009 Kristy Baumann - The Foundation of Fueling: Helping Runners & Marathon Runners Develop a Positive Relationship with Food

Episode Summary

Kristy Baumann is a registered dietitian, marathon runner, wife and mother to a six month old and a three year old. As a new runner, Kristy thought that she was eating healthy to support her training. In reality, she was eating too clean and, unknowingly, restricting calories, cutting out fat, and ignoring her hunger signs. It wasn’t until she began to change her mindset around food and understand the science behind nutrition and how the body works that she was able to learn to fuel properly, feel more energized and improve her running.

Today, Kristy and Whitney talk about Kristy’s journey as a runner, common mistakes marathon trainers make in regards to food and fueling and best practices for correcting those mistakes. Kristy provides insights on hydration, energy gels and post-marathon recovery. Finally, Kristy speaks to what she loves most about running and why she’s on a mission to spread the message that having a positive relationship with food is the foundation of fueling well as a runner.

Episode Sponsor

Runner Click Pro – https://pro.runnerclick.com/

Key Takeaways

00:56 – Whitney Heins introduces today’s guest, Kristy Baumann, who joins the show to share her running journey and how she became The Marathon Nutritionist

09:03 – Common fueling mistakes runners make during the marathon training process

13:42 – How to train your gut and the trouble with fasted runs

20:03 – The importance of eating easily digestible carbohydrates and what refueling should look like

25:16 – Preparing for Marathon Race week and why hydration is critical

28:16 – When should marathon trainers be carb-loading and recommendations on which fibrous foods to eat

31:27 – Common mistakes runners make on Race Day

34:53 – Advice on when to take the first energy gel during a marathon

39:00 – Hydration recommendations while running a marathon

41:20 – Recovery post-marathon

44:38 – How Kristy makes sure her athletes are eating enough throughout the day

47:26 – What Kristy loves most about running

49:14 – Whitney thanks Kristy for joining the show and lets listeners know where to follow her

Tweetable Quotes

“I would always hear about eating disorders. But I never realized there was this whole realm of disordered eating as well where we have disordered thoughts about food which comes from diet culture and the pressure to look a certain way.” (06:51)

“As female runners, our hormonal makeup is completely different. And food and carbohydrates are essential in making sure that we’re able to perform to the best of our ability.” (16:18)

“So your body is always using different forms of energy; it’s not just using one. So, when you’re running slower, it’s using carbs and fats as a source of energy. But, there comes a point where even fat or protein as a source of energy takes longer for your body to break down in order to use it as energy.” (18:54)

“Honestly, the way you eat during taper doesn’t really change until a couple of days before the race. You still want to eat balanced meals. You still want to honor your hunger. Just because you’re running less doesn’t mean you should now be dramatically changing the way you’re eating or intentionally reducing carbs.” (25:48)

“Some people are totally fine eating foods made from white flour, while other people need to be more aware of eating and incorporating complex carbs like oatmeal, or incorporating a flax seed in order to prevent constipation or gut problems going into a race.” (30:28)

“Thirst isn’t a good indicator of when we need to drink water. There’s a lot of research on how we can’t rely on thirst alone when we’re exercising.” (40:37)

“Honestly, the part that I love about running is that when you run you learn so much about yourself, whether it’s through challenging workouts that you never thought you could complete to the personal self-confidence I’ve gotten from running.” (47:42)