sryt5e 4y

OWN YOUR RUN (Even Indoors)

PREP FOR SUCCESS Your 2020 Kitchen Primer

STRONG MOVES

10-Minute Core Challenge

ALLYSON FELIX

Plus 19 other women completely changing the game

SONIC CO L L E C T I O N

contents WARM UP

9 The Latest Legends live forever.

12 Quick Chat: Finding Your Power with Harlem Run’s Alison Desir

14 Never Count Yourself Out Sinead Diver’s unpredictable success

EAT

Features

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50

20

The 20 Power Women of 2020 Sport has the ability to change the world.

The women within these pages are proof of that. A look at the top rising stars and Olympic hopefuls in running who are changing what it means to be a dominant female athlete today.

B Y J E N AT O R A N D E R I N S T R O U T

EACH ISSUE

04 From the Editor

24

36

What Really Counts

Core Training

3 factors that make or break your diet

MOVE

29 Treadmill Training Stop dreading this power tool

32 Sports Bra Revolution This running essential is finally getting some pretty major updates

Meal Prep Masters Start 2020 strong

Upgrade Your Oatmeal Makeover this breakfast staple with 5 amazing recipes

66 Parting Shot

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

46 Quick Run

ON THE COVER: Allyson Felix photographed by Carlos Serrao

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Your 10-minute challenge

Ease back in the right way

LIVE

42 Running with Ulcerative Colitis One runner’s powerful story

A DVERT I SE ME N T

EAT LIKE A RUNNER

B

eing a health and nutrition correspondent means that companies frequently send me their products, and ask for my stamp of approval. Most of the time I dive into research, give the product a try, and send the company honest feedback about what they’ll need to change before I’ll recomTLUK P[ 7S\Z T` OLJ[PJ QVI HUK T` KL[LYTPUH[PVU [V Z[H` Ä[ TLHUZ 0T HS^H`Z O\U[PUN MVY H X\PJR HUK U\[YP[PV\Z ^H` [V ÄSS \W VU U\[YPLU[Z T` IVK` ULLKZ :V 0 JHU JVUÄKLU[S` ZH` ¸0]L [YPLK P[ HSSš Last Tuesday work was especially hectic, but I’d booked with my $200 an hour personal trainer, Tony, a triathlon winning, organic-to[OL IVUL Ä[ULZZ N\` ^P[O H [LU TPSL SVUN [YHJR YLJVYK VM ^OPWWPUN [OL ¸^OVZ ^OVš PU[V ZOHWL PU YLJVYK [PTL ZV 0 OHK [V NV /L UV[PJLK [OH[ T` ZL[ JV\U[ ^HZ KV^U HUK WSH`M\SS` HZRLK ¸-LLSPUN H SP[[SL [PYLK [VKH`&š HZ OL OHUKLK TL H IV[[SL MYVT OPZ N`T IHN (M[LY VUL ZPW 0 ÄN\YLK [OH[ [OLYL ^HZ UV ^H` [OPZ JV\SK IL OLHS[O` ILJH\ZL [OL JYLHT` JOVJVSH[L ÅH]VY ^HZ Q\Z[ [VV KLSPJPV\Z :[PSS OLK UL]LY YPZR his reputation.

With more than a healthy dose of scepticism I decided to investigate this shake he’d called INVIGOR8.

Turns out, it’s a full meal replacement shake, which stunned me because virtually every other shake I’d researched had tasted chalky, JS\TW` HUK WHJRLK ^P[O OPKKLU ¸UV UVZš SPRL JOLHW WYV[LPU [VUZ VM HY[PÄJPHS PUNYLKPLU[Z UV[ [V TLU[PVU OHYTM\S Z`U[OL[PJ K`LZ HKKP[P]LZ Z\NHYZ WYLZLY]H[P]LZ HUK OVYTVULZ (UK L]LU [OV\NO 05=0.69 Z full meal replacement shake cost more than many of the shakes I’ve tried, it was about half the price of my favorite salad, and the nutrition WYVÄSL SVVRLK ZLJVUK [V UVUL Wanting to know more, I reached out to a few of the people who ^LYL [HSRPUN HIV\[ P[ VU [Y\Z[^VY[O` Ä[ULZZ MVY\TZ )` [OL UL_[ TVYUing three people got back to me saying, ¸(Z H [YHPULY 0 SV]L 0U]PNVY 0[Z KLÄUP[LS` OLSWLK TL [V OH]L TVYL all-day energy, plus build the kind of lean sculpted muscle that burns TVYL MH[ š ¸@LZ 0SS YLJVTTLUK P[ P[ [HZ[LZ NYLH[ HUK 0 YLHSS` SPRL OV^ P[ RLLWZ

TL MLLSPUN M\SS MVY OV\YZ š ¸0T H THYH[OVU Y\UULY HUK H MYPLUK YLJVTTLUKLK P[ [V TL +YPURing it has become a part of my regular training routine, because my time has improved, my energy is up, and I’m thinking more clearly [OHU L]LY ILMVYL š I decided to take my investigation one step further by researching [OL KL]LSVWTLU[ VM 05=0.69 0 ^HZ WSLHZHU[S` Z\YWYPZLK [V ÄUK V\[ that the company went to great lengths to keep INVIGOR8 free of harmful ingredients. ;OL THRLYZ VM 05=0.69 ^LYL KL[LYTPULK [V THRL [OL ÄYZ[ natural, non-GMO nutritional shake & green superfood. The result is a meal replacement shake that contains 100% grass-fed whey that OHZ H Z\WLYPVY U\[YPLU[ WYVÄSL [V [OL NYHPU MLK ^OL` MV\UK PU TVZ[ shakes, metabolism boosting raw coconut oil, hormone free colostrum to promote a healthy immune system, Omega 3, 6, 9-rich JOPH HUK ÅH_ZLLKZ superfood greens like kale, spinach, broccoli, alfalfa, and chlorella, and clinically tested cognitive enhancers for improved mood and brain function. The company even went a step further by including a balance of pre and probiotics for optimal digestive health, uptake, and regularity and digestive enzymes so your body absorbs the high-caliber nutrition you get from INVIGOR8.

(Z H ^OVSL MVVKZ U\[YP[PVUPZ[ ^P[O H [OYP]PUN WYHJ[PJL 0 \UKLYZ[HUK [OL PTWVY[HUJL VM Ă„SSPUN T` IVK` ^P[O [OL ILZ[ 4V[OLY 5H[\YL OHZ [V VɈLY 0 OH]L HS^H`Z ILLU YLS\J[HU[ [V [[Y` UL^ WYVK\J[Z ILJH\ZL 0 ^HZ never sure of the impact they would have on my energy, and weight.

05=0.69 PZ KPɈLYLU[ UV[ VUS` ILJH\ZL P[ÂťZ KLSPJPV\Z I\[ ILJH\ZL P[ helps me to maintain the energy I need to run my busy practice, while OLSWPUN TL [V Z[H` Ă„[ HUK [VULK *VUZPKLYPUN HSS VM [OL ZOHRLZ 0Âť]L [YPLK 0 JHU OVULZ[S` ZH` [OH[ [OL YLZ\S[Z 0Âť]L L_WLYPLUJLK MYVT 05=0.OR8 are nothing short of amazing. ( JVTWHU` ZWVRLZWLYZVU JVUĂ„YTLK HU L_JS\ZP]L VɈLY MVY >VTLUÂťZ 9\UUPUN YLHKLYZ! PM `V\ VYKLY [OPZ TVU[O `V\ÂťSS YLJLP]L VɈ `V\Y Ă„YZ[ VYKLY I` \ZPUN WYVTV JVKL “RUN10â€? H[ JOLJRV\[ @V\ JHU VYKLY INVIGOR8 today at www.Invigor8.com or by calling 1-800-958-3392.

Editor-in-Chief Jen Ator Senior Writer Erin Strout ART & PHOTO Art Director David Allen Photography Director Brad Kaminski CONTRIBUTORS Contributing Writers Caitlin Carlson, Kiera Carter, Mallory Creveling, Heather Irvine, Matthew Kadey, Susan Lacke, Bethany Mavis, Caitlyn Pilkington, Gabrielle Porcaro, Cassie Shortsleeve Contributing Artists and Photographers Brad Kaminski, Julia Vandenoever MEDIA Director of Production & Circulation Heather Arnold Director of Marketing & Audience Development Dave Trendler Digital Director, Strategy & Operations Anna Horsch Designer, Sales & Marketing Alyssa Gonzalez Manager of Operations & Human Resources Ilana Coenen ADVERTISING National Endemic Sales Director Nick Ramey | nramey@pocketoutdoormedia.com National Non-Endemic Sales Director Lauren Ondersma | londersma@pocketoutdoormedia.com ACCOUNT SERVICES Account Manager Lily Shiland A PUBLICATION OF

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ROBIN THURSTON CHAIRMAN FELIX MAGOWAN CONTROLLER GREG ABRAHAMSON STAFF ACCOUNTANT SUSANNE MIDDLETON

Women’s Running ISSUE #120 1548-2413, a publication of Pocket Outdoor Media, 4745 Walnut Street, Unit A, Boulder CO 80301 - 2587, is published six times a year: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/ June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec. For subscription inquiries, please call 800-336-5653 in the U.S., 386-246-0108 outside the U.S. or email womensrunning@pcspublink.com. For reprints, permissions and licensing, please contact Wright’s Media at competitor@wrightsmedia.com or (877) 652-5295. Periodical Postage Paid at San Diego, California and additional offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Women’s Running, PO Box 463093, Escondido, CA 92046. All contents of this publication are © Pocket Outdoor Media and Women’s Running magazine, 4745 Walnut Street, Unit A, Boulder CO 80301 - 2587. U.S.A. All rights reserved. Warning! It is not advised that you participate in the sports and activities described in Women’s Running unless you are highly knowledgeable about the risks involved, are in proper physical condition and are willing to accept all risks associated with these sports and activities. Women’s Running disclaims any responsibility for injury or death incurred by any person or persons engaging in these activities. Use the information in this magazine at your own risk and always consult a doctor before attempting any exercise program. Women’s Running makes no warranties of any kind and expressly disclaims any warranty regarding the accuracy or reliability of information contained herein.

The views contained in this magazine are those of the writers and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect the view of Women’s Running’s ownership.

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

editor’s note

The Power of Purpose WHEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT the theme of this month’s

issue, power, I kept thinking about how pivotal it is right now. “I can feel something happening,” cover star Allyson Felix told me. “When I first entered the sport I felt the culture wasn’t as supportive. In my experience there was a feeling that only one person could win; women didn’t support each other as much. I feel a shift in that now.”

“It’s so important to celebrate and elevate each other,” she added. “I’m working hard to continue that.” And as the New Year starts, so are we. On page 50 you’ll find a feature I am very proud of. In it, we celebrate 20 elite female runners who are giving power new meaning, and a new image. It’s pushing yourself to perform at the highest level, but doing it for more than your ego. It’s owning who you are—the good and the flawed, the big dreams and stumbling blocks.

As Molly Huddle said during our interview for the story: “These women are not superheroes day to day, but they eventually do amazing things by whatever process they have.

Showing that—that they have good days, bad days, struggles, everything—I think that’s important.”

These past few months have been challenging ones for me personally. And I know many women in our story have felt the same. But in those moments I have found myself grateful to have something that puts power back in my hands: running. Every time I lace up, I feel a definitive and immediate sense of power—a calm, determined resolve. I’m reminded that even when it’s hard, even when I feel weak, I am capable of moving myself forward, one step at a time.

Owning your power doesn’t always have to be some big, monumental thing. And it certainly doesn’t always feel good. But true power—the unrelenting drive to persist and impact—is what makes this world a better place. And I am grateful to the women within these pages for doing the hard, uncomfortable—and incredibly powerful—work to make that a reality.

It’s an adage that will always ring true: One run can change your day; many runs can change your life. At the Lululemon 10K in San Diego I was reminded of how powerful a collective group of runners can be—and how much joy running can bring, even in the toughest of times.

J E N AT O R

BRAD KAMINSKI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Part of my mission at Women’s Running is to give our community a place to share their voice, and to talk about what matters most to them. Not just in running. Family. Career. Joy. Loss. Struggle. That includes you, too. What do you want us talking more about? Tell me on Twitter and Instagram at @jen_ator.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 WOMENSRUNNING.COM

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A GOOD RUNNING JOURNAL MAKES THE MILES MAKE SENSE.

BELIEVE LOGBOOK Red

COMPETE TRAINING JOURNAL Tangerine

BELIEVE TRAINING JOURNAL Electric Blue

Your favorite training journals from Lauren & Ro are now available in new colors !

Available in bookstores, running shops, and online. See more at velopress.com/believe.

warm up

Legends Are Forever

FRED KAPLAN

54 years after her historymaking race, Bobbi Gibbs is being cemented in Boston.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 WOMENSRUNNING.COM

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warm up

A Sight to See in Boston When the Boston Marathon gets underway in April, 30,000 runners (including about 13,000 women) will have a new view as they pass through the Hopkinton start line: A lifesize statue of Roberta Gibb—the first woman to run Boston back in 1966.

It seems like a no brainer, given the historical significance.

And the fact that there are currently four other statues along the famed course: Walter Brown at the start; Dick and Rick Hoyt on the south side of the Hopkinton Green; 1946 winner Stylianos Kyriakides at the mile mark; and “Old John” A. Kelley near the 20-mile mark. But Gibb’s will be the first of a female.

“It took us three years to wrap up the fund-raising, so it was much more like a marathon than the hurdles I used to run back in high school,” says Tim Kilduff of the nonprofit, Hopkinton-based 26.2 Foundation. “But I’m one-hundred percent certain the statue is going to happen. We’ve got the money, a spectacular site, and great community support.”

The life-size statue of Gibb will be placed on a slightly-elevated historical property at the west corner of Main Street (the Boston start line) and Hayden Rowe. The location is about 80 yards behind the start. That means all runners will walk and shuffle past the statue (on their right) as they approach the start. The statue was sculpted by Gibb herself, a multimedia artist, now 77.

“I’m thrilled almost beyond belief,” says Gibb. “It hasn’t

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

really registered with me yet that we’ve reached the finish line of this project. The vision and support of the people in Hopkinton has been fantastic.”

The statue presents a realistic view of Gibb as she ran the final yards of the course in 1966. At the start, she had hidden in bushes, fearful that race security or other marathoners might prevent her from entering the throng of 540 runners. In fact, she received warm support all along the route. “I’m wearing a tank-top bathing suit, with my brother’s too-big Bermuda shorts,” Gibb says of the statue. “My hair is up in a ponytail.”

Gibb finished in an unofficial time of 3:21. She was also the first woman finisher the next two years at Boston. The Boston Marathon did not accept women as official runners until 1972 when Nina Kuscsik placed first.

“The site is just spectacular,” says Kilduff, a long time Hopkinton resident and race director of the Boston Marathon in 1983 and 1984. “Once all the work is completed and the statue’s installed, I think it’s going to become an iconic part of the Boston Marathon. Everyone’s going to want to see it.”

ROBERTA GIBB

BY A M BY B URFOOT

warm up WH AT WE ’RE RE ADING ...

Running That Doesn’t Suck: How to Love Running (Even If You Think You Hate It) by Lisa Jhung.

A practical and thorough guide to everything you need to know about running, presented with refreshing humor and without a hint of elitist-ness.

WH AT WE ’R E LOV I N G I N I T. . .

Mindful vs Mindless Running Some believe that the fastest way to achieve the runner’s high is to be mindful while running. Others are motivated by distractions--music, thoughts, whatever. Here’s a look at the merits of mindful and mindless running, and how to achieve either.

Mindful Running “Runners tend to feel the best after runs during which they spent time in the flow state, also known as ‘getting in the zone,’ says Mackenzie Havey, author of Mindful Running: How Meditative Running Can Improve Performance and Make You a Happier, More Fulfilled Person. “By being totally focused on the present moment, unproductive and distracting thoughts are limited and you run and feel your best. It is after these runs that runners often experience teh runner’s high.”

HOW TO DO IT: Focus on your five senses.

See your surroundings. Listen to your breath, the wind, the birds. Smell the

fresh air and trees. Feel your body. Taste...well, be aware of the taste in your mouth. Do this for a few minutes each run, working up to longer periods of meditative running.

THE POINT: is to be present.

Focus on the moment, and clear your mind.

Mindless Running “I need my f***ing headphones blasting music or else I won’t make it half a mile on a run,” says the proponent of mindless running.

HOW TO DO IT: Let your mind wander and think all the crazy thoughts you want--or wear headphones and zone out listening to distracting music or a podcast. Loophole: Havey says that listening to repetitive, zone-out music (like music without lyrics, or music you know by heart) can allow for mindful running, so if you’re aiming for mindlessness, avoid techno or the Frozen soundtrack (yeah, you, parents of little girls).

THE POINT: is to get out the door, and if being totally distracted with music or anything filling your ears through headphones--or working through thoughts without headphones--is what gets you to do that, then embrace the mindlessness (but consider dabbling in mindfulness to see how it makes you feel).

GE AR CRUSH

BRAD KAMINSKI

MALO Republic Leggings The firrst time you slip into them they'll feel tight, almost am-I-wearing-the-right-size tight, and a little thick. But then you'll start moving in them and instantly appreciate their fit and feel. Satiny, breathable and quick drying, these tights are as perfect for a sweaty indoor treadmill class as they are for running around outside on a slightly chilly morning. And unlike a lot of light-hued leggings, these will never white out.

Even more reason to love them: Every time you make a purchase from MALO Republic, the company donates a top or bottom to one of their partner organizations--Good Sports in the US and Kit Bag For Kids in Australia--as a party of the company’s “buy one, give one” program. “Access to appropriate apparel and equipment can be a barrier for kids participating in sports,” says co-founder Beth Mckenzie. “As parents and athletes running a family-driven business, we want to introduce more kids to the active lifestyle that our family is fortunate to enjoy.”

SHOWN: MALO Republic Hi Rise Lux Leggings in Golden Hour $88, malorepublic.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 WOMENSRUNNING.COM

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warm up New York issue this is a global issue.

We are all struggling to be seen, to be given opportunities, to be supported.

Why don’t we have a network to support each other?

The goal of the directory we created is to elevate women leaders in the running community and make their running clubs, events, and efforts more visible and accessible. When we did our own research, we found 50-60 clubs ranging from Indonesia, Mexico, U.S., Germany, U.K., China, etc. So far, 15 leaders across the globe have reached out to have their clubs and organizations added to the directory. We want to elevate those voices.

Finding Your Power with Alison Desir Finishing her first marathon in 2012 wasn't just a physical accomplishment for mental health counselor Alison Desir; the process also helped her manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. "It truly helped me see the world with a new perspective," Desir, 34, says. "For the first time in a long time I felt valuable and realized I could achieve really amazing things when I put my heart into it and stuck to a plan."

That one transformative moment led to the start of Harlem Run club, which Desir founded in 2013, guided by her unshakable belief that running could change lives in her community—just as it had changed hers. After nearly six months of showing up every week alone ("no one showed up!" she recalls), Desir finally got her first few members, and now, they regularly have over 100 people show up on any given Monday.

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What does Harlem Run mean to you?

What started as simply run club became a space where people could be vulnerable with each other, could push past their limits and challenge themselves, and feel part of a community in an otherwise lonely city.

You just started another ambitious project: The Global Womxn Run Collective!

Research has shown that women tend to show characteristics of transformational leadership more than men; said more simply, women leaders tend to value the collective over their own ego and work together to bring about results.

I created the GWRC after seeing a post that a friend of mine, Huyen, shared on social media. Huyen, who lives in Berlin, spoke of the difficulties she faced as a woman leader due to the male-dominated run crew leadership. I read her post and thought, hold on, this is not just a

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Taking on big goals can be overwhelming at times! As a mental health counselor, how do you recommend dealing with those kind of emotions?

Anxiety and stress can manifest in so many ways. For some, it's physical, like a headache or stomach ache. For others it's racing thoughts or a lump in their throat; others it's insomnia or extreme lethargy.

No matter how your body responds, the first step is to have an awareness that it is connected to your anxiety or stress.

This may sound easy, but I've had clients describe certain discomforts without an awareness that it could be tied to their current levels of distress.

With that awareness, I would then offer that you focus on your breath.

Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness. In a calmer state, you may find that you are better able to access further tools, including your support system.

ALISON DESIR

Q U I CK CH AT

What's your advice for women who want a seat at the table in whatever career or field they're in?

Find a strong, woman mentor and then get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Women are often socialized to not ask for what they need or deserve, which is a huge contributing factor to us not having a seat at the table. As a first generation American and AfroLatinx woman of color, I grapple with imposter syndrome often. I have pushed myself far beyond what I thought was possible to access a seat at the table. And, when folks don't want to give me one, I'm notorious for just creating my own space entirely. But this is after years of mentorship and support that has built up my confidence.

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Never Count Yourself Out

SINEAD DIVER

Austrailian-based elite distance runner Sinead Diver, 42, has a knack for challenging–and shattering–perceptions. BY ST EP H AN I E H OP P E Sinead Diver was an extremely active child growing up. But the conservative Catholic school she attended in the small Irish town of Belmullet didn't encourage girls to participate in athletics, aside from playing a little basketball at lunch.

Because of her love of sports, she went on to study physical education at the University of Limerick. But it wasn't until after the birth of her first son Eddie in 2010, at age 33, that she gave running a shot. And we'll just say this right now: Her results, were anything but common.

After only two years, Diver had secured numerous state titles and won the Australian Half Marathon Championship.

Initially her focus was on shorter distances—track races, 10Ks, half marathons. But knowing that she got better when the Buffalo Niagra YMCA Trot. races got longer, sheTurkey was intrigued by the marathon. So after Previous page is Jingle Bell Run the birth of her second son Dara in 2013, Diver decided to try.

Her talent for the 26.2-distance was immediately apparent.

In her debut marathon, the 2014 Melbourne Marathon, she ran a 2:34:15 and was the 2nd overall female. At the 2018 Melbourne Marathon, she finished in 2:25:17. And she hit a new personal best, a 2:24:11, at the 2019 London Marathon. “After my first one, I knew that was the distance for me,” said Diver.

Diver, who works full-time as an IT consultant, credits running with helping her gain more self-confidence. But it hasn't been without a few challenges, too.

“People have a perception that if you didn’t come through the normal pathway, that you don’t have a place here," Diver said. "We need to be more open to the different pathways to the sport. It’s not like other sports where you have to learn and master skills for years.

If you put in the training and are self-motivated, you can do well.

It’s great that it’s so accessible.”

And while she's happy to serve as inspiration that it’s never too late, she would prefer that her age not be the only thing people acknowledge. Yes, she's 42, but she's a lot more than a number, and she doesn't see her age as a handicap.

“In some ways it’s a compliment, but they don’t say to other people, ‘You’re the best person from New York, who lives on 54th Street, who has dark hair.’ I just want to be in the openage category, because that’s where I’m competing,” said Diver.

Her plea became even more relevant after her recent 5th place female finish in the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon.

Instead of her finish time (a blazing 2:26:23) being reported with the other top female runners, she was listed in a separate category—as a top 40+ athlete.

“People are trying to put a limit on what I can do. It has taken a while for other athletes to come around and see that I have talent and belong,” says Diver.

Turning her attention to Tokyo, she hopes to keep showing people. “For me, it’s been nine years of training every day with gradual improvement," she says. "To make it to the Olympics would be a dream come true. I’m in a position where I could potentially make it, which I never thought possible."

Diver credits her coach Nic Bideau of the Melbourne Track Club and the supportive training environment that he creates as key in achieving her breakthrough performances and consistent improvements. Another factor to her success: staying injury-free. While she's had her fair share of knee and tendons injuries, she hasn't had any major setbacks in the last two years.

To prepare for Tokyo, her training will look a lot like her previous marathon cycles. She’ll average 100-125 miles every

week, typically two workouts each day; she'll likely incorporate heat training, a training camp, and workouts with long, high-intensity repetitions. In addition, Diver’s company will allow her several months off work, so that she can train and prepare like an elite.

With her eye on the Australian marathon record of 2:22, Diver plans to keep dreaming big and working relentlessly. “I’m not sure how long this will continue," she said, "but I will give it everything that I have now while I have the opportunity.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 WOMENSRUNNING.COM

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eat

Meal Prep Madness It’s a trend for a reason—and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Meal prepping saves time and money, and makes it way easier to stick to a consistent, healthy eating routine. But if the thought of massive meal prepping makes you feel overwhelmed, breathe easy: We’ve compiled 16 tips (plus some bonus tips!) that make the process easy and effective.

DEBSG/SHUTTERSTOCK

B Y T H E E D I TO R ’ S O F W O M E N ’ S R U N N I N G

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when you’re shopping...

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Rotate your protein. When planning your meal prep each week, rotate the protein options. So if you made chicken and ground turkey last week, try making sirloin and shrimp next. If you’re plant-based, try swapping out chickpeas for lentils, or tofu for tempeh. Just changing up the protein (which is usually the base of a dish) can help make the entire meal seem a bit more interesting. Plus, it can help you keep a nice balance of frozen leftovers to choose from in the future—rather than 10 portions of the same chicken chili.

Have a recipe that calls for julienned vegetables? Save time by using broccoli slaw (pre-shredded broccoli, cabbage, and carrots)

in place of julienned vegetables. You can find it near bagged greens in most grocery stores.

3

Pick the Best Bunch. Bananas are often a staple for runners. If you purchase a bunch of six bananas, they will all ripen within a two- to three-day period.

Chances are you will not be able to eat all six bananas as soon as they are ripe. To have perfectly ripe bananas any day of the week, pick up singles with varying degrees of ripeness.

Buy a couple that are ready to eat in the next day or so, a couple that are slightly green at the ends (which will be ready in three or four days), and a couple that are slightly green throughout (which will be perfect in about a week). In the event that you do end up with overripe bananas, just peel them and freeze them in plastic bags--they are perfect for smoothies or pancakes.

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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Don’t Always Make Everything. When you know you’re going to be short on prep time, keep a few healthy shortcuts top of mind, like picking up precooked proteins.

Rotisserie Chicken: You can find these in nearly every grocery store, usually for a pretty decent price.

Remove the skin, then chop up leftover meat and refrigerate or freeze in 1-cup portions to add to soups and cooked grains. (Side note: While dark meat contains slightly more fat than light meat, it also provides more iron, which is important to female athletes.)

Dairy: Pick up cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and cheese in the dairy section. All are excellent sources of protein.

(You can also find already cooked and peeled hard-boiled eggs there, too.)

Seafood: When buying canned tuna or salmon, choose items canned in water without added oil. Choose chunklight tuna instead of solid white tuna for less mercury. Also look for precooked shrimp and salmon in the freezer section. They thaw out quickly.

MAKS NARODENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK

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Plan Ahead. Keep your pantry and freezer stocked with some quick go-to items. This can help when you realize you’re missing something for a recipe, or when you want to quickly pivot during the week and looking to whip something together fast. Here are a few things to always have on hand: Frozen fruits and veggies (less expensive and last much longer!); frozen brown rice or quinoa (quicker cooking and no pan to wash!); frozen shrimp or salmon (defrosts quickly!); plus pantry staples like plain oatmeal, beans, diced tomatoes, salsa, and chicken or vegetable broth.

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when you’re prepping...

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Start Small. Even the most expert meal preppers agree that it can feel like a daunting task when you’re first starting out (or coming back from a hiatus). Just like getting back into a running routine, the key is easing into it. Instead of trying to prep 100 percent of all your meals for a week, start with prepping just your snacks, or just your breakfast items. Get into a rhythm, adjusting as you find what meals and strategies work best for you, then slowly build a little every few weeks.

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Prevent Repeat Meal Fatigue. You don’t have to literally prep every single meal. Instead of having five identical salads packed at the start of each week, treat your fridge like an at-home Chipotle. Cook batches of various veggies, proteins, and carbs, along with a few dressings, sauces, or a dip like hummus and store them in separate containers. Then simply grab an empty container in the morning and mix together the prepped ingredients in whatever way you please.

Store your spiralized veggie "noodles" in a paper towel lined glass container That simple twist will prevent you from or sealable plastic bag for 4-5 days. The paper towel absorbs excess moisture falling in the trap of having the exact and the airtight container keeps veggies fresh. (Note: You can freeze spiralized foods like apples, onions, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes, but stick to same Caesar salad five days in a row, but the fridge for high-water content produce like zucchini.) being sick of it by the third.

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Develop a “cook once, eat twice” mindset. You certainly can set aside an entire Sunday afternoon to do all your meal prep, but you can also try this simple hack: Anytime you’re cooking, think about how you can use that time to make extra of anything you might want to use in another meal. If you’re grilling, for example, always do a few extra portions, and if the oven is on, add vegetables tossed in olive oil to have for quick sides later.

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Get Some Help. Outside of the

obvious—sharp knives (seriously, don’t mess around in the kitchen with dull knives, it’s a recipe for disaster), cutting boards, and plenty of sheet pans and storage containers—these clutch kitchenware items will be a huge help. ) High-Speed Blender. Whether you are making smoothies, soups, sauces, homemade salsa, nut butter, or baby food, high-speed blenders can do it all. They can take the place of a food processor and immersion blender, too, cutting down on extra appliances in your kitchen. ) Spiralizer. This is especially helpful for trying to sneak in more veggies into dishes for kids or other family

members who don’t get enough greens. You can spiralize everything from zucchini, sweet potatoes, rhubarb, large carrots, parsnip, turnip, rutabaga, beets, broccoli stems, jicama, bell peppers, apples, and more. ) Silicone Baking Cups. Make sure your muffins, egg cups, and other oven creations don’t stick with these reusable cups. Get even more mileage by using them as a small snack holder within non-Bento containers (a standard muffin cup typically holds about a ½ cup). ) Instant Pot. Here’s another one that cuts down on extra appliances. The Instant Pot takes the place of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and rice cooker, all while having the ability to sauté, steam, and warm foods. Use it to make large batches of grains, legumes, stews, and more.

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eat Get Saucy "Homemade sauces are important for female runners because they’re made with healthy fats

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for hormone balance and spices or fresh herbs for fighting inflammation," says Elyse Kopecky, best-selling co-author of Run Fast. Eat Slow. and the new Run Fast. Eat Slow. A Runner's Meal Planner. "Weeknight dinners are as simple as tossing rice into my Instant Pot, warming up a homemade sauce and drizzling it on a bowl of leftover roasted veggies and chicken with the rice." Include these favorite recipes from Kopecky in your weekly meal-prep arsenal. ) Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette This basic vinaigrette pairs happily with any refreshing salad or grain bowl.

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/3 c extra-virgin olive oil ¼ c apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons tahini 1 tablespoon dijon mustard ½ shallot, minced ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Combine the oil, vinegar, tahini, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper in a glass jar with a lid. Shake well until emulsified. It will keep in the fridge for up to one week. (If the oil solidifies, briefly microwave on low until melted.)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the

Don’t have a food processor or blender? This sauce can be made without an appliance by finely chopping the herbs and garlic and stirring all of the ingredients together.

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onion and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute (be careful not to burn the spices).

Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld, about 10 minutes.

Use an immersion (stick) blender to blend the sauce until smooth. (Or transfer the sauce to a blender and process until smooth. To save time, this sauce can also be left chunky.)

Store sauce in glass jar in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze leftover sauce in individual portions (we recommend using freezer-safe half-pint glass jars) and keep stocked in your freezer to help you pull off last-minute meals.

) Green Goddess Tahini Sauce ½ cup whole milk yogurt ½ cup basil leaves ½ cup parsley leaves ¼ cup tahini 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt In a small food processor or highspeed blender, combine the yogurt, basil, parsley, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. If serving as a dip, use as is. If using as a sauce or dressing, add a little water to thin it to your desired consistency. Stays fresh for up to one week in the fridge.

JULIA VANDENOEVER (3)

) Turmeric Coconut Curry Sauce 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk

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Load Up On Ice Cube Trays. Look for silicone (they’re easiest

for removing your cubes smoothly), and consider a range of sizes (smaller cubes are ideal for things like sauces and smoothies, while larger cubes can be used to freeze mini portions of leftover soups and stews).

Nothing fancy about them, but tons of useful ways to use them:

) Freeze leftover smoothies and use instead of ice to keep your smoothies full of flavor and not watered down.

reheating leftover rice or pasta dishes to help reinvigorate them with moisture and liven up the flavors in leftovers.

) Freeze your leftover coffee and use in your iced coffees to keep them from getting watered-down.

(Or, add to your smoothies for a caffeine boost!)

) You can do the same thing with fresh fresh lemon and lime juice.

) Make a batch of fresh pesto, spoon into trays and freeze. Use in recipes when called for or to add to sauces or sautes for extra flavor.

NEW AFRICA/SHUTTERSTOCK

) Have leftover chicken or vegetable stock? If you won't use it in the next two weeks, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze to keep it fresh for months longer. You can also drop an ice cube of frozen stock into the pan while you're

) Grab some canned pumpkin at the store, divide it into ice-cube trays, and freeze. Drop a cube into your morning bowl of oatmeal before heating, or put a few into your morning smoothie. That way it will stay fresh longer so you don’t have to eat all-things-pumpkin in a single week. ) Baking a batch of cookies, but don’t need 3 dozen right now?

Portion out rounded spoonfuls into trays and freeze. Then you can make as many or as few as you like, whenever you like!

when you’re storing...

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Keep It Well Contained. Food storage containers are one of the most essential meal prep tools. If you’re currently working with a cupboard full of mismatched containers with missing lids, you’ll probably find the prep process pretty frustrating.

It’s well worth your time and money to invest in high-quality containers.

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Embrace Mason Jars. They work for salads, soup, oatmeal, smoothies—almost anything.

They are dishwasher- and microwave-safe, water-tight and sturdy as can be. Smaller 4oz jars are great for storing salad dressing and sauces, too.

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Make It Airtight. When you’re freezing, you want an airtight seal.

You can save space by using large resealable plastic bags and squeeze out any extra air. (This works particularly well for single-serving sizes of chilis and stews!

Simply run them under warm water to loosen then heat in the microwave or on the stove.)

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Don’t Wait Too Long. Be sure to eat your leftovers within three or four days. Most

refrigerated foods take longer to spoil, but they lose flavor (and sometimes texture) first. If you want to make big batches fo food, refrigerate only what you can eat in two or three days. Freeze the rest for later.

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Label It. Once you freeze your food away, keep in mind how long they’ll stay good (write the date you put it in the freezer on the outside of your container so you don’t forget): » Soups, cooked beans: 2-3 months » Ground meat, cooked poultry: 3-6 months » Apples, bananas, pears, plums, mangoes, berries: 6-8 months » Vegetables: 8-12 months

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Upgrade Your Oats For many runners, oatmeal is a go-to way to kick off the day. But if you’re morning bowl of oats is usually topped with a handful of berries or a few almonds, it can get, well, boring—fast.

Stop selling this nutritious whole-grain short. Wake up your taste buds with these five delicious remixes.

BY MATTHEW KADEY, M.S., R.D.

PB&J STIR-IN:

2 Tbsp peanut butter ) ¼ cup strawberry jam ) 1 tsp vanilla extract ) 1/2 tsp cinnamon )

Keep It Simple Two easy steps for a better bowl of oatmeal

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Step One: Soak Your Oats Why settle for soggy oatmeal when you can spoon up more satisfying steel-cut oats as the backbone for your most important meal of the day. The key to slashing the cooking time is to soak them overnight. Place 2/3 cup steel-cut oats, a pinch of salt and 1 3/4 cups water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a slight simmer, immediately turn off the heat, cover and let sit overnight.

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts )

Step Two: Heat and Build Your Flavor In the morning, stir in a couple of splashes of milk and any of the stir-ins below and then heat over medium-low for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Dump into bowls and then apply the toppings of choice. This makes enough for two servings. To reheat leftovers, place cooked oatmeal (minus the toppings) in a saucepan with a touch of additional water or milk and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through.

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Photography by Julia Vandenoever

Know Your Oats For being a nutritional basic, there sure is a lot of variety!

Here’s a quick breakdown of all your oat-based options.

» Oat Groats Like wheat berries, these are de-hulled whole oat kernels before they are further processed into forms used for cereal. Blessed with a nutty flavor, use them in salads, soups and grain bowls.

» Steel=Cut Oats

Pumpkin Pie STIR-IN:

1/3 cup pumpkin puree ) 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed ) 1 tsp vanilla extract ) 1/2 tsp ginger powder ) 1/4 tsp ground cloves )

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1 chopped apple ) 1/4 cup sliced pecans ) 4 tsp maple syrup )

These are made when oat groats are passed through steel blades cutting the whole oats into pellet-like pieces. Steelcut oats produce oatmeal that is especially hearty, creamy and chewy. Since the body breaks them down slower they deliver a bigger satiating punch than more processed forms of oats, but since they don’t soften enough are not a good option for baking.

» Scottish Instead of being rolled or cut, oat groats are ground into small pieces resulting in a quick-cooking porridge with slightly coarse, thick texture.

» Rolled/Old-Fashioned Oats These are made when oat groats are steamed and then passed through large rollers to flatten them which significantly cuts down on cooking time but doesn’t impact its nutrient levels. A good option for trendy overnight oats. Many brands of breakfast oatmeal cups use this guise of oats. You can also find thick-cut rolled oats such as Bob’s Red Mill for extra texture.

» Quick-Cook Oats Are produced by cutting oat groats into a few pieces before they are steamed and rolled. For harried mornings, these require only being mixed with boiled water but lack the texture of less processed forms.

» Instant Oats When oats are rolled even more thinly and pre-cooked you end up with truly instant oats. Though much-maligned, you can still consider them a whole-grain breakfast option, albeit a mushier one. But watch out for the hefty amounts of sugar added to many packages.

» Oat Bran Whole grains such as oats contain three parts - the endosperm, the germ and the bran. So oat bran is produced when the bran layer of the oat groat is isolated. It’s a great way to boost fiber numbers in cereals, yogurt and even smoothies.

» Oat Flour This whole-grain flour is made by grinding up oat groats into a fine powder. It makes a nutritious addition to pancakes, muffins, cakes, cookies and brownies.

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eat Egg Salad STIR-IN:

2 cups baby spinach ) 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto )

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2 fried eggs ) 1 Tbsp chopped chives ) 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper )

Photography by Julia Vandenoever

Mocha STIR-IN:

2 Tbsp cocoa powder ) 2 tsp instant espresso powder ) 1 tsp vanilla extract ) 1/2 tsp cinnamon )

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1 cup raspberries ) 1/4 cup sliced (or chopped) hazelnuts )

True Grit The rumors are true: Oats are a heart health hero. Beta-glucan, a soluble fiber which oats have in spades, can help lower blood levels of total and LDL cholesterol, both of which are considered risk factors for heart disease.

By slowing down rates of digestion, and, in turn, spikes in blood sugar, the soluble fiber in oats can keep your energy levels on an even keel all morning long. Bonus: they offer up useful amounts phosphorus, thiamin, zinc and magnesium. All that makes a bowl of oatmeal a true breakfast of champions.

Make & Take Need oatmeal-to-go? This overnight golden milk oat jar will help get you out the door in a flash. )1

Tbsp honey ) 1 tsp ground turmeric ) ¼ tsp ground ginger ) ¼ tsp ground cardamom ) ¼ tsp cinnamon ) 1/8 tsp salt ) 1 cup milk or plain dairy-free milk ) 1 1/3 cups rolled oats

) 1/4

cup ground flaxseed ) 1 cup chopped mango ) 2 Tbsp coconut flakes ) 2 Tbsp unsalted shelled pistachios Combine honey, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add 2 Tbsp boiled water to dissolve honey. Stir in milk.

Place 2/3 cup oats and 2 Tbsp flax in each of two wide-mouth jars. Add half the milk mixture to each jar and stir until oats are moist (add more milk if needed).

Top with mango, coconut and pistachios. Seal jar shut and chill overnight.

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3 Factors That Will Make (or Break) Your Diet Goals According to Pamela Nisevich Bede, RD, LSSD, it's about way more than what you put on your plate.

these three crucial factors.

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Support Let me be completely honest with you: Support makes the journey infinitely more enjoyable. You’re going to need someone to pat you on the back, tell you to stay the course, and exclaim that your calves look amazing in those shoes!

When you decide to embark upon on a new habit of eating or otherwise choose to create healthier habits, it’s crucial that you get some buy-in from those who matter to you—be it your partner in crime, your family, your coworkers, or whomever. But how to get everyone on board? And how do you follow your own way of eating but balance the requests of others in your household?

Share Your Goal

Begin by explaining your why. Your reason for seeking something better. Dig deep for this one, make your why compelling and passionate and rock-solid, and then have a conversation. These changes are not selfishly motivated; they are for everyone’s benefit. Remind yourself and others in the room that as you sail toward better, the wake you leave behind makes for smoother sailing for everyone on board. By improving yourself, you improve your attitude, your interactions, and your impact on others’ health and performance. You become a model of what’s possible with better health.

People Are Aid Stations

At this face-to-face, map out the changes you’d like to make and even the intricacies of your approach. Stop being a one-person show and a martyr and instead be upfront about the help you’ll need and why support is critical.

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

JACOB LUND/SHUTTERSTOCK

Generally speaking, most of us know the type of foods we should be eating. We may even have a good idea of the nutrients we need. And we might even be pretty good at avoiding mindlessly noshing.

But the reality is, our ability to eat healthy and remain active day in and day out is affected by other facets of our lifestyle. Get everything right and these three things wrong and you could easily fall back into mindless eating, plate envy, or choosing the gym over the couch. So if you want to move confidently toward your goals, you have to better manage your support, sleep, and stress. All the time and energy you put into working out and eating well will be leveraged by

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As evidence of this, a study among women undergoing a 12-week weight loss program found that 74 percent of them maintained their weight loss or went on to lose more in the three years after the program ended thanks to having a support system around eating well.

Articulate what it is you need for support. Do you need your partner to handle morning mayhem while you train for your first-ever race? Discuss the help you’ll provide in return. Maybe you’ve identified that you simply cannot have certain trigger foods in the house. Together, identify better choices, the middle ground that will work for everyone.

Take a Test Run

JACOB LUND/SHUTTERSTOCK

Ease everyone into your new way of eating by making a meal that fully meets your needs yet incorporates what they are familiar with too. For example, if you are going keto, not everyone needs to go full fat. In fact, some lifestyles are not designed to support the needs of everyone in your household. No matter the nutritional lifestyle you choose to follow, there’s a strong likelihood that something on the menu will speak to everyone. In the case of keto, it’s likely bacon, avocado, or sirloin steak. And there’s really no harm in cutting out simple sugars and meals consisting solely of refined grains and empty calories. To help with the transition, include a side dish that they enjoy. This thoughtful act will let your tribe see that even though you are eating differently, you can continue to eat together without anyone feeling ostracized.

Lean Into Your Why

You’re striving to create a new outlook and a new outcome, and at times that will feel like a lonely road. You might hear complaints that you’re no longer making everyone’s favorite. You might have friends who whine about how you no longer binge-drink or bury

your sorrows in sweet indulgences. Don’t let these vibes bring you down. Change the tone or distance yourself where possible.

Patiently continue to share your goals and invite others along.

Some will join; others will choose to carry on with their lives as usual.

Accept that and move on. Channel your energy into being stronger than those who attempt to drag you back into old habits. There’s a reason you want to leave the old you behind—let it drive you forward

Sleep Chasing better fitness or a better diet or better health is fruitless if you don’t incorporate better sleep habits as well. Swapping sleep for time in the gym, in the kitchen, or practicing wellness is like trying to get rich by stepping over $100 bills to pick up all the pennies. It’s a futile pursuit. So why do 9 in 10 Americans prioritize just about any other aspect of daily life over precious sleep?! Experts, such as those at the National Sleep Foundation, which uncovered this alarming finding, know that the value of sleep can’t be overstated.

Of course, fewer waking hours allow for less access to food, but it’s so much more than that. Reduced sleep can amp up cravings and hunger and rob you of the energy needed to work out.

Research studying the association between self-reported typical sleep duration and subsequent weight gain found that over time, a chronically shorter night’s sleep can lead to weight gain. The data, from the Nurses’ Health Study, included more than 68,000 RNs and a span of 16 years. The subjects who reported sleeping less gained more weight than those who reported sleeping more.

In fact, getting even one additional hour of sleep per night made a significant impact: Over the course of the study, women who slept five hours or less a night gained 2.5 pounds more than did those who slept seven hours, while women who slept six hours a night gained 1.5 pounds more. Interestingly, these associations

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were not affected by amount of time spent working out or by diet, suggesting that shorter sleep durations alone (rather than the fact that you’re too tired to work out or that you’re chronically snacking) impact the rate of weight gain. Other studies have found similar results, going so far as to suggest that adults sleeping less than seven hours per night are more likely to be obese. However, in these studies, it could be a question of the chicken versus the egg—battling excess weight can lead to sleep apnea and arthritis, and these two conditions alone can make it difficult to sleep. While it’s not certain which came first, lack of sleep or excess weight, what you need to know is that it’s crucial that you get your zzz’s.

Maybe your problem is that you can’t sleep even if you make the time. If you’re tracking your sleep and realize that you routinely come up short of seven or eight hours, it’s time to get serious about your bedtime ritual. Here are four tried-and-true strategies for better sleep.

Prioritize

Just as you would set aside time for a workout or a tour of the health food store, set aside time for sleep. Make it habitual, starting your turndown ritual at the same time each day, and make it a goal to do this Monday through Sunday, especially if you’ve got a huge health or performance goal on your radar. More activity calls for more rest and recovery.

before too many late nights cause you to you collapse into the office donuts.

Choose your drink wisely

Caffeine and alcohol can totally ruin a good night’s sleep. Cut off caffeine before one or two in the afternoon, and the more sensitive you are to caffeine’s effects the earlier you should shut it down. And grab a relaxing beverage like chamomile tea or casein-rich warm milk instead of alcohol if you need help getting to bed. Alcohol may make you sleepy, but this dangerous habit produces short-lived effects with poor sleep quality and a lethargic and dehydrated morning to follow. Keep the quantity of any extracurricular beverages reasonable and be sure to use the bathroom before you tuck in for the night.

Shut down your devices

You hopefully already know that the blue light of the phone and tablet are distracting and that the content can be stressful.

Avoid being irked and irritated right before bed, and if you like to unwind by reading something, choose something other than your social feed. Instead, grab a relaxing magazine or novel. And if you simply cannot shut down your system and relax, find yourself an old textbook. Just like in your college days, it’s sure to put you to sleep in no time.

Tired? Make a plan

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Stress When it comes to the dynamic of food and stress, there’s the rare individual who deals with stress by shutting down all intake and not stomaching anything, and there’s the far more common individual who eats to deal with whatever hand they’ve been dealt.

And if you seek out food as a coping mechanism, you can thank your physiology. Stress naturally increases the levels of cortisol

MICOLAS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Shorter sleep duration can lead to decreased levels of leptin (a protein hormone that signals satiety) and increased levels of ghrelin (a gut pep- tide associated with the sensation of hunger).

Not only will you be hungrier, but you’ll also crave high-calorie, higher-carb choices. There’s no undoing last night’s late night, but you can go into a tired day knowing that you’re more inclined to indulge. Taking a few minutes to set a plan in place can help

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circulating in your body and simultaneously drives your will to eat.

Extended or excessive bouts of stress can lead to accumulation of fat tissue, increased hunger, periods of binge-eating, an inability to make good food choices, and sometimes a loss of control when faced with indulgences.

A large study of 457 individuals resulted in similar findings.

The study, involving normal to overweight women between the ages of 20 and 56 years old, assessed the relationship between stress (perceived and chronic), drive to eat, and reported food frequency intake (nutritious food versus tasty but non-nutritious food) and found that greater levels of reported stress, whether legit or perceived, were associated with indices of greater drive to eat. This increased drive included feelings of disinhibited eating, binge-eating, hunger, and ineffective attempts to control eating. For those of us battling chronic stress—the feeling of being under the gun and run-down for months at a time—there’s a high probability of seeing higher numbers on the scale if something doesn’t change. But even acute stress can lead us toward a path riddled with excessive intake of poor choices.

Research suggests that acute stress alters food preferences toward sugary and fatty foods, increases eating frequency, and impacts the number of calories we consume. This response to stress varies across individuals, and your personal go-to stress foods are likely to be completely different from someone else’s.

There will always be exceptions to the rule—research has found that some of us respond to stress by decreasing intake. Maybe you fall into that lucky minority.

You can’t hide from the stress of life, but you can deal with it...or so I’ve been told. With practice, a relationship with stress can be simplified to you versus your stressor alone, without getting linked to your eating habits. Where to begin? Choose one of the healthy habits. (And then keep track when you implement them! You'll likely find patterns of which stress-relievers help in which specific circumstances.)

Sweat it out

Your most powerful ally in the fight against stress is exercise.

Exercise has the power to reduce levels of cortisol as well as increase feel-good hormones. You know that runner’s high or those happy vibes you get after a solid workout? The feeling is real. So work out those problems over a few miles or a few reps.

Relax already!

Whether you seek out meditation, a calming series of deep breaths, or repose through yoga, relaxation techniques allow a moment to pause and perhaps find a fresh perspective to bring your stress back into balance.

Talk it out

Find a friend who’s removed from whatever is ailing you and spill.

Explain what you’re going through and ask for help. Whether you need advice, intercession, or a shoulder to cry on, a human being makes a better listener than a bowl of ice cream or potato chips.

Sleep it off

Everything seems more clear and bright in the morning, doesn’t it? That’s because sleep affords you time to relax, reduce your levels of stress hormones, lower your body temperature, and start anew. Sleep provides a calorie-free way to reflect, relax, and map out a plan for tackling the issue with a clear mind.

Sweat. Eat. Repeat: The 90-Day Playbook to Change Your Food Habits, Improve Your Energy, and Reach Your Goals

by Pamela Nisevich Bede, RD, LSSD. $25, velopress.com

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The Upside of Treadmill Running Time to flip your perspective on the “dreadmill” CULTURA CREATIVE (RF) / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

BY CAITLIN CARLSON

We’re in the midst of what many runners think of as “dreadmill season.” The holidays have passed but it’s still freezing in many parts of the country and you’re yearning to break out your shorts and tanks, breathe in the crisp, warming air, and perhaps run through a field of flowers in bloom. Or at least, not be using your running shoes as ice skates as you slip and slide your way around your usual

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So maybe things aren’t so dreadful?

Here, more reasons to shake off your nogood-very-bad treadmill ‘tude, and how to get the most from this machine staple.

Why you should hit the ‘mill “The treadmill provides the option to run in relative comfort even when the weather outside is dangerously cold, snowy, and icy, or on the flipside, extremely hot, humid, or polluted,” says Coach Angie Spencer of The Marathon Training Academy podcast and blog. Not to mention, there are far fewer non-weather-related obstacles—curbs, potholes, grass, trash, cars, stoplights, dogs, other pedestrians—indoors. “You can also run safely no matter the time of day, and for parents with young kids, it allows them to stick to their workout routine without leaving the house,” says Spencer.

Another boon: “It’s a lot more gentle on the body because the treadmill surface has more give,” says Spencer.

So, for those runners with achy joints, supplementing some outdoor sessions on a treadmill, especially an extra-cushy

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

the 50% rule “If you’re training for a race it’s important to do some running on a surface similar to what your race will be on,” says Spencer. “For road races, I recommend doing at least 50 percent of your training on the road.” And in fact, pushing yourself to run in inclement (but safe!) conditions builds toughness and gives confidence that you can do hard things, Spencer notes.

“If you’re facing bad weather on race day you’ll know that you conquered runs like that before.

If it’s just a matter of not feeling like running in the rain, cold, or tackling the hills then that’s an indication that you need to challenge yourself to do just that.”

CULTURA CREATIVE (RF) / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

4-mile loop. Perhaps even worse than that scenario for some runners among us: hopping on a treadmill. But other than the fact that doing so means you can rock a few less layers (and yes, the gym air will indeed be warmer), there are many other perks to be had by hopping on the belt. And a cohort of your fellow athletes have already discovered them.

“I think that ‘dread’ element is not as bad as it was even a few years ago,” says Shodan Rodney, a certified personal trainer and run coach at Mile High Run Club, which offers group treadmill running classes in New York City. “Especially in the setting that I teach in, you have music, you have lighting effects, I have my mic on and I’m usually dancing around the room, and the communal aspect is there for you.” What’s to dread about that? In fact, in the past few months, Rodney has noticed more and more groups of friends and coworkers meeting up at lunchtime or after work to come to class together.

And according to the National Sporting Goods Association, first-time purchases of treadmills were up 10 percent from 2017 to 2018.

move one like a Woodway, is a primo way to log miles without quite as much impact.

But here’s where things get interesting for speed demons looking for a competitive advantage. The treadmill reigns supreme as the ultimate tool to make you faster. Here’s why: “Because it’s constantly moving, it doesn’t require as much effort to propel yourself forward,” says Spencer. While it’s true that means your runs will feel—and literally be—easier, there are some very clear-cut benefits to this. “Speed work, like mile repeats and 800-meter repeats, are always really solid to do on a treadmill because once you get the machine going, you don’t need to worry about anything else [since the ‘mill sustains your pace for you] other than your own form and your mechanics,” says Rodney. “You literally just have to hang on—you’ll always get a more thorough speed work on the treadmill.”

When to consider a treadmill class That said, many runners struggle to push themselves through the demands of a speed workout by themselves. This is when a class can be hugely beneficial.

“People often push themselves harder in response to the exciting atmosphere and seeing others work hard too,” says Spencer.

“The main benefit of a class setting is the communal aspect,” Rodney adds. “When you’re on a treadmill alone in a gym, it can feel like you’re on an island. In a studio it’s like: ‘Okay, I’m not alone in this.’” Also, the coach is there to tell you how to vary your pace and intensity and all you have to do is follow along. “It’s a different way to push yourself,” says Rodney. “Runners in my classes tell me that they run further and faster than they were capable of doing on their own.” If you can’t find a class in a gym or studio by you, consider on-demand and pre-recorded options.

One note of caution: “If you’re attending multiple treadmill classes per week it’s vital to avoid doing too much,” says Spencer. “Pick one class each week to go 100 percent while keeping the others easy—if you’re not able to hold back on easy run days it might be better to skip the class and just do the run on your own.”

how to get the most out of any treadmill run

» Go halfsies.

If it’s not dangerous outside but also not ideal in terms of temperature (read: it’s super cold), you can plan to do the first half of a long run outside and then finish up on the comfort of your home or gym treadmill. “I know several people who have even done 20-milers on the treadmill,” says Spencer. The strategy of breaking it up makes it feel less mentally intimidating.

» Take your mind off it...

If you do have to do a super long run entirely on the ‘mill, “it helps to have something to take your mind off the monotony,” says Spencer, who recommends audiobooks, podcasts, music, and even Netflix.

» ...But spend at least some time sans distractions.

“Take elements away from the treadmill that you can transfer outside,” says Rodney. As mentioned, the treadmill is always going to be moving at a constant speed whereas outside, you alone have to generate your own ground force impact to keep moving. “So it’s having a certain degree of mindfulness when you’re on the treadmill, and noticing where it’s helping you, so you won’t be as surprised when you do go back outdoors,” says Rodney.

» Check your form.

Grab a treadmill in front of a mirror (there are often at least a few in many gyms) and use the indoor run as an opportunity to work on your form. “You can look at things like your gait, shoulders, and arm swing,” says Spencer. “Sometimes what we think we look like when we run is a lot different than what we actually look like. Just make sure you aren’t too distracted and stay safe.”

» Set a timer.

“When things get hard for me personally, I’ll set a timer on my phone for a certain time,” says Rodney. “It’s just me against that clock. If I tell myself I’m going to run for an hour and I run for 15 minutes, I don’t view that as ‘you did 15 minutes, good job.’

It’s like, I kind of let myself down. It’s holding yourself accountable and even if you meant to hold a certain pace for an hour and you couldn’t, you still finish that hour.”

» Always have your ultimate goal in mind.

“It always comes back to your goals—how bad do you want it?,” says Rodney.

“If you have a goal, then everything else is just part of that process to get to it.”

Maybe your goal is an upcoming race PR, or simply to finish your first race. It could also be something more aesthetic like to lose weight or simply to increase your overall health or decrease stress and anxiety. Whatever it is, keep it in mind when the going gets tough.

» Be flexible.

Say it’s going to snow on the Saturday on which you’d planned to do your long run. Yes, you could run all or half of those miles on the treadmill. But is it possible that the weather will be better on Monday and you could shuffle things around in your life so you can go long outside then, and on Saturday, do Monday’s “recovery” 3-miler on the ‘mill? “Know that there is wiggle room in training plans and that it doesn’t have to be 100 percent by the book,” says Rodney.

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Running shoes aside, it’s the most important piece of gear a female runner puts on her body. But for all the time (and money) you spend debating the level of cushioning you need and tracking the miles you logged on a pair of sneakers, how often do you think about how you’re protecting your boobs on the run?

B Y A S H L E Y M AT E O

How’s this for a statistic: At least 32 percent of female runners report discomfort as a result of an ill-fitting sports bra, according to research published in the The British Medical Journal. Discomfort doesn’t just mean sore breasts; it could mean anything from straps digging into shoulders, a bottom band that’s too tight, lack of ventilation, and even chafing.

You may be surprised to hear that all that discomfort is actually affecting running performance. Women lose up to four centimeters of stride length due to poorly controlled breast movement while running—which, over the length of a marathon, could translate to running an extra mile, according to a recent study conducted by Brooks Running Co. in conjunction with the University of Portsmouth.

“When women run without adequate support, research also reveals more muscle activity in the upper body as women may tense to try and limit how much their breasts move,” explains Brogan Horler, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth who studies breast motion and health. “We’ve also seen increases in ground reaction forces, which may be linked to a runner attempting to cushion their strides to limit breast movement, and increases in levels of

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All of these tech advancements mean nothing for you, though, if you aren’t buying a bra that fits right. It’s suggested that as many as 70 to 100 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size, according to research by Jenny Burbage, PhD, a sports biomechanist at the University of Portsmouth. Don’t be a statistic. Shop with these seven expert-vetted guidelines in mind next time you’re shopping.

1 2 3

Know your bra size! Get fitted at a specialty bra store or even a department store to figure out your correct breast size; then, when you go into a sports store,

you’re better equipped to try on the right size from the get-go and more accurately convert the sizing.

Choose a high-impact design.

Running is a high-impact sport.

As cute and fun as lightweight, strappy designs may look, they won’t provide the support you need if you’re larger than an A or B cup.

Check the cups. If your breast is spilling over the top or out the sides, it’s too small; if the front of the cup shows wrinkling, it’s too large. With encapsulation bras, the center panel should be laying as close to your chest as possible, if not actually touching.

perceived exertion.”

This is all because bras haven’t changed that much since the first jogbra—in which two jock straps were disassembled and sewn together to create compressive cups—was released in 1977, explains LaJean Lawson, Ph.D., adjunct professor of exercise and sport science at Oregon State University and long-time consultant for Champion. The idea of breast support for sport wasn’t new, it was just the first time someone did something about it besides binding them

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

in cloth or leather or hijacking a corset with slightly more flexible material.

By 1984, sports bras had evolved enough to include compression and encapsulation technology: Compression sports bras literally compress the breasts to the body and work well for smaller breasted women (usually A-C cups), says Lawson, and encapsulation bras “divide and conquer” by separating each breast into its own cup and are better for women with D+ cups.

But it’s only been in the past few years

SHUTTERSTOCK

The Sports Bra Revolution

Finding A Truly Perfect Fit

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4

The wider the straps, the better. “If you double the width of the strap, you can almost

cut the pressure per square inch in half,” says Lawson.

Either way, avoid straps that lay too close to the neck (especially with racerbacks), because they can irritate the muscles around your neck.

5

Do star jumps in front of the mirror. Ideally, you should mimic the activity a sports bra is for when trying one on;

“star jumps have been shown to be a high breast movement-inducing exercise, so they’re good test to see if the bra is restricting movement well enough,” says Horler.

6 7

Check for seams and stitching. Design elements like this may

seem unimportant, but if your arms is rubbing against something at any point, that’s really going to show up after about six miles, says Lawson—hello, chafing.

Check the bottom band.

See if you can fit two fingers between your body and the band—if you can’t, it’s too tight and will restrict your breathing; you can fit more, it’s too loose and won’t be supportive enough.

that there’s been a true renaissance in sports bra design. In 2017, after two years of development, Lululemon released their Enlite bra, which features a new high-performance (read: lightweight and breathable) fabric called Ultralux, thick straps to mitigate shoulder pain, and cups that don’t just bounce up and down, but move with the breasts in all directions for more natural motion.

The following year, Reebok launched the PureMove Bra, featuring Motion Sense Technology fabric that adapts and

responds accordingly to the shape and velocity of breast tissue, and the type and force of movement (i.e. it stretches less for high-impact workouts like running).

In the spring of 2019, Nike expanded its sports bra sizes, now delivering 57 styles across three support levels in sizes ranging up to an impressive 44G. They also updated the Fe/Nom Flyknit bra, which uses the same Flyknit technology in the company’s shoes to ditch the bulk of high-impact bras making it 30 percent lighter than any other bra in their line.

In January, Brooks will launch a new line of Run Bras that aims to reduce motion by up to 70 percent to increase comfort and running performance. One of the significant elements will be the hidden bottom band in the bras; the bottom band typically provides 80 percent of support, but the new design allows it to be flexible in the back and keep the support where you need it in the front under the breast tissue.

So yeah, if it’s been awhile, now is the time to upgrade your sports bra.

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The Best Sports Bras On the Market smaller

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NEW BALANCE Q SPEED RUN CREW BRA TOP Essentially a compression bra, the high neck and wider band are really flattering; but with two layers of support on the back, it can actually support sizes up to 38D. $59.99; newbalance.com

NIKE FE/NOM FLYKNIT Nike used their Flyknit technology to combine encapsulation and compression for a high-support bra sans bulk, stitching, and bonding; it’s actually 30 percent lighter than any other bra in Nike’s line. $80; nike.com

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UNDER ARMOUR UA VANISH HIGH BRA The racerback straps attach closer to the center of your back, which won’t bug your shoulders but can still support sizes all the way up to 44 DDD. $60; underarmour.com LULULEMON RUN TIMES BRA Built for women with B through E cups that don’t want underwire, Lycra adds extra stretch and shape retention to the brand’s standard four-way stretch fabric with less pointiness than you’ll find in some encapsulation bras. $68; lululemon.com

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

CHAMPION SPOT COMFORT SPORTS BRA Adjustable, gel-cushioned straps reduce pressure and irritation, minimizing molded cups provide a more natural shape, and strategic ventilation keeps heat from getting trapped in your cleavage. $48; champion.com

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BROOKS RUNNING DARE ZIP Forget sweaty post-run sports bra struggles with this front-zip; with smooth, free-cut edges, and minimal seams, chafing will be a thing of the past. $70; brooksrunning.com

IMAGES COURTESY OF MANUFACTURERS

Six of the latest and greatest, with options for every cup size.

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Strong to the Core Ward off injury on your way to a PR with this streamlined, 10-minute circuit.

What if you could run faster and with less effort—without actually doing any running? Feels like a compelling, if not too-good-to-be-true promise at this time of year, no? Well, there’s a research-backed way to do just that: core training.

Contrary to popular belief, the core is not just your “sixpack muscles” or your abs. It actually includes dozens of muscles, like your glutes and muscles around your spine, says Mike Simone, certified trainer and founder of HumanFitProject.com.

And a recent study in the journal Plos One found that focusing

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

on those muscles three times a week for 8 weeks was enough for male college athletes to improve their running economy.

Translation: They needed less energy to maintain a constant speed. (And while yes, the study was done on men, Simone says he “can’t think of any reason women wouldn’t experience the exact same results.”)

Here’s why it works for both genders: Strengthening the midsection helps increase force production in that area—and think about it, your legs and arms (which propel you during a run) all attach at that midpoint of the body. If you can generate more

JACOB LUND

BY CAITLIN CARLSON

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Your 60-Day Core Challenge Complete the following exercises as described, moving from one to the next with as little rest as possible. Perform as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes. Your goal: Try to get another round or stronger reps week after week! (For reference, 5 rounds is an impressive goal.)

SUPERMAN SWIMMERS In addition to activating your abs, this move calls upon your glutes and all of the muscles surrounding the spine. “When you don’t have strong glutes, other muscles groups (like your hamstrings) have to pick up the slack, which can lead to imbalance and injury,” says Simone.

HOW: Lie facedown on the floor with arms extended in front of you and legs straight out behind you. Lift your left leg and right arm off the ground and immediately switch sides, lowering those limbs and lifting the opposite ones. That’s one rep. Continue quickly alternating sides for a total of 20 reps.

Photography by Brad Kaminski

force from the core to those working running muscles, it follows that you’ll be able to run better and faster, says Simone. What’s more, you’ll ward off pesky running-related injuries thanks to improved stabilization of the spine, according to the same study.

To help you score both of these benefits, Simone designed the following plan that you can do up to three times a week, after a run or on any non-run day. Each move was chosen thoughtfully and specifically for building running-bettering core strength. The best part? You need zero equipment so you can do it anywhere, any time.

find your own rhythm You can use the challenge as described, or work through the exercises at your own pace. Your goal should always be quality over quantity, so focus on keeping your reps controlled before aiming for extra rounds.

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PLANK TO EXTENDED PLANK Simone says this is “one of the best, if not the best exercises you can do because of how much it instantly wakes up the core.” In other plank variations, it’s easy to sit there without really activating the right muscles, but this version forces that, he says. (A note from Simone: If you can’t go all the way out to full extension, just start where you are and work to go further each week.)

HOW: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor and extend your feet behind you so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Brace your core (as though someone is about to punch you in the stomach) and squeeze your glutes. From that position, slowly move one hand in front of the other in front of your body as far as you can go while maintaining good form. Pause, then return to start and repeat. That’s one rep. Do 5 to 7.

Photography by Brad Kaminski

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

LOADED BEAST MOUNTAIN CLIMBER “In addition to working your core, you’ll also be opening and mobilizing your hips— super important for runners who have notoriously tight hips,” says Simone.

HOW: Get on your hands and knees in a tabletop position with your hands under your

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s This also make up a great warm wake move! Use it to and open up your core efore any up your hips b feel very run. (It should re.) flow-y in natu

shoulders and your knees under your hips; raise your knees an inch off the ground, then push your hips back towards your heels (what Simone calls the “loaded beast” position). In one smooth, controlled motion, shift your weight forward and bring your left foot as close to the outside of your left hand as possible. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Repeat on the other side, then continue alternating for a total of 20 reps.

LYING WINDSHIELD WIPERS Activate your obliques and transverse abdominis with this move, which also strengthens the lower lumbar spine.

HOW: Lie faceup on the floor with your arms extended straight at shoulder level (forming a T-shape), then raise both legs so they’re perpendicular with your hips, feet facing the ceiling. Brace your core, then slowly lower your legs to the left as far as you can while maintaining control. Return to start. That’s one rep. Repeat on the right and continue alternating for 20 total reps.

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Get Back Into A Running Groove It’s not just the New Year when people are trying to find their workout rhythm again, but it certainly is a popular one. If after a few weeks of holidays and celebrating you want to jump back into a routine, do this first: Take a breath. A mistake many people make is going out too hard, or too long, or too frequent, or too fast, which lands you nowhere but the couch with injuries. Here, Pete Magill, author of Fast 5K: 25 Crucial Keys and 4 Training Plans ($19.95, velopress.com) gives a 3-week base-training plan to help you safely step back into running. Use this as your aerobic template, adding in one or two strength or stretching sessions each week to boost your results.

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Walk: 15–30 min

WEEK 1

Walk: 15–30 min

WEEK 2

Off

WEEK 3

Off

Off

As the expression goes: “Walk before you run.” Walking strengthens muscles and connective tissue.

So when you do run, you’ll be ready for it.

Walk or jog 20–30 min. Include: 5 min walk warmup, then 10 × 30 sec. jogging surges, with at least 1 min walking in between.

Don’t turn “ jogging” into “running” (or sprinting). You should be 100% comfortable during surges. Do not push it!

Walk or run easy 30–40 min.

Include: 5 min walk warmup, then 5–10 × 2 min easy running surges, with 1 min walking in between. Walk for remaining time.

Increase effort slightly from jogging, but you shouldn’t be breathing hard or in pain. Do as many reps as you feel comfortable with.

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Off

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) tends to peak 48 hours after exercise. If you’re sore today, it may mean you walked too fast or too far on Monday.

If that’s the case, do a little less or go a little slower today. (If the pain is really bad, take the day off.)

WEEK ONE THOUGHTS This “base training” phase is for runners who haven’t been regularly exercising for at least a few weeks. if you’ve been running a bit but not consistently, use this as a loose guide to help you ease in.

Walk: 15–60 min No jogging today.

Instead, extend your walk if your legs are feeling good.

Stick with walking.

Your body needs to adapt.

You can expect fortified muscles for your first jogging next Monday.

Off

Off

Off

Walk or jog 30–40 min. Include: 5 min. walk warm up, then 10 × 1 min. jogging surges, with at least 1 min walking in between.

WEEK TWO THOUGHTS One of the most destructive saying in fitness is, “No pain, no gain.”

On the contrary, if your training is painful at this point, you’re doing it wrong.

Off

Walk or run easy 30–40 min.

Include: 5 min walk warmup, then 8–10 × 2 min easy running surges, with 1 min walking in between. Walk for remaining time.

Complete at least 8 reps. If you’re sore or tired, you may have run too hard on Monday.

Slow down the pace today.

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Walk: 15–30 min

Be patient. In a little over a week you’ll be doing a continuous distance run.

Off

Walk or run easy 35–40 min.

Include: 5 min walk warmup, then 10 × 2 min easy running surges, with 1 min walking in between. Walk for remaining time.

WEEK THREE THOUGHTS By this point, you probably want to run more.

But if you can’t finish 10 reps on Friday, repeat this week until you can. Be patient.

It’s worth it in the long run.

10 reps equals 20 min. of running. A great build!

OFF or 15–30 min walking Going for a walk (if you feel good) can help establish your new training routine in the early weeks.

OFF or 15–60 min walking Two jogging sessions for this week are enough.

Enjoy this walk.

OFF or 15–60 min walking Enjoy your last allwalking workout.

This recovery session helps your muscles heal from the week by bringing them increased blood flow.

live

PITINAN PIYAVATIN / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

I’m a Runner and Ulcerative Colitis Patient– Here’s How I Ditched My Body Image Issues Unraveling a complicated relationship with chronic illness took more than a decade.

I

sat there and regretted ordering a double shot. Extra espresso has always been a strong reminder that my sensitive gut can’t handle the extra oomph. While some may argue that coffee is a natural “laxative,” I tend B Y C A I T LY N P I L K I N G T O N S M I T H

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 WOMENSRUNNING.COM

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live to think it’s gas on the fire when you already have a laxative-like digestive disorder to deal with. It’s basically a double whammy—drink the espresso, aggravate the gut and feel it come out with a force from the other end.

But as I sat up from the throne and groaned softly holding my stomach, I noticed an aesthetically pleasing difference in the mirror. My stomach felt and looked flatter, and I felt lighter. Never mind that I was starving and still navigating life as a newly minted ulcerative colitis patient. I apparently had found one very effective way to stay skinny and look the part I’ve always wanted to look: like a runner.

Twisted, right? But what feels more twisted that it took me nearly a decade to snap out of it.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 14 years old, around the same time I started my journey as a four-year varsity runner. I always had a slender, taller build, matching the stereotype of a runner. Back in the stone age of 2001, there wasn’t talk among athletes about healthy body image, proper nutrition

fused. It was the early stages of peer pressure to look a certain way—skinny and strong—and realizing that this new condition actually made it easier for me.

Before my diagnosis, I couldn’t keep anything in. I wasn’t absorbing calories, I was losing blood and I was exhausted.

But I suppose one of the blessings of being young is you can still find ways to run on empty. I managed that first year of high school, running to keep up with my Division 5 varsity team and getting my bearings as a new patient.

Once my gastroenterologist discovered what was going on, I was fortunate to have a fast-working treatment, which kept my colitis in remission for the next five years.

Despite my normal high school experience, it was in those teenage years that my mind started writing its own story around what I could do as a patient and runner. I started noting which foods I could eat that would purposely force a bowel movement, and I developed strategies around consuming just enough calories to get workouts in and still be able to fake it through the rest of the

flat. On a great day, it even fell inward, my ribs protruding out when I laid on my back. My legs were strong from the hard workouts, but they stayed lean. I fit the mold. I looked like all the other runners on those starting lines.

Some days, I looked even better.

My problems with colitis felt like a distant memory as I graduated and left for college. But underneath the surface, that little taste of control sunk into my psyche, rippling into the next decade of my life.

I got sick again in 2006. My doctor decided to put me on steroids while we looked for a long-term fix. Those steroids are known as prednisone, and if you’re on them for an extended period of time, your body retains water and your waistline expands. Your face widens too; many call it “moon face.” I hated how I looked during that time; I deleted most photos that were taken.

That extreme fluctuation in weight catapulted my self-esteem issues to a higher level, and my desire to control things through running and policing my diet grew.

It was at that point that I wanted to understand this disease more. I found a program called Team Challenge that combined raising awareness with running and decided to sign up for my first half marathon.

There was suddenly a way to connect my passion for running with my developing passion for being a voice for others. So when I positioned myself as the perfect patient, a young, vibrant, healthy face of this disease, it felt easier to disguise my diet and abuse and play them off as the runner life.

One of the “blessings” of inflammatory bowel disease is that the symptoms make it difficult for many patients to gain weight. Absorbing nutrients is already a hurdle; toss in a good flare, and it really did come easier for me to keep my frame small. A fellow patient and I still joke today about people calling it the “skinny disease.” It’s a joke now—but

or balance between athletic demands and emotional stability. There were no inspirational Instagram posts. If you looked the part, you fit in. If omitting meals made you faster, you belonged.

If the mounting pressure to go faster got more than skin deep, ignore it—you have to keep up.

Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, extreme weight loss, to name a few. So as a young teenager navigating a pubescent frame and strange chronic illness, my body and mind were con-

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day. It was more than just disordered eating as a young athlete. It was doing it in a disordered body. I was already cutting food; combined with forcing myself to the bathroom, it became a problem. And it was my secret.

My family and I moved to San Diego in 2003, the summer after my sophomore year, and suddenly I was suddenly thrust into a Division 1 running program at my new high school. The stakes were higher and competition was faster. The pressure felt heavier, so my secret tactics kept working. I looked the part. On a good day, my stomach felt washboard

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

CAITLYN PILKINGTON SMITH

It was more than just disordered eating as a young athlete. It was doing it in a disordered body.

live

The writer triumphantly making her way through Boston Marathon

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live I would silently smile at that reference back then.

When I graduated college in 2009, I thought I had total control over my disease. I did have control, in a way; especially when I stepped out of the shower. I never liked my stomach, and the distaste had only grown as I entered my early 20s. As I inhaled and contorted myself to suck in, I turned to the side and wished that age hadn’t caught up with me. I pinched the extra padding around my belly button and missed the days where there was nothing to grab.

It was in those years immediately following college that I developed my own formula. Drink more espresso; it clears you out. If you are only running in the morning, it’s OK to skip lunch or even dinner. You definitely can’t listen to any of those Team Challenge coaches. They don’t know how you do things. Portions don’t change if you run more miles.

Stress fractures are not your fault. It’s the prednisone’s fault. It’s not your fault.

With the exception of my own forced mishaps, I was symptom-free for the 11 years following college. I’d see my

D- and calcium-rich foods at a recent bone density scan. It was the first time a doctor had ever brought up nutrition as part of my treatment. It’s now 2019 and I’m still waiting on the brochure about the importance of therapy. Mental health is left to the patients, connecting and sharing their stories to gather support.

While I have regular therapy now, I would have loved support back then.

It wasn’t until I decided to train for my first marathon at the end of 2014 where I started to realize the damage I had caused. As the mileage grew, my stomach started to hate running more.

Recovery times grew longer and hunger grew greater, but I was determined to keep my diet the same through all of the extensive training. And since this was my first time putting my body through that type of physical distress, I pulled it off. Or at least that’s what I told myself.

It yearned for more calories, but my ego screamed louder to keep dropping the weight and maintaining my appearance. While I never counted actual calories, I paid attention to portion sizes and made sure to eat the same amount as

the growls, and the empty calories hardly concerned me since I was running 50 miles a week. But as the mileage ramped up to those final two long runs before race day, my energy plummeted. My body started shutting down and slowing down.

My confidence took a huge dip.

This is just how it goes with marathon training, I would tell myself. Ignore it.

Keep pushing. It’s not your diet.

Around the same time, I had gotten routine blood work as requested by my gastroenterologist. I blamed my low energy on my low iron, and I blamed my low iron on having colitis. That was just the nature of it, right? You can’t absorb as much. It surely wasn’t because I was cutting corners on my dinner plate.

I was deep in denial with 10 years of strong evidence to validate it: what I was doing produced results. It got me on varsity. It got me noticed. It got my half marathons under 1:40. It got me to Boston Marathon. It’s working.

On my final 20-miler before the big race, I knew from the first five miles it was going to suck. It was hot, a bird had crapped on my water bottle and I was so tired. When I finished—barely, save for a ton of walking breaks—I sat on the curb near my car and cried. I texted a close friend and fellow athlete and simply said, “I can’t do Boston.”

It was in that moment, feeling those words drip with self-doubt and self-deprecating hate, that I knew I needed to stop depriving myself of my true potential. Boston was my ultimate goal, and I was looking at throwing it all away simply because I didn’t want to eat my lunch. I was starving for self-acceptance—and a giant burrito.

That day, I went home and ate everything. I couldn’t tell you if it was that text, the magnitude of Boston, years of exhaustion or maybe a combination of all of it—but I had hit my bottom.

That moment was my wake-up call. If I was going to make it to that infamous Boylston Street finish line, I needed to

I was the maitenance queen...

I was fooling the system, both medically and physically. gastroenterologist for regular colonoscopies, visit once a year for vitals and get blood work done. I was the maintenance queen, and the best part was that there were no signs of depletion on any of my tests. At least not right away.

I was fooling the system, both medically and physically. The silence about body image and chronic illness was deafening.

People talk about medications, colonoscopies and scans; no one talks about the mental side. And it’s only in the last few years that nutrition has come into the conversation. I was dumbfounded when I was handed a brochure about vitamin

44

if it were a half marathon, even though I was running twice the mileage.

I crossed the finish line as a 28-yearold standing in my 15-year-old frame.

While I was thrilled to hit my goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, I was hungry. And for the first time, I knew that I could never survive another training block like that.

About a year later, I was getting into the meat of my Boston Marathon training.

Things were going OK—I had one 26.2 under my belt, so knew more what to expect. But my diet remained steady at undereating. I’d snack a lot more to silence

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eat. I needed to fuel. I needed to put on weight. I need to accept me for me, not for what I perceived I needed to be.

I needed to give up the control I was ďŹ ghting so hard to hold onto. I needed to trust that the rest would follow.

I did end up crossing that ďŹ nish line, all time goals out the window. That run was a celebration of so many things, but the biggest was celebrating myself and leaving all judgments about my body on the course. I ďŹ nished with a full heart‌ and a full stomach hours later.

When I look back on that time of my life, I sometimes want to lose the weight. I want to cut the corners and skip meals and use my same tricks to drop bloat and drop pounds. I want to not remember how I looked when I was on prednisone. When I eat three meals a day, I can feel that urge to want to run twice to burn it o. But then I look at myself in the mirror and see the curves of a woman whose husband tells her she’s beautiful every day. I see an athlete who has overcome so much adversity to be able to run despite the physical and emotional symptoms. I don’t police my diet anymore. I don’t judge myself when I want a burrito. And while I never felt I needed a nutritionist, I did need therapy, which really did save my life as a runner.

I took a long break from running after Boston to pursue other workouts and to explore myself in dierent areas of strength. Running will always be where my heart lives, but for the ďŹ rst time, I gave myself permission to not let it deďŹ ne who I was. And for the ďŹ rst time, I got vulnerable about my disease, sharing my struggles in an honest way with other patients. I felt OK with not being “perfect.â€? And when I feel like skipping a run or any workout simply because I don’t feel like going, I let that side win‌but more importantly, I’m OK with it.

I’m a healthy 20 pounds heavier than when I crossed the ďŹ nish line of my ďŹ rst marathon. I like to think the extra weight is the weight of loving myself.

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PHOTO CREDIT

Front Runners W B Y J E N AT O R A N D E R I N S T RO U T

e’re so glad these women don’t just stick to sports. Because it’s not just about where you stand on the podium or your time in a race; it’s about how you use what you have to leave this world a better place. It’s about setting the tone for the next generation; and showing others that something we all thought couldn’t be done, actually very much can be done. These 20 women are strong, outspoken, and blazing a trail for those who come after them. They are not only chasing their best, but helping to bring other women along with them. And as we begin a year with a lot on the line—from Olympics to elections— we can’t wait to see how their passion and power translate into smashing records and changing the world.

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SOMETIMES POWER IS FINDING YOUR VOICE— AND TRUSTING YOURSELF TO USE IT At 32, she was one of the most decorated athletes in history: a six-time Olympic gold medal winner and 11time world champion. She was one of the most recognizable faces in U.S.A. Track & Field in a generation.

But when she decided to expand her focus from winning medals to winning medals and starting a family, Felix faced surprising adversity. She was in the midst of negotiating a contract renewal with her career-long sponsor Nike. “I asked Nike to contractually

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

and how it would affect my future,” she said. “I finally got to a point where I was willing to risk it all because I believed what I was doing could bring change for the next generation.”

And it has. Felix—with peers Alysia Montaño and Kara Goucher who also shared their pregnancy stories with Nike in what became known as “Dream Maternity”—started a movement that ripped through the professional running world and extended far beyond. Women started demanding more from their employers. Companies began publicly re-evaluating their maternity leave policies. When Felix signed with Athleta, it took out a full-page ad in the New York Times celebrating Felix as not only an athlete— but as a mother and an activist.

“When I was younger I associated power with individuals who I felt were

PATRICK SMITH / 2019 GETTY IMAGES

Allyson Felix

guarantee that I wouldn’t be punished if I didn’t perform at my best in the months surrounding childbirth,” Felix wrote in a powerful New York Times opinion piece in May. (A point that would be particularly significant in her case: In November 2018, Felix ultimately had to undergo an emergency C-section in at 32 weeks pregnant because of severe pre-eclampsia that threatened the lives of her and her baby.) “I wanted to set a new standard.

If I, one of Nike’s most widely marketed athletes, couldn’t secure these protections, who could?”

Nike declined, and after after a standstill, they parted ways. Allyson Felix, one of the Greatest Of All Time, was without a sponsor.

“I was terrified to speak out. It was so far out of my comfort zone. I was concerned about the consequences

DPA PICTURE ALLIANCE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

important or held authority,” Felix says. “I often felt before that my voice didn’t carry enough power. Dream Maternity showed me that speaking your truth matters; that my experience matters and when we collectively come together, we can create great change.”

Going into 2020, with hopes of making her fifth Olympic team, the past year has done nothing but strengthen Felix’s determination and resolve. At the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, she won her 12th and 13th gold medals—surpassing Usain Bolt and setting a new all-time record. “My daughter has given me a new motivation and drive. I want to be an example to her of what hard work looks like.

I want to show her that you can’t let adversity get in your way. I want her to see what a strong woman looks like.”

Ajee’ Wilson

HISTORY-MAKING PERFORMANCES TAKE TALENT AND HEART In 2019, Ajee’ Wilson became the first U.S. woman to ever win a prestigious Diamond League 800 meters. She’s the American record holder in the event (1:55.61) and is poised to bring back a medal from Tokyo, too, if all goes according to plan.

Of course, not everything turns out the way we want it to, as Wilson, 25, saw at the 2019 world championships. She came into the race the favorite, but took bronze, defeated by her training partner, Raevyn Rogers, who joined her Philadelphia–based training group after foregoing her final season of eligibility at the University of Oregon.

But what Rogers said about Wilson after that race in Doha is telling.

“Ajee’ has been very helpful in just developing me and my running skills and my confidence,” Rogers said. “She’s very selfless, very genuine at heart.”

Although disappointed with how her season ended, just minutes afterward, Wilson was already talking 2020.

“Every year is about improving. Every year is about getting better,” she says.

“The Olympics is a big deal...to hopefully go for a medal is a rare opportunity I hope I get to have.”

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Caster Semenya

“As an athlete, I believe in sportsmanship and what sports teach you is to keep pushing on despite all odds.” - Caster Semenya

Allie Ostrander

POWER IS A GROUP OF ‘NEW GUARDS’ TAKING THIS SPORT TO THE NEXT LEVEL As she ended her NCAA career and started her rookie season in professional running in 2019, Allie Ostrander made a statement about an issue many female athletes have long talked about: how race commentators often focus on women’s appearances while they’re competing on the track and roads.

She made her first world championships in the steeplechase and she showed she’s not going to back away from topics that deserve attention.

“In 2018, I was called ‘the baby faced assassin’ and told that I looked like I still played with Barbies,” Ostrander, 23, wrote on Instagram. “In a sport where eating disorders and body dysmorphia are so common, the media has an opportunity to help women (and men!) feel capable, powerful, and worthy, but by focusing on appearance and body proportions, this opportunity is missed.”

That’s a cause we can get behind—and we can’t wait to see what challenges Ostrander hurdles next.

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

She’s an Olympic and world champion 800-meter runner. But Caster Semenya is fighting a difficult battle for the rights of athletes like herself. In 2019, the sport’s governing body enacted a policy that barred female athletes like Semenya, who have a condition that produces high levels of naturally occurring testosterone, to suppress those levels with medication or surgery in order to compete in the specified track events from the 400 meters to one mile.

Semenya, 29, of South Africa, has appealed the decision and continues a legal fight for her right to race her best event.

“As an athlete, I believe in sportsmanship and what sports teach you is to keep pushing on despite all odds,” she says. “If a wall is placed in front of me, I jump it. I’m going to keep enjoying my life and live it. I will keep on training and running. To me, impossibility is nothing.”

PA IMAGES / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, CAL SPORT MEDIA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

FACING UNFATHOMABLE SCRUTINY, SHE CARRIES ON

Mary Cain

PCN PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

AND MAKING SURE THAT THE NEXT GENERATION IS IN SAFER HANDS She shocked the running world in 2019 when she came forward with her story of emotional abuse at the hands of her former coach Alberto Salazar.

Mary Cain was a 17-year-old phenom when she left her parents’ Bronxville, New York, home to train with the Oregon Project.

She came home 10 months later, broken and depressed.

In her New York Times documentary, Cain, who was a high school national record holder and the youngest woman to ever represent the U.S. in a world-championships competition, described the pressure that Salazar put on her to lose weight in order to perform better. He weighed her in front of teammates and publicly shamed her for not hitting the numbers on the scale that he had demanded, she says.

By the time she stopped training with the group in 2016, she had suffered five stress fractures and hadn’t had her period in three years—symptomatic of RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport), a syndrome of insufficient caloric intake, amenorrhea, and decreased bone density.

Her story unleashed a conversation beyond the confines of the U.S. running community about the destructive culture underlying sports, where antiquated training philosophies perpetuated by a male-dominated coaching profession—and reliance on outdated science—often result in eating disorders and worse for athletes.

“My story was powerful not because of any of my past athletic achievements, but because the content I’m speaking of transcends sports and is systemic within it,” Cain says. “So many women, and men, have encountered similar toxic environments and it’s easy to feel trapped as though you voice will not be heard.”

Cain, 23, has physically recovered from her time at the Oregon Project and resumed training back in New York, she says. She hopes to compete during the indoor track season and contend for a spot at the 2020 Olympic Trials, although she hasn’t said which even yet (her specialty has been the 1500 meters, but we could see her moving up to the 5,000 meters, too).

“I truly look forward to each of my runs because running has returned to a place where I can lost in my thoughts and emotions in a powerful and healing way,” she says. “Before I told my story I almost found it scary to lose myself in that space while running, so it’s beautiful

to feel that it’s once again a truly freeing experience.”

But the Olympic year will hold more meaning than fast times and trials qualifiers. Cain has a platform now and she intends to use it to protect the next generation.

“I still want to be an elite athlete but being an advocate for women’s sports and healthy coaching practices is my new dream,” she says. “Due to lack of education and inappropriate societal norms, many people have a poor understanding of how to address topics such as women’s cycles, weight, and training appropriately. My goal is now to create educational programs that coaches and athletes must take on these subjects.”

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POWER IS OWNING WHO YOU ARE

It wasn’t until she came out to her family in 2016 that Nikki Hiltz, now 25, started running at the level she knew she could.

As a junior at the University of Arkansas at the time, she entered her senior year without any heavy secrets left to slow her down.

“When I decided to be who I am, a weight was lifted. I don’t think my breakthrough season was coincidental—I was holding back this part of me, hiding it and burying it,” she says.

“When you’re happy and holistic off the track, it’s going to translate on the track. That was that.”

As a result, she says, she ended that college career not the injured, under-performing athlete she once was, but the runner-up in the 1500 meters at the NCAA outdoor championships, poised to sign a pro contract with Adidas and move to San Diego with her girlfriend, Theresa Haiss, where they train with the Mission Athletics Club, under famed middle-distance

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

MICHAEL SCOTT 2019

Nikki Hiltz

coach Terrence Mahon.

The moment Hiltz felt free to lead an authentic life, she soared and fans have come to know a genuinely happy athlete, as quick with a big smile and a disarming joke as she is with her kick down the straightaway in a championship race.

Throughout her rookie pro year, her times across all distances improved and her racing tactics sharpened. When she crossed the line first in the mile at the Boston Boost Games, a rainbow pride flag was draped over her shoulders. Adidas splashed a photo of the moment of victory to 25 million followers on its Instagram page and Hiltz welcomed the kind of platform that might reach kids going through similar doubts and fears as she did while grappling with her identity in her younger days.

And while that moment came to illustrate her path as athlete and advocate, it didn’t come without another teachable moment—that, of course, not everybody will show support for the LGBTQ population. It was then that Hiltz made a conscious decision to draw attention to the homophobia, too.

“The floodgates were open to hateful comments. I responded to a lot of them with funny comments because it made me feel better, but also to educate—as soon as I started putting people

on blast, it showed my liberal bubble of friends that there is still is homophobia going on in the world,” Hiltz says. “Part of me didn’t want to give these people an ounce of my energy, but it also open floodgates for positive messages.”

As the season rolled on, Hiltz only picked up steam. She went into the 2019 U.S. outdoor championships unsure how she’d stack up against a field of veterans and contenders. In the last 100 meters of the 1500-meter final, a switch seemed to go off and Hiltz found a final gear to nab a third-place finish behind Shelby Houlihan and Jenny Simpson. In that effort, she qualified for her first world championships team in 4:03.55.

“When I was a little girl, Jenny Simpson was one of my idols,” Hiltz says. “It’s crazy to be on a [world] team with her…

B. MALONE

Clare Gallagher

it blows my mind.”

Her goal at the world championships in Doha was to make the final round and it took another personal best to make it happen, clocking 4:01.52 in the semi-finals. In the her final competition of the season, she placed 12th in the world during a shockingly fast race in which Houlihan set an American record (3:54.99). The experience for Hiltz against the world’s best will no doubt serve her well in 2020, when all eyes are on making the Tokyo Games. Her chance to make the Olympics is solid, but it’s Hiltz’s commitment to staying true to herself from now on that will lead her to the happiest finish lines.

“It’s my secret weapon—smiling and laughing and joking,” she says. “That’s just how I am and it’s how I’ve succeeded.”

AND RUNNING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF

We know. Ultrarunning isn’t an Olympic sport (though rumor has it cross country will be featured at the 2024 Paris Games).

But Western States Endurance Run defending champion Clare Gallagher still has a critical year ahead. To make a list of powerful women in the sport at this moment in history and not feature Gallagher? That would be a big mistake.

She’s proven her prowess on the trails with a 2016 win at the Leadville Trail 100 and a victory at the prestigious CCC 100K in 2017. Then came the dramatic victory at Western States in 2019, which came down to a sprint finish—or at least ultrarunning’s equivalent. Gallagher, 27, had to find her leg speed in the last six miles when runner-up Brittany Peterson chased her down. Somehow Gallagher dug down deep to fend off the challenge and finish in 17:23:25, the second-fastest women’s time on the course.

Fast? Yes. Funny? Hilarious is more accurate. But Gallagher is just as widely recognized for her environmental advocacy and devotion to drawing attention to climate change as she is for covering 100 miles very quickly on foot. Case in point: she spent the two weeks leading up to Western States not tapering, but packrafting and mountaineering in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is under threat of oil drilling.

“The whole point of the trip was to see a very fragile ecosystem where thousands of people rely on that ecosystem for their livelihood. How can you say ‘no’ to that?” says Gallagher, who is based in Boulder, Colorado. “Western States will come and go, but I do feel like with the severity and intensity and timeliness of the climate crisis, as these opportunities come up I have to take them. It won’t compare to the opportunity to run a race.”

Her love of the outdoors and of running go hand-inhand with her environmental work.

“Even in the Denver metro area, we have some of the worst air pollution in the country on certain days. The entire American west has the constant threat of fire,” she

says. “Being outside every day for a run, I feel so strongly about protecting that ability and the lifestyle that running allows all of us. Right now we have these existential threats to our lifestyles. It’s my duty to talk about them.”

So, when Gallagher thinks about 2020, it’s less about the Olympics and more about the election. She’ll go on speaking tours throughout the year in swing districts, where runners have the option to vote for environmental champions or not. “I feel like this election is the biggest of my lifetime with what’s at stake environmentally,” she says.

She’s planning to defend her title at Western States in June, too.

“Although I don’t think I’ll be embarking on an Arctic expedition beforehand this time,” she says, with a laugh.

MARIANO GARCIA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Tianna Bartoletta

POWER IS SOMETIMES FOUND IN VULNERABILITY AND THE ABILITY TO SHARE OUR STRUGGLES

She is a three-time gold medalist. A three-time world champion. But triple jumper and sprinter Tianna Bartoletta, 34, has stood on the world’s most prestigious podiums also as a survivor of an abusive marriage, homelessness, and suicidal thoughts.

It wasn’t until the 2017 world championships in London, with a bronze medal hanging from her neck, Bartoletta sobbed tears of relief. She finally felt free to tell her story: In the three months leading up to the competition, she had run away from her home, with nowhere to go, to escape a five-year marriage, “to give myself a chance at having a life and the love I deserved—one that didn’t involve fear or fighting, threats, and abuse,” she wrote at the time.

“I took a huge gamble blowing my life up in such an important year for me career-wise,” she continued. “But it was about time for me to see that I was worth it. I was worth it.”

Two years later, Bartoletta has emerged not only still a contender on the world stage, but a voice for many who have found comfort in her vulnerability and strength in her convictions. Writing has become not just a form of therapy, but part of her power, she says. She started her blog, Tianna Bee, in 2017 as a channel to reclaim parts of her life that she felt had been lost— her story long controlled by outside forces like her ex-husband or the media; her identity masked by her medals.

Writing, she says, is where she shows who she really is and rekindles a love of storytelling that she developed as a child.

“I got tired of being this untouchable person who’s strong all the time, who always wins, who doesn’t have a backstory that’s not fabricated by somebody else,” she says. “It’s made me healthier even though it’s uncomfortable to share sometimes, but I’ve seen how it’s given people the opportunity to be more authentic about their own stories.”

When Mary Cain came forward with allegations of emotional abuse against her former coach Alberto Salazar, it was Bartoletta who responded with one of

the most-shared commentaries on the subject. After all, she could explain the nuances of such experiences better than most—and although she is sponsored by the brand, Bartoletta was unafraid of voicing her displeasure with Nike’s response to Cain’s allegations, which tried to discredit Cain by pointing out she had sought to return to Salazar in 2019.

“And that line, let me just come right out and say it, was f*cked up to include,” Bartoletta wrote. “That line was included as if to say, ‘if it was as bad as you say why did you want back in?’ I’m going to say this once…no I won’t, I will hammer this home repeatedly if I must: This is what the cycle of abuse looks like.”

And it’s not only subjects and issues that hit home so personally to Bartoletta that she’s willing to take on.

She shares her opinions on hot topics in the sport, too, like when the international governing body announced it would begin cutting some events that they deemed “unpopular” to spectators from Diamond League meets, which are the most lucrative competitions for most athletes.

“There’s no content calendar,” Bartolleta says. “Usually I see something while I’m scrolling through Twitter and my fingers tingle and I have to write. We have one opportunity every four years to show the world that we’re a sport worth watching, supporting, participating in— we’re only showing in-fighting right now because our federation isn’t listening to anybody but the men around the table in a boardroom—and that’s a major problem and the larger issue.”

“I got tired of being this untouchable person who’s strong all the time, who always wins.”

- Tianna Bartoletta No doubt the Olympic year will give Bartoletta plenty more fodder for her blog, which will also serve as a channel to process her quest to defend her glory at the Games, where she is the reigning long jump gold medalist and member of the defending 4 x 100-meter relay. She is in a far different place than she was in 2016 and welcomes the opportunity to compete unencumbered by personal emotional turmoil.

“I will be approaching the competition mentally healthier,” she says, giving credit to her creative pursuits for helping her get there. “All I can do on that day is show how well I’m prepared and get out of my own way. That’s not the spirit I carried competitions in the past.”

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POWER IS NOT LETTING ANYONE ELSE DEFINE YOUR WORTH EXCEPT YOU

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GARY MITCHELL, GMP MEDIA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Sydney McLaughlin

She’s a once-in-a-generation talent, making her first Olympics in 2016 at age 16. And although it’s hard to believe that hurdler Sydney McLauglin will be going for her second Games at just 20 years old, she’s matured in countless ways in the past four years.

After a year at the University

of Kentucky, McLaughlin decided to turn pro in 2018. The excitement surrounding her talent at a tender age, combined with her ability to connect with a younger demographic resulted in what amounted to a bidding war. New Balance won for an industry-estimated $1.5 million in annual base pay, although contracts are not public. Instead of going with a standard athlete agent, McLaughlin hired William Morris Endeavor as her representation—a talent firm that typically reps Hollywood stars over track stars.

In taking a different tact toward her athletic pursuits, McLaughlin earns big points for proactively treating her career like a business endeavor. While it might be the norm for other sports, it’s not often seen in pro track and field.

Will she make the Tokyo team? It’s likely. She’s following in the footsteps of American Dalilah Muhammad, who set the world record in the 400-meter hurdles twice in the 2019 season.

McLaughlin came in second to Muhammad at the world championships, bringing the silver medal back to her Los Angeles home in October. It’s a matchup the fans love to see.

“To say the least, this year has been full of growth,” McLaughlin wrote after the world championships. “I stepped out of my old life and grew up. In order to find yourself, you must lose. Lose a race, lose people, lose hope. But in the end, it all works out…we will be back, next time not as a rookie. But still running like a vet.”

Emily Sisson

ANDY LYONS / 2019 GETTY IMAGES,

...AND NOT LETTING ANYONE TELL YOU IT CAN’T BE DONE When Emily Sisson decided in 2019 that it was time to move up to the marathon, she didn’t hesitate to aim for the top—she flirted heavily with the American debut record.

She was close, finishing the 2019 London Marathon in 2:23:08, just eight seconds away from Jordan Hasay’s American debut of 2:23:00 at the 2017 Boston Marathon. Regardless, the result makes Sisson a threat at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials with the fourth-fastest qualifying time on the list of contenders. Will her second 26.2mile race be her ticket to Tokyo?

If not, Sisson has another option as one of the country’s most prolific 10,000-meter competitors. Fans have become accustomed to seeing Sission and training partner Molly

Huddle, the American record holder for 10,000 meters (30:13.17), working together around the oval and on the roads. If the marathon doesn’t go their way in February, they will take a crack at making the Olympic team at the track trials in June.

But either way, Sisson believes

in reflecting on all the hard work she puts into those big days that demand big performances.

“You put yourself through a lot,” she says. “So you have to remind yourself of that when you’re on the starting line…you can realize that you’re tougher than you think you are.”

Shelby Houlihan ...EXACTLY THE WAY YOU WANT TO DO IT

All Shelby Houlihan has to do is be herself and the world wants to tag along on the adventure. The 26-year-old national recorder holder for 5,000 meters (14:34.35) and 1500 meters (3:54.99) travels to altitude camps and competitions with her cat, Miko, who she half-jokingly refers to as her “emotional support pet,” is unabashedly obsessed with all-things Harry Potter, and has a rowdy family fan club (the “Houlifans”) cheering her on nearly every race she enters. After the world championships, she bought herself a red 1971 VW bus and named it Ron Burgandy.

Houlihan, a member of the Bowerman Track Club, is understated and relatable in every way, until she steps onto a track—and that’s when we realize she’s of another world. Her pre-race game face is terrifying. Her turbo mode is her hallmark, blasting off in the final stretches of any distance she races to leave competitors in awe (and in her theoretical dust).

But when she leaves the track, Houlihan is instantly transformed back to the low-key human next door, even after becoming the fastest U.S. woman ever at the 1500 meters at the 2019 world championships. Just minutes afterward, she’s satisfied with her effort, but ready to dig in to see what more she can give.

“I’m just going to keep putting my head down and working hard and staying patient,” she says. “I think that’s all you can really do and trust that things will come together.”

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Stephanie Bruce, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Kellyn Taylor Part of Northern Arizona Elite’s mission statement is to “share the journey.” That means that anybody can find out exactly how Kellyn Taylor, Stephanie Bruce, and Aliphine Tuliamuk are preparing to contend at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials—the workouts, the splits, the ups, and the downs. It’s all in plain sight.

“I think that training isn’t a big secret, but most teams are kind of hushhush about it like they’ve got some magic formula as to what they’re doing,” Taylor says. “People like to see what you’re doing and maybe mimic some of it at their own paces. Why wouldn’t we want to help people that are our fans?”

On paper, Taylor has the clearest shot to make the Olympic marathon team, with a 2:24:27 personal best, the fifth-fastest Trials qualifier. She also finished seventh at the 2019 New York City Marathon, just seconds behind Desiree Linden. Tuliamuk arrives with a 2:26:50 best, and Bruce ran her fastest at the 2019 Chicago Marathon, in 2:27:41. And if things don’t work out on the roads of Atlanta, they also have a fair shot at making the Tokyo Games by way of the track in Eugene.

“I just tell people, ‘when we’re fit, we’re fit.’ It doesn’t matter what surface we run on,” Bruce says. “I think we just choose to put our efforts in to the roads most of the time because we really thrive there. But we know how to bring it when we run track.”

While they don’t usually get much credit for those performances on the oval, Taylor was fourth in the 10,000 meters in 2016, one place shy of making the Rio Games. In 2019, she placed third in the event at the U.S. outdoor championships, with Bruce right behind in fourth.

Wherever the trio ends up competing, they all agree on two things: their training group will send at least one member to the Olympics and they’ll all play a part in getting her there, by working together and supporting each other every day. They may be competitors on the starting line, but they’re teammates on that journey.

“Being part of this group has definitely given me confidence and prolonged my career,” Tuliamuk says. “We lift each other up every single time.

It’s the best time to be part of it.”

JAMES Q MARTIN (4)

POWER IS REALIZING THE STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

JEWEL SAMAD

Jenny Simpson She the consistent one. Jenny Simpson, 33, has been a trailblazer for U.S. track and field since 2010, becoming a world champion in the 1500 meters in 2011, then winning silvers in 2013 and 2017. At the Rio Games, she took the bronze, becoming the first American woman to medal in the event at the Olympics.

She knows how to show up when it counts and speak her mind when it matters. Her achievements lend her the credibility to take a stand on the issues she knows are critical—like clean sport. Never shy to share an

AUTHENTICITY IS THE TICKET TO RESULTS

opinion in the mixed zone, she consistently advocates for anti-doping measures, most recently at the world championships in Doha, where she took eighth place, and was asked about Alberto Salazar’s four-year doping violations coaching ban.

“Get him out,” she declared. “If you cheat, you get banned. I’m a believer in lifetime bans. I wish it was longer. Don’t cheat.”

She should know—Simpson, who tries to instill her values in the next generation as an ambassador for New York Road Runners’ youth

programs, has lined up against many drug cheats meets over the past 10 years. And she has found the strength to beat many of them, too.

“You stand on the starting line and you’re asked to take a lifetime of work and stack it up against other people. You can’t know what other people’s journeys were to get to that starting line,” Simpson told the Clean Sport Collective podcast.

“There’s a really beautiful Quaker quote: ‘Let your life speak.’ And that’s what I try to do...this is my chance to let my life speak.”

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POWER BLENDS CONFIDENCE WITH SELFLESSNESS When the IAAF announced in November that it would be cutting five events from the Diamond League schedule in 2020—one of which is the steeplechase—the 2019 world championship silver medalist and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist was quick to voice her disappointment.

“It’s been my event for 12 years and I have given a lot of my time and effort in not only racing the Diamond Leagues, but helping to promote it. It feels like a

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bit of a slap in the face when you’re no longer important enough to be on the broadcast.”

But it’s not just Coburn’s personal feelings that led to her position on the decision. In fact, in talking to her about nearly anything you quickly realize she’s usually factoring in far more than just herself.

Of sponsors, Coburn says: “I have a sponsor [New Balance] that values me wholeheartedly 365 days a year, not

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MARIANO GARCIA / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Emma Coburn

just thinking of me racing on TV, but the Diamond League races are some of the only international races that we get to compete in in our sponsor kit not in the country kit, and that opportunity is gone.”

And of her competitors, she adds: “For my international peers who might not have as great of a personal sponsorship as I do, the prize money and travel funding that they get for those races is a huge part of their livelihood. The prize money alone and the Diamond League final—$50,000 for the win—that is gone, and who knows if [IAAF] will find a way to replace that or not.”

These days, emotion-fueled and often-polarizing commentary on current events can feel like they create power—or at the very least, noise.

But the loudest microphone does not always make the strongest or most compelling argument, and it seems that while Coburn does not hesitate to speak her mind, she also realizes that sometimes power comes from staying calm and not reacting.

“I was asked about what athletes can do now, and to be honest, I think it’s all fresh and I don’t have an answer and I don’t have a game plan, yet,” she says. “Whenever news breaks people get so charged. I was certainly hurt by it and still am hurt. But I think it’s important to take your time to make a decision to make a good plan and that’s not just based on emotion but it’s based on facts and logic. I don’t want to jump into anything too quickly until I really learned everything there is to know, and I’m still trying to get information, so I don’t really have an answer for that yet.”

That mindful reserve and big-pic-

“I think you have to be intentional with your life. It’s not just going to land on your lap.”

- Emma Coburn ture perspective has no doubt led to not only her leadership position within the sport, but her dominance in it, as well. The consistency she has had, her time progressions over the years, her ability to keep showing up—it’s all led Coburn to feel that anything but top three is now a bit unacceptable.

“It’s been a long journey and I feel like I’ve paid my dues in a way but continue to learn and grow and adapt as an athlete physically and mentally, and I feel like I’m ready for anything,” she says. “It’s the expectation to podium but it’s not the overwhelming pressure. It’s confidence knowing I’ve done that work to earn that expectation, and to earn that pressure.”

Scout Bassett

MICHAEL PRESTON / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

AND SHOWING OTHERS THAT IT CAN BE DONE

At 18 months old, Scout Bassett’s birth parents abandoned her on the side of the road after she had lost her right leg in a chemical fire. She spent most of the first seven years of her life in a Chinese government-run orphanage, until she was adopted by her American parents at eight years old.

Bassett has gone on to not only become one of the country’s most celebrated Paralympians, but also a champion for growing the movement. After the 100-meter and long-jump specialist posed in the ESPN Body Issue, she wanted to use the new-found notariety to draw attention to gender disparity in Paralympic track and field. Because of the low number of female athletes, the competitive opportunities for women are fewer. Within that mission is to show younger girls that running can prove powerful in their lives.

“You can’t focus on what people are saying or how they look at you, but how you feel being able to do something with this piece of equipment,” she says. “That’s what carried me—the feeling I got while running far surpassed the bullying or how it looked. It made me feel whole.”

From her words and actions and even the company she keeps, the success and power Coburn has built stems from one thing: thoughtfulness.

“I think you have to be intentional with your life,” she says. “You have to make choices and make decisions that create that happiness. It’s not just going to land in your lap. I was lucky, I was born into a family that’s very supportive and loving. I didn’t choose that, I was born into that, but basically the rest of my life it’s been choices. I’m choosing the route of happiness but also the route that is challenging me to be the best version of me both as an athlete and as a person, and I owe a lot of that to the people around me.”

SOMETIMES POWER IS GIVING OTHER WOMEN AN OUTLET TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES Molly Huddle is busy. She’s a twotime Olympian in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters and American Record holder in the 10,000 meters and half marathon. She’s a 28-time national champion who’s out to make her third Olympic team in 2020.

But she had been thinking about starting a podcast for awhile. Knowing her schedule would be a bit too packed to pull one off all on her own, she teamed up with her friends and fellow Olympians Alysia Montaño and Roisin McGettigan. In October 2019 they launched their first episode of Keeping Track, a podcast focused on the current landscape and

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future of women’s running, and telling stories within women’s sports.

“Obviously it’s my area of expertise, but also I felt in my own personal experience with the media side of sports a little underrepresented in it,” explains Huddle. “I just felt that there were so many other great stories on Team USA. You’d see women in other events just dominating and not getting nearly enough coverage. We have no shortage of people we want to talk to.”

Huddle wasn’t just interested in expanding the spotlight on female athletes, but also widening the scope of their stories. “You’re not really viewed

WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

SPORT IN PICTURES / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Molly Huddle

as a whole person sometimes,” Huddle says about the typical media coverage athletes like herself have received in the past. “Not everyone can relate to being an elite athlete, so maybe [the media] would focus on something silly about you—like for me, the doughnuts. And yeah, that’s real, that is something I enjoy. But it’s also a strange thing to not ask about how I became great at running and ask about what kind of doughnuts I like.”

It’s especially odd when you consider the current landscape of women’s running. “We’re having these moments that 10 years ago we couldn’t have dreamed how powerful that women’s running has become,” Huddle continues. “And then on top of it, women aren’t just being athletes and one dimensional.

They’re talking about things they care

MICHAEL SCOTT 2019.

about, and they’re holding events, and they’re getting into coaching—they’re just dynamic people, multifaceted people.”

Multifaceted, and possibly more real than ever. “We’re just trying to create a more well-rounded view of who they are and what drives them and how they’ve accomplished what they’ve accomplished,” she says. “These women are not superheroes day to day, but they eventually do amazing things by whatever process they have. Showing that— that they have good days, bad days, struggles, everything—I think that’s important.”

Huddle calls it the new role model for athletes. “You’re doing amazing things on the track, and that takes a lot of time and dedication and you have to respect how hard it is to get there, but you’re also trying to make the sport a better, more welcoming, more successful place.”

“I do think you get to a certain age and a certain stage of your career where you start to think about what you leave the sport with. The performances are really important and they’re what you care about and what give you a platform, but once you’re on the platform, what are you offering and what are you saying and what are you showing?”

Sara Hall

AND SOMETIMES IT’S THE QUIET VOICE IN YOUR HEAD THAT TELLS YOU TO KEEP TRYING, JUST ONE MORE TIME Watching Sara Hall, 36, race is like watching a reason to never count ourselves out.

Hall, who led Stanford University to the 2003 NCAA cross-country championship, started out her pro career 15 years ago, dabbling in a wide range of events like the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the 1500 meters, sometimes the 5K. And while she was always in the mix, Hall rarely had the breakthrough performances she wanted. Even when she debuted at the marathon in 2015, she didn’t immediately take to it, bonking in Los Angeles to a 2:48:02 finish.

Despite a disappointing first try, something about the 26.2-mile distance ignited Hall’s enthusiasm and captured her imagination—the reward, she found, was in the process rather than the results.

“Through all of those failures, I got my identity more secure in who I am apart from athletic success,” Hall says. “I’m worthy of love and have value as a person and these races are icing on the cake. They don’t define me, and my self-worth isn’t on the line. As a result, every year I’m freer to take big risks.”

That liberation has pulled Hall a long way since Los Angeles, running a 2:22:16 personal best at the 2019 Berlin Marathon. It puts Hall squarely in contention to make the 2020 Olympic marathon team, currently the third-fastest qualifying time heading nto the Trials.

It’d be tempting for Hall to obsess about making her first Games. And although it’d be a dream come true, she’s learned that her greater success doesn’t hang in the balance. Since she and her husband (and coach), Ryan Hall, became parents in 2015 to four girls from Ethiopia, she’s found an even greater reason to keep running, she says.

“I think all kids need to see their parents doing things that make them come alive,” she says, “and taking risks and picking yourself up after failures.”

POWER IS NOT ONLY LEADING BY EXAMPLE—BUT WANTING TO BRING OTHERS UP WITH YOU

Her arms were stretched wide. Her running jacket was drenched. Her expression seemed equal parts “I’m so glad that’s over!” and “Is this really happening?”

Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better. Our country’s running drought had finally ended, amid Mother Nature’s worst: On April 16, 2018, Desiree Linden became the first Ameri-

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JUSTIN BRITTON

Desiree Linden

can woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.

This was the same woman who had crossed the finish line here five times before, losing by just two seconds in 2011; who had raced 15 marathons in 11 years—but never broken the tape.

The same woman who didn’t think it was her day, but ended up having the biggest performance of her life.

Spectators thought they might be witnessing another huge moment for Linden at the 2019 New York City Marathon. The conditions were about as good as they get in New York: sunshine, high 40s, and just a light breeze. In her 19th marathon, Linden thought she should take advantage of the gift from Mother Nature and go for the American course re-

JUSTIN BRITTON

cord—2:25:53, set in 2008 by Kara Goucher.

“It was a good day to take a big swing,” Linden said after the race. She went out hard and fast early, leading big through the first half of the race. The eventual top three caught and passed her, but Linden managed to hold on for sixth-place; she was the top American, and her time of 2:26:46 was her fastest time in two and a half years.

A month before her win in Boston, Linden had tweeted: “Some days it just flows and I feel like I’m born to do this, other days it feels like I’m trudging through hell. Every day I make the choice to show up and see what I’ve got, and to try and be better.

My advice: Keep showing up.”

It’s advice Linden has certainly taken to heart, but in many ways it felt like the sport as a whole needed to hear it, too. In 1984, American Joan Benoit Samuelsen took gold at the inaugural women’s Olympic marathon; after her, only four other U.S. women had cracked the top 10, and only one of them ever brought home a medal (bronze for Deena Kastor in 2004). As for other major world marathon wins, well, you could count what we’ve collected in the past 20 years on one hand... and still have some fingers left over.

Then recently—and seemingly out of nowhere—a cascade of ground-breaking finishes: All three U.S. women, including Linden, placed in the top 10 at the 2016 Rio Olympics (a first-ever); Amy Cragg took bronze at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London (the first U.S. woman to medal on that stage in 34 years); and three months later, Shalane Flanagan triumphantly, fist-pumpingly clinched the 2017 New York City Marathon title (the first American female to win the race in 40 years).

What many noted after Linden’s historic win in Boston was not just that she won but how she did it. Struggling from the start of the race, she was sure she’d eventually drop out. So Linden decided to shift her attention and energy to the Americans running alongside her: first, by hanging back to help Flanagan catch up to the group after an untraditional bathroom break; then by helping powerhouse American runner Molly Huddle—who was making her Boston Marathon debut—rally against the brutal headwinds to get closer to the leaders.

There was a similar public display of “I’ve got your back” camaraderie at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. In beautiful stride-for-stride rhythm, Cragg and Flanagan led the pack until the last few miles. With only three Olympic spots and two other contenders chasing them down, Cragg refused to drop her training partner, who was struggling with the record-high temps; she stayed by Flanagan’s side, talking her through it and even going out of her way to grab her water. Cragg went on to win, then promptly turned to wait. Linden came next. And then a severely dehydrated, completely exhausted Flanagan—who

collapsed into her teammate’s arms at the finish line.

Such blatant acts of benevolence are not something you see every day in competitive sports focused on individual performances. And not all that long ago, you wouldn’t have seen it in this one either. But that’s exactly why the example being set by the American women distance runners matters so much: They aren’t just fueling the growth of the sport, they’re changing the collective mindset on how women support each other.

“The current crop of marathoners have been in the game a long time,” says Linden. “I think there’s a maturity among us and a recognition that someone else’s success doesn’t take away from

your own accomplishments. We’re competitive, we all want to win, but it’s become apparent that if an American wins and gets the spotlight on the sport, we all reap the benefits.”

As of press time, it’s unknown whether Linden will enter the Olympic Marathon Trials in February. “I could walk away at any point and be very happy with my career,” Linden told reporters days before New York City Marathon. “But I do feel like I have the legs still. I don’t want to cut it short just because I’m looking at the page going, oh, I’m 36, I’m too old for this, if the body is still representing.”

But whatever she decides, we know this: Her example is pushing others to step up and swing away—and will help fuel Team USA to one of its strongest marathon teams ever.

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parting shot

CHEERS TO FINISH LINES Joyous pacers, cheerful volunteers, and finish-line donuts. The vibe at Lululemon’s first-ever US 10K in San Diego this past November was everything we love about running: strong, supportive, and so much fun.

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WOMEN’S RUNNING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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