Wise Words From an Olympian

Being the total running nerd I am, I follow a lot of professional runners on social media. I guess you could say I'm oddly fascinated by their training patterns and random daily activities. One of my favorite runners, Colleen Quigley, professional steeple chaser for the Bowerman Track Club, has a website where she shares a lot of tips regarding her training and nutrition. She is super open about her routine, which I find really cool. After reading one of her recent posts, I thought it might be fun to send her an email. To my astonishment, she replied!

After her recent post had a lot to do with making smart nutritional choices and being sure to eat enough to fuel your body, I asked her how she felt about the running world's display on the female distance runner's body type: skinny and low body fat. I also asked her if she had any tips for me as a freshman on proper diet and recovery. Here is what she said:

Hey Carli,

Thanks for reaching out! I completely understand where you are coming from. It is unfortunate that this issue is a part of our sport and that women/girls who are trying to find a healthy balance have to compete against athletes who are starving themselves or just not fueling properly. You will see that this might work for them temporarily, but it NEVER works in the long run. Athletes who do this don't last all 3 seasons and end up breaking down at some point, usually with bone injuries. I encourage you to not be sucked into this poisonous trap. As athletes, we ask so much of our bodies every day at practice. It's the least we can do to give it the nutrients it needs to recover and work hard for you again the next day.

I don't know if you've gotten a chance to check it out yet, but I recently started writing a type of newsletter to share thoughts/advice about nutrition as well as gym and running exercises. If you are interested in signing up, there is a link on my website (https://www.colleenquigley.org/contact/) where you can get the newsletters. I don't send them out super often, but am working on a way to post the old ones on my website for those who are now signing up.

Here is a post I did about nutrition in my last newsletter that I think you might find helpful: colleenquigley.org/nutrition-guidelines

Remember that you have time to figure these things out and find what works for you individually. I definitely have changed my routine a lot since my freshman year in college. I also understand that you probably eat in the dining halls on campus which limits your choices and can be a challenge when trying to find fresh foods. You are probably adjusting to a whole new training schedule with your new coach and team (not sure if you will be a freshman in the fall or if you are finishing your freshman year now). As all this newness is happening, try to form a routine that works for you as far as when and where to eat, working around practice and class. A routine helps take the guesswork out of it which saves you time and energy/stress.

I hope the links and newsletter are helpful to you! Wishing you thee best of luck with your summer training- hope it launches you into a great cross country season!

Best,

Colleen

2016 Olympian

For more tips from Colleen, here is the link to her website: https://www.colleenquigley.org