Although you may not realize it, proper nutrition is an essential part of performing as an athlete. And I'm not talking about making sure your student athletes cut so called "junk food" out of their diet. I'm talking about making sure they are eating ENOUGH.
It starts with a crazy idea. The idea that you should run 26.2 miles consecutively. Then it gets crazier as you commit to 16 weeks of consistent training, running up to 50 or more miles a week. Once you get passed that - and maybe a couple injuries or sore spots, a run or too … Continue reading The marathon: From crazy to crying to smiling again
This morning, I woke up at 2 a.m. with my stomach growling. Not the kind of growl you can roll over and ignore. The kind of growl that demands immediate attention. My tired feet padded out of the bedroom, into the kitchen and located the only clean knife left, a few pieces of bread and … Continue reading Eating enough for a marathon
special thanks to my dietetic intern Kara Peters for assisting in research for this blog post. "How many of you have ever had a protein shake or taken a supplement?" I ask about mid-way through every sports nutrition presentation I give. Nine times out of ten, over half the hands in a room full of … Continue reading Navigating sports nutrition supplements
My second dietetic intern has a story and a message worth sharing. Read her first blog post all about the female athlete triad, a topic near and dear to not only her heart, but mine. By Kara Peters, Dietetic Intern at the University of Saint Joseph I was fortunate enough to be a three-sport athlete … Continue reading Stop normalizing the loss of your period in sports
And I am by no means alone. Over one-third of female, division-one college athletes develop an eating disorder, according to one study. For athletes competing in endurance sports such as running and swimming as well as those that emphasize appearance like dance, gymnastics or wrestling are at even higher risk.
Listen to your body seems like the go to advice now-a-days. If you're hungry eat. If you're not, don't feel the need to clean your plate. If you're tired, rest. It seems simple enough. Seems is the key word in that sentence. Sometimes being able to interpret what your body is trying to tell you … Continue reading Body, I’m listening…thanks to the ice
When I started long distance running - like longer than the 3.1 mile courses of high school cross country - I began to hear rumors about toenail loss. Gross, I thought. I can't imagine that happening to me. I'd made it through 15 years of dance and three years of track without so much as a ripped … Continue reading The runner’s world of toenails
I'm a slow runner. For nearly five years that had been my identity. I ran - a lot - nearly every single day and for on average 30 to 40 miles per week, but I did so slowly. I rarely finished a 6 mile run in under an hour if I was by myself and … Continue reading Give yourself a chance to try
Hey there! It's been a while. Sometimes when you're moving and working and spending an incredible amount of time in an un-air-conditioned car time slips away from you. One minute, it's August 21 and you're thinking you have nearly a month left of summer, time to go to the beach, to catch up with old … Continue reading A full year werth your while
There was a time when waking up at 4:45 to run for two plus hours felt normal. The alarm would go off, I'd jump out of bed, put on my already laid out clothes, chow down on a granola bar, sip some water and head out the door. This week (apart from Monday when I … Continue reading Finding your hour for exercise
I opened my eyes a crack. The light was streaming into my basement window and I could guess that even though my body felt like it needed at least another hour my alarm would be going off momentarily. I closed my eyes and thought about turning it off. I could have that extra hour of … Continue reading Having a buddy makes all the difference
