*[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

In this episode we talk nutrition with U.S. Olympic Marathoner Shalane Flanagan and food writer Elyse Kopecky -authors of the new cookbook Run Fast Eat Slow.

In this interview you will hear about indulgent nourishment, why Shalane started eating real butter, the top nutrition mistakes runners make, Shalane’s training for Rio and more!

Interview with Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky

Shalane Flanagan is a top U.S. marathoner competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. She finished second at the 2010 New York City Marathon and ran the fastest time ever by an American woman at the 2014 Boston Marathon. “She runs 100+ miles per week and attributes her ability to sustain this level of training to her nutrient-dense diet”.

Elyse Kopecky is a chef, food writer, and nutrition educator who ran with Shalane on the cross-country team at the University of North Carolina. After working for Nike as a digital marketing producer she moved to New York City to study at the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Interview Questions:

1. You’ve been friends for 16 years and obviously both share a passion for running and eating. How did the journey of writing a cookbook together come about?
2. I’ve got to tell you that I was not very excited about the concept of another cookbook for runners at first. Many are some version of trying to cut calories and substitute with low fat/fat free foods. But I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the motivation behind Run Fast Eat Slow is totally different. What does the concept of indulgent nourishment mean?
3. We hear the saying “eat real food” thrown around a lot. In the book you talk about how there are 600,000 food items available today and that 80% have added sugar and many have chemical additives. What does eating real food mean to you?
4. Tell us about the last thing you made from the Run Fast Eat Slow cook book
5. What can runners eat to recover more quickly and reduce inflammation?
6. Any suggestions for dealing with burnout, low energy, stress, and irritability?
7. Any tips on what to eat the evening before a race?
8. What food (if any) does Shalane plan on brining to Rio?
9. What does Shalane’s typical training day look like?

“Ever since I started tackling longer distances, I began to realize what an important role nutrition plays in my performance. It’s literally just as important as sleep, or the amount of time I put into my running. Eating healthy helps me recover, makes me happy and enhances my overall training.” -Shalane Flanagan

Also Mentioned in This Episode

The Fat Adapted Eating Plan – for cutting processed foods, sugars and grains.

The Berlin Marathon 2016. Drop us a note if you will be there!

Health IQ – Offering lower life insurance rates for marathoners. Episode sponsor

Health IQ -Marathon Training Academy is sponsored by Health IQ an insurance company that helps health conscious people get special rates on life insurance. Go to healthiq.com/mta to support the show and learn more.

The post Olympic Marathoner Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky on Nourishment for Athletes appeared first on Marathon Training Academy.