This episode is an interview with professional runner, Ella Donaghu. Ella grew up in Portland where she was introduced to running through a family of runners. She played soccer as well but ultimately chose to focus on running and ended up becoming a 6x state champion and NXN runner up. She went on to run at Stanford, and struggled initially with her transition after dealing with a stubborn injury, under fueling, and her mental health. After focusing on getting herself to a better place mentally and physically, she was finally able to break her high school PR's and went on to become a 7x All-American. She signed a pro contract with Nike right out of college, and has since become a sub 15 minute 5k runner and 2x US Olympic Trials qualifier.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it was like growing up in Portland surrounded by track, and how she ultimately chose to pursue running
• Her struggles with body image and fueling as she transitioned into her freshman year of college
• How mental health played a role in her struggles with fueling and why seeking help was instrumental to getting back on track
• Her journey from not running a PR since high school to finally having a break through her junior year of college, and what shifts in mindset and fueling allowed her to get back on track and have an incredible collegiate career
• What it was like signing a pro contract with Nike right out of college and why she initially found that transition challenging
• Why it’s important to her to have things outside of running and how that has helped take the pressure off of her pro career
• How fueling during workouts has helped reinforce the idea that food is fuel and essential to performance

While Maddie is on maternity leave, Alexa Gusman, the newest dietitian at Fueling Forward, is taking over to answer your questions! This episode is a Q&A episode where Alexa answers questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• I’m a high school track athlete, and I’ve found myself struggling with disordered eating. I know I need to fuel my body to support harder training, but anxiety around food, body checking, and nausea/throwing up during workouts have made it really difficult to eat consistently. What advice do you have for getting out of this cycle?
• When trying to establish my typical energy and carbohydrate intake, should I include the calories and carbohydrates from alcohol?
• I’m marathon training and know I need plenty of carbohydrates, but I often feel sleepy after heavier carb-based lunches like pasta and then struggle with my energy in the afternoon. What should a balanced lunch look like to support training while also helping me maintain steady energy throughout the workday?
• Are some protein powders or brands better than others for runners, and what should we look for when choosing one? Is there any meaningful recovery benefit to making your own shake versus chocolate milk or a protein smoothie?
• To Alexa: When in your professional career did you realize it was time to move on from running? And did you always recognize that you might struggle with your relationship with food, or did that become more apparent once you were in school to become a dietitian?

Thanks so much to everyone who has submitted questions so far! If you would like to submit a question for future episodes, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode is an interview with 2:31 marathoner and 3x Olympic Trials qualifier, Sarah Reiter. Sarah shares her journey from discovering running in high school and becoming a 2A xc state champion in her home state of Washington, to running at the D1 level. She transferred from Montana State after her freshman year to a smaller D1 school, Eastern Washington, where she ran for 4 years. After college, she took a long break from running, then rediscovered her love for the sport when she decided to train for a marathon. Over the course a year, she shaved over 10 minutes off of her marathon PR and qualified for her first Olympic Trials in 2020. She has continued to train and compete in the marathon taking another 10 minutes off of her PR, and is currently a member of Tracksmith's Stamata team. Sarah also works full time as an account manager at a software company.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How she got into running and specifically marathoning, and what she learned from her first marathon
• How a healthy relationship with food growing up was protective for her as she was exposed to more struggles with and comments around food in college
• Why she ended up transferring after her first year of college to a smaller school, and her thoughts on the importance of finding a good fit
• How stepping away from running for a bit after college allowed her to find her way back to the sport and take it to the next level
• Why it’s important to her to be flexible with her training and to prioritize life experiences over executing the perfect training plan
• How she has continued to tweak her training, including lowering her mileage, to allow herself to continue to grow in the sport
• Her tips for balancing high level running with working full time, including navigating things like sleep and fueling
• What she has learned about the importance of fueling during training runs and during the marathon itself
• Her advice for longevity in sport as someone who has qualified for 3 Olympic Trials over the course of 12 years
• What it has been like being a member of Tracksmith’s Stamata team and the extra support and community it provides

If you would like to keep up with Sarah, you can find her on Instagram @sarahlreiter