This episode is an interview with mom of 3 and professional runner, Steph Bruce. Steph grew up in Arizona, where finding running in high school led her to a successful D1 career at USCB, including achieving All-American honors. Steph went on to run professionally, and has 3 US titles and over 30 US championship showings between the track and the roads. Steph ultimately transition to the marathon, and has an average time of 2:31 over 20 marathons. Aside from running, Steph is a mom of 3, a co-founder of Picky Bars, and the founder of Grit Running.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How losing her dad at a young age reminded Steph that life is short and it's important to focus on the things that you love
• What her transition into collegiate athletics was like and what she learned that looks don't tell the whole story
• Why having a regular menstrual cycle is so important and what that means for health and performance
• Struggling with injury going pro and co-founding Picky Bars with another injured runner
• The ups and downs of marathon fueling, and how perfecting her in race fueling plan is still a journey that she's on
• What her transition to Tracksmith has looked like and how she's giving back to the sport

You can find Steph on Instagram or X at @stephrothstein and you can learn more about her adult summer camp and coaching business at www.stephbruce.com

This week's episode is a Q&A! I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners, and today's questions include:

• What can I expect physically and mentally when returning from a period of underfueling or RED-S? How long will it take to feel normal?
• I have big goals in the sport but am not really a stand out runner. I know you were a walk on, so do you have any advice for a runner that wants to get better?
• I've heard that using sugar based gels during runs can cause gut issues and damage. How should I add fuel during my runs without increasing my risk for these things?
• I've been really struggling with a low appetite the last few weeks. What could be causing this and do you have any suggestions on how to continue to fuel even if I don't feel like eating?

This episode is an interview with former professional runner and soon to be registered dietitian, Alexa Efraimson! Alexa grew up in Washington, where she found running through soccer. She excelled quickly in the sport, and ended up signing a professional contract with Nike right out of high school at age 17. Alexa was a 2x member of Junior Team USA and is still the junior American record holder in the 1500. She was a member of Team USA in 2019 at the PanAm games, where she earned a bronze medal in the 1500. All throughout her time as a professional runner, Alexa struggled with her relationship with food and body image which she feels may have negatively impacted the length of her career. She ultimately stepped away from competitive running in 2022 after a traumatic family event, and ended up pursuing a career in nutrition. Alexa earned her Master's in Nutritional Sciences and Nutrigenomics, completed her dietetic internship, and will be sitting for her RD licensure exam this July.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What it was like going pro at a young age, and how she quickly found her relationship with food and weight suffering
• Navigating thoughts of needing to be smaller and to eat less in order to be faster, and advice she would give young athletes who want to see immediate success
• The mental load that comes with food and body image struggles, and how it can take away from your relationships, love of the sport, and quality of life
• What led Alexa to her decision to retire from professional running, and how she is navigating body and identity changes after sport
• How Alexa has worked towards healing her relationship with food and body image, and advice for athletes struggling with body changes
• What a career in nutrition means to her, and what her journey has looked like in pursuing the RD credential

If you would like to keep up with Alexa, you can find her on Instagram at @alexaefraimson.