both so shaken up. I still think about that moment every single time I run past that spot in the Arboretum. Everyone is afraid of being hit by a car when running – no one imagines being taken out by roadkill.