The Fueling Forward Podcast

This episode is an interview with sports dietitian and endurance runner, Claire Shorenstein. Claire grew up not considering herself athletic, mostly focusing on music where she was a high level oboe player. When she decided to join her friend at xc practice one day, she fell in love with running. Claire got her Master's of Music in Oboe Performance at Yale, and after that decided she didn't want to become a professional musician. Her self-described identity crisis led her to do to a year long solo trip in South America, after which she moved to London and rediscovered her passion for running.

While getting into running and training for her first marathon, Claire became interested in sports nutrition. She ended up going back to school to get her Master's in Nutrition from NYU and became a sports dietitian. She opened up her private practice, Eat for Endurance, and became a RED-S informed provider to work with endurance athletes like herself who struggle to meet the demands of training with their fueling.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it was like growing up involved in music and not considering herself an athlete, then finding cross country and sparking a love for running
• How an identity crisis after getting her Master’s of Music in Oboe Performance and deciding to stop playing the oboe led to a year of solo traveling in South America
• How traveling in a new country helped heal her relationship with food and body image after struggling with an eating disorder
• Why her experience with rediscovering running and getting into marathons inspired her to go back to school to become a dietitian
• How pivoting from road racing to trails and ultras helped her let go of expectations and find joy again in running after burning out from the road scene
• Her experience learning how to navigate fueling and GI issues for longer races
• What types of athletes she works with in her private practice and the most common nutrition challenges she sees endurance athletes face

You can learn more about working with Claire on her website at www.eatforendurance.com, and you can also find her on Instagram @eatforendurance or listen to her podcast, Eat for Endurance, wherever you get your podcasts!

I'm back from maternity leave! This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• My ferritin and iron haven't changed much after supplementing all summer despite taking a supplement. What else can I do to raise my iron levels?
• Is it normal to lose your sweet tooth during eating disorder and RED-S recovery?
• What advice do you have for young runners in middle school who are hoping to pursue a career in running?
• I’m a D3 xc runner and just started my freshman year. I've been struggling with a missing and irregular period and really want to get it back. I feel like I'm doing everything right but something isn't clicking. Do you have any advice on how to successfully recover my period despite the crazy season of life that I'm in right now?

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 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 websiteHERE 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

I'm back from maternity leave! This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• I recently increased my mileage and noticed I lost weight. Does this mean I'm under fueling or is this a result of training?
• Can taking my iron supplement in the evening be impacted by having a snack before bed like ice cream, yogurt or milk?
• Is it possible to work on improving body composition while going through period recovery?
• I’m 5 months postpartum and have an aversion to meat. Can I still hit my nutrition needs for training for a half marathon while breastfeeding, and do you have any suggestions on how to do that?

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 professional runner for Nike, Lauren Gregory. Lauren is a Colorado native, where she fell in love with running while out on the trails with her high school xc team. She immediately excelled and after becoming a 7x Colorado state champion and NXN runner up, Lauren committed to the University of Arkansas to pursue D1 collegiate running. Struggles with fueling led to a frustrating injury cycle and she nearly medically retired, but after finding her way back to a healthier version of herself, Lauren had a very successful collegiate career as a 7 time All-American and signed a professional contract with Nike right out of college.

Lauren is now an accomplished track, road and trail athlete having won a US title in the vertical mountain running championships and the 10k trail championships, and making it to the final in the 5k at the 2024 US Olympic Trials. Lauren is also fresh off of her historic win at OCC UTMB as the first American woman to win the title.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How growing up near so many trails allowed her to discover her love for running and what her progression to being one of the best runners in the state looked like
• How trying to eat “clean” and “healthy” in high school led to unintentional under fueling that resulted in two big stress fractures, and her advice for high schoolers struggling with injuries
• Why she doesn’t use a ton of metrics to track her performance and fitness
• How cutting corners with fueling in college led to an injury cycle that nearly caused her to quit running, but instead focused on correcting her fueling and was able to have a successful collegiate career
• Why changing her environment during her transition from college to pro opened her eyes to the importance of fueling, and what she has implemented since
• How the trail running world has changed her view on fueling, and why she thinks fueling is what won her the OCC title
• What trail races are like and why it’s a great options for runners who are feeling burnt out or need something new
• Her breakdown of her win at OCC and how it ended up coming down to a kick in the last 800m
• Why her motto for her training block and race was “don’t wait until you’re hungry”

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 have some abnormal iron and liver panel labs and am cross-training as I recover from an injury. How can I improve my labs to help improve my performance?
• As a healthcare worker, it's not always realistic to fuel every 2-4 hours. How can I navigate fueling when my schedule makes it difficult to do so?
• I'm a college athlete transitioning from living on campus to living on my own and starting to cook for myself. I have roommates who tend to eat a lot less than I do. How can I maintain adequate fueling while avoiding these restrictive thoughts and balancing cooking for myself?
• How can athletes with a history of an eating disorder or disordered eating manage anxiety and difficult thoughts that come back up around food?

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 websiteHERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode is an interview with physical therapist, Lyndsay Centrowitz. Lyndsay is from Colorado, where she grew up running cross country and track. Her experience with injuries inspired her to pursue a career in physical therapy, and she received her doctorate in physical therapy then went on to practice in a prestigious clinic in Portland that specialized in treating runners. Lyndsay quickly realized there was a gap in women's pelvic health, especially within the context of female athletes, so she became certified as a pelvic floor health specialist. She started her own practice, StrongHER, to help fill that gap in women's health care. She currently lives in Chicago with her two kids and Olympic gold medalist husband, Matt Centrowitz.

We talk about:

• How running injuries in high school led her to working with a physical therapist, which inspired her to pursue a career in the field
• Why she chose sports PT over pediatrics, and how she ended up in one of the most prestigious PT clinics for runners in Portland
• What it was like expanding her practice to include pelvic health, and how that led to her starting her own practice, StrongHER
• How she determined pelvic floor health was a major gap in the PT field, and what the process was like for her to get certified to fill that gap
• Common pelvic floor symptoms in runners that are not normal and might indicate a need to see a pelvic floor specialist
• What a pelvic floor PT does and what an appointment with one might look like
• The role she has seen nutrition play when it comes to physical therapy, especially injury rehab and recovery

If you are interested in working with Lyndsay, you can learn more about her services on her website HERE.

I'm back from maternity leave! This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• I have always struggled with needing to go to the bathroom on runs. I have tried eliminating certain foods and even the FODMAP diet which I found to be restrictive. Do you have any reccomendations?
• I’m transitioning from high school to college training and I seem to be always hungry. We also don't practice until 5pm which has made fueling hard. Do you have any tips for managing hunger and fueling for later runs?
• I was diagnosed with osteopenia 2 years ago and even after going through eating disorder recovery and period restoration my follow up scan showed no improvements. Do you have any nutrition tips for building bone?
• I’m going to be walking on to my university's xc team this fall. Do you have any tips on how to navigate this transition to varsity running?

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.

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:

• How can I catch underfueling before it starts affecting my menstrual cycle? What are other signs of underfueling beyond normal workout fatigue or lack of sleep?
• I often find myself bingeing at night and initially thought it was from underfueling earlier in the day. However, even after increasing my intake earlier in the day, I’m still overeating at night. How can I prevent these evening binges?
• When is the best time to take iron, and what can I do to improve my ferritin?
• How can I respond to friends who share harmful food beliefs? And what’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?

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 websiteHERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode is an interview with professional runner for Nike, Christina Aragon. Christina is a Montana native where she grew up running and doing gymnastics. She was a 12x state champion between track and cross country, and even competed in the Olympic trials in the 1500 as a high schooler. Christina went on to run at Stanford University, where she was a 9x All-American and the 2016 U20 World Championships bronze medalist in the 1500. After college, Christina signed a professional contract with Nike and moved to Eugene to join the Bowerman Track Club, which has now morphed into the Oregon Track Club. Most recently, she finished 10th in the 1500 at the 2024 US Olympic Trials.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it was like balancing both gymnastics and running at a high level in high school, and how she ended up making the hard decision to give up gymnastics to focus on running
• How she navigated pressure as a high school runner and why she found national competitions helped take the pressure off
• Her struggles with body image that impacted her fueling starting her senior year of high school, and how this impacted her transition to collegiate running
• How losing he period for 3 years ended up leading to a 3 year injury cycle, and why it’s so important to fix the root cause of the issue and to allow your body to go through puberty
• How guidance from a teammate and coach helped her pull back her training and eat more to ultimately regain her health and get back to running
• What her transition from collegiate to professional running was like, and how she has been able to focus on honing in her mental skills for racing

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 going to be a runner in college next year, and I had a stress fracture this spring and an inconsistent period. My body fat percentage is a little high, and I'd like to lower it for optimal health/fitness. Do you have any tips or suggestions to lower my body fat percentage, regain my cycle, and stay healthy for college athletics?
• I'm a college runner who is struggling with getting good quality sleep. I've been taking melatonin and magnesium before bed; are there any other nutrition tips to help with sleep quality?
• I have a hard time knowing when I'm full and tend to have portions that are too big. How do I know when I've eaten enough, and how do I portion meals?
• I'm a high school cross country coach. What advice would you give to the parents of high school athletes to help their high schooler stay healthy, have fun in the sport, and fuel themselves well?

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 websiteHERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode is an interview with app developer and marathon OTQ hopeful, Maryann Gong. Maryann is an NYC local and California native. She went to MIT where she got her bachelor's degree in computer sciences and her master's degree in AI. While at MIT, she ran on the track and xc team, becoming an All-American and a D3 champion in the indoor 3k. She struggled on and off with fueling and an injury cycle after her junior year, and her experience with this inspired her to create a training app for runners called Toga. She found her way to the marathon and is currently a member of Central Park Track Club chasing an OTQ in the marathon at Chicago this fall.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Maryann got into the sport of running in high school after transitioning from soccer
• What it was like transitioning from high school to running at an academically rigorous school like MIT, and why D3 was a good fit for her
• Her struggles with fueling that led to episodes of bulimia and an injury cycle, and how she found her way back from that to focus on fueling for performance
• Her new AI powered app for runners, Toga, and why it was important to her to include a feature that helps hold runners back to reduce risk of injury or burnout
• How she discovered high carb fueling during runs, and why she feels like it has changed the game for her to get 120g of carbs per hour during training and marathons

If you would like to keep up with Maryann, you can find her on Instagram at @maryanngong. If you are interested in Toga, you can follow them on Instagram at @trainwithtoga and you can try it out free for 30 days using the code FUELINGFORWARD. You can find Toga in the app store HERE.

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 and cross-country athlete and definitely have a sweet tooth. My training load is relatively light compared to many other distance runners, and as the postseason approaches, my family has been encouraging me to cut back on sweets. What are your thoughts on this?
• I'm recovering from an eating disorder and working to get my period back. Since gaining weight, I've been struggling to hit my usual times on the track and have lost some of my motivation and enjoyment for running. Is this more of a mindset shift I need to work through, or could I still be experiencing physical effects from my past restriction?
• What tips would you give a high school athlete who wants to start fueling during long runs?
• How do you navigate the belief that "thinner equals faster," especially when that message is coming from your coach?

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 websiteHERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode is an interview with former elite Canadian runner, Rachel Cliff. Rachel is the former Canadian record holder in the marathon and half marathon, and she also represented Team Canada at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships in the 10k and 5k respectively, the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 10k, the 2018 NACAC Championships (she was the bronze medalist in the 10k), and the Pan Am Games (she was the bronze medalist in the 10k). She is currently the elite athlete advisor for Hettas and mom of 2.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How she discovered running as a kid growing up in Canada, and how the Canadian high school running scene differs from the US
• What it was like growing up with a mom who was a dietitian, and how her mom stepping in when she lost her period in high school played a big role in her long term health in the sport
• Her transition from high school to collegiate running, how she struggled for a bit running slower than she did in high school while her body shifted, and how trusting the process allowed her to come back stronger
• Why periodization and prioritizing weight gain in the off season has been key for her, and how she found herself struggling in the years she didn’t do that
• Her transition to elite running, and how getting left off the Olympic team led to her going all in on training
• How pushing herself too hard towards her Olympic dream led to a mysterious career ending injury, and how she had to advocate for herself to get to the bottom of it

If you would like to keep up with Rachel, you can find her on Instagram at @raecliff

This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• How do you know if you’re eating enough when you’re recovering from RED-S? Is getting your period back the only way to know, or will there be other signs?
• I’m a marathoner and have a family history of Type 2 diabetes. My A1C has been increasing, and I’m not sure how to balance managing my A1C and weight with fueling for performance. Do you have any advice?
• I just finished my high school senior track season and am getting ready for cross country in the fall, but I have a break between seasons. Should I fuel differently during this time or should I keep my intake up?
• I’ve been struggling with chronic IT band issues. Do you have thoughts on some nutrition changes I could make to better address this issue?

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 professional runner for Saucony, Vanessa Fraser. Vanessa grew up in Northern California where she discovered and fell in love with running through Girls on the Run. She went on to run at Stanford University where she became a 10x All-American and the PAC-12 champion in the 10k. While at Stanford, she received her bachelor's degree in symbolic systems and her master’s degree management science and engineering. After college, she went on to run professionally, signing a contract with Nike and joining Bowerman Track Club right out of college. Vanessa has competed in multiple US championships in the 5k and 10k, and has a 5k time of 14:48. In addition to running professionally, she also works full time as a partnerships manager at a health care tech company.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How she found the sport of running through Girls on the Run and what her progression looked like
• How an assignment to track calories from a middle school health teacher led to hospitalization, and what she learned from the experience
• What it was like going through periods of weight restoration and why she’s thankful her coaches, parents and doctors put her health first
• How she ended up running for Stanford, her dream school, despite not earning a scholarship right away
• Her transition to becoming a pro runner and advice for being patient during periods of lack of progress and injuries
• How increasing her carb intake has been instrumental to her success, and why fueling on long runs has been a big part of that
• Why working in addition to being a pro runner has helped her mindset around the sport and finding life balance

You can keep up with Vanessa on Instagram or TikTok @nessafraser.

This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• As a pre-med student, I feel like I’ve turned to running and training as a coping mechanism to handle stress. How do you know if a training load is too high and inching towards overtraining?
• I’m a high school senior who runs track and xc and I’ve been working on getting my period back for over a year. I’ve gotten one cycle, but haven’t had any since. I feel like I’m doing all the right things, but also feel like I can’t stop gaining weight. Do you have any tips or advice for how to get and keep my period?
• I’m a high school track athlete and mostly compete in field events, but I will also do the 800. How would my fueling differ from an endurance runner?
• I’m a former collegiate runner and current dietitian working in an athletic department with the track/xc teams. My body has changed over the past year since I’m no longer training at a high level, and I find myself struggling with comparison and body image. Do you have any advice on how to navigate this?

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 the food blogger and recipe developer behind Recipe Runner, Danae Halliday. Danae grew up in Arizona, where she discovered running through her older sister. She ran throughout high school, but found herself burnt out and took a break from the sport when she went to Arizona State University. When her sister started training for marathons, Danae found herself inspired to pick it up again and fell in love with the longer distance.

Despite her love of food and recipe developing, Danae found herself struggling with an eating disorder. This led to a vicious injury cycle that she couldn’t find her way out of. She eventually reached out for help, and has been in treatment and active recovery since 2022. She hopes to get healthy enough to line up to race again soon!

In this episode, we talk about:

• How her sister inspired her to start running in high school
• Why she took a break from the sport in college and how she found her way back to running
• How a comment from a coworker about her body led to restriction around food that resulted in an eating disorder
• Why she finally decided to seek help and what that has looked like for her
• Advice on how to be there for someone in your life struggling with an eating disorder
• Why it’s important to approach recovery and treatment from a way that works for you
• How she founded Recipe Runner and why developing recipes has been a healing tool for her throughout her eating disorder recovery

You can keep up with Danae on Instagram at @reciperunner, and you can find her recipes and food blog on her website https://reciperunner.com/

***A trigger warning for this episode: we do talk about an active eating disorder and eating disorder behaviors. If you are not in a place to hear that, you may want to skip this episode***