ADHD, Anxiety, and Running: What No One Talks About in Runners with Mary Johnson

Episode: S6E15 | Guest: Mary Johnson, Lift.Run.Perform | Aired May 7, 2026 | 1 hr 8 min

Author: Nick Klastava

Podcast Hosts: Nick Klastava & Amanda Katz

Listen: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

What does ADHD actually look like in runners and athletes, especially women? Coach Amanda and I sat down with running and strength coach Mary Johnson, who also happens to be the coach who gave me my start in coaching back in 2019, for a deeply honest conversation about living, training, parenting, and working with ADHD.

Key Takeaways

•             ADHD often shows up differently in women than in men, frequently masked by perfectionism, hyper-organization, and high-functioning achievement.

•             Masking isn’t hiding your diagnosis, it’s skipping the specific things (sleep, habit stacking, structure) that you know help your brain function, and paying for it later.

•             Major life transitions, like having kids, can strip away the structures people were using to mask ADHD, bringing symptoms to the surface for the first time as adults.

•             Running and structured training provide a dopamine boost and external accountability that can genuinely help manage ADHD symptoms, which is part of why so many runners and coaches have it.

•             Shame is deeply intertwined with ADHD, often more disabling than the executive function symptoms themselves.

•             Having people in your life who will tell you the hard truth, not just cheer you on, is one of the most protective things you can build.

ADHD Shows Up Differently in Women

Mary was diagnosed in high school, at a time when teachers had little understanding of how to support ADHD students beyond punishment and public humiliation. What’s changed since is a growing recognition that ADHD in women is frequently masked by perfectionism, hyper-achievement, and rigid self-imposed structure, rather than the visible hyperactivity more commonly associated with boys. A lot of women are only now getting diagnosed as adults, often after a major life shift like becoming a parent removes the structure they’d unconsciously relied on to mask symptoms for years.

Masking Isn’t Hiding, It’s Skipping What Works

Mary’s definition of masking reframes it in a useful way: it isn’t about concealing a diagnosis, it’s about not doing the specific things you know help your brain function, because you’re pretending you don’t need them. For her, that means sleep and habit stacking. Skip those and things unravel; do them consistently and she can “conquer the world.” Recognizing your own specific levers, not a generic ADHD checklist, is the real work.

Postpartum Was When the Mask Came Off

Mary described a shift after her second child that she now recognizes as her masking strategies collapsing under the loss of predictable structure. Babies don’t run on a schedule, and any coping system built on hyper-organization or rigid routine stops working the moment that structure disappears. This is a common pattern her psychiatrist sees specifically in mothers: symptoms that were manageable for years become undeniable once life gets unpredictable enough that masking is no longer possible.

Why So Many Runners and Coaches Have ADHD

Physical activity increases dopamine, and ADHD brains run on lower baseline dopamine levels that also fluctuate day to day. That helps explain why running feels disproportionately good on certain days and why so many people with ADHD gravitate toward endurance sports without realizing why. For both Mary and me, running became something close to a coping mechanism before either of us understood the connection: when it wasn’t part of our routine, things got noticeably harder to manage.

The Weight of Shame

Both of us talked about how much shame gets tangled up with ADHD, not just the shame of the original diagnosis, but a daily, low-grade shame of feeling like you should be doing something other than what you’re actually doing in any given moment. That shame is often more exhausting than the executive function challenges themselves, and it’s a major reason people avoid getting evaluated or talking about it, even as adults with decades of lived experience behind them.

Build a Team That Tells You the Truth

Mary credited a direct, uncomfortable message from her running coach, who noticed a decline in her wellbeing and paused decisions about her next race until she addressed it, as the turning point that got her real support in place: an ADHD coach, a new psychiatrist who actually listened, and an honest conversation with her husband. The throughline: surround yourself with people willing to tell you what you need to hear, not just people who validate everything, because that honest feedback is what actually moves you forward.

Guest Bio

Mary Johnson is the owner of Lift.Run.Perform, a full-time running and strength coach based near New Haven, CT. She ran her first marathon in 2010, has qualified for and run the Boston Marathon multiple times, and is a self-described “loyal student of the sport” focused on helping athletes build a sustainable relationship with running and their bodies. Find her on Instagram at @itsamarython.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does ADHD present differently in women compared to men? ADHD in women is often masked by perfectionism, hyper-organization, and high achievement rather than the visible hyperactivity more commonly recognized in boys and men. This makes it more likely to go undiagnosed until adulthood, often surfacing after a major life change removes the structure that was previously masking symptoms.

Why does running help some people manage ADHD symptoms? Physical activity increases dopamine levels, and ADHD is associated with lower baseline dopamine that also fluctuates daily. Running can also provide external structure and a clear, achievable goal, both of which support executive functioning in ways that are often difficult for ADHD brains to generate internally.

What does “masking” mean for someone with ADHD? Masking refers to skipping the specific strategies or accommodations you know help you function, like consistent sleep or structured routines, often to avoid appearing like you need extra support. It’s less about hiding a diagnosis and more about not honoring what your brain actually needs, which tends to catch up with you over time.

Why might ADHD symptoms become more noticeable after having kids? Parenting, especially with young children, removes the predictable structure and control that many adults with undiagnosed or well-managed ADHD were unconsciously relying on to function. When that structure disappears, symptoms that were previously manageable can surface more visibly, prompting some adults to seek diagnosis or support for the first time.