January 18, 2021

Episode 153: Keely Henninger, Nike Trail Athlete, on Prioritizing Health, Fueling Up, and Tackling the Trails

56 minutes

Keely Henninger is a trail and ultra runner who loves to explore the mountains and seeks to educate, coach, and empower female athletes to be the best they can be. She has raced around the world, been on Team USA, named to the top 10 Ultra Runner of the Year, and holds multiple wins and national championship titles at prestigious races including Lake Sonoma and Chuckanut. However, at the end of the day, she still will never be faster or fitter than her pup, Jade.

Social: @runwidkeel

Topics & Questions we discuss include:

Keely's running background

Transition into trail running, first trail race, etc.

Body image and RED-S

Keely's personal journey with these topics

The role body image plays in our sport and larger society

What inspired Keely to write the post on TS and advocate for it on social media

What Keely has found helpful for helping to treat/prevent RED-S and help support positive body image in sport

How energy availability plays into this equation

Working full-time at Nike - both on and off the trails

What does being a biomechanics researcher involve?

Do you apply any of your research to your own running and vice versa?

How do you balance pro running with a full-time job?

Fun questions, etc.

Favorite trails in and around Portland? All-time?

Running with your dog... any tips on how to start, etc.?

Advice on a trail newbie just starting out on the trails?

Upcoming races on your calendar for this year? Any big lifetime running goals?

Favorite pre, post workout fuel and/or during the run?

Closing:

Advice you would give to your younger self?

What does being a Strong Runner Chick mean to you?

Additional resources (provided by Keely):

Fueling in ultras:

Tiller, N.B., Roberts, J.D., Beasley, L. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: nutritional considerations for single-stage ultra-marathon training and racing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 16, 50 (2019). https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-019-0312-9 i

Nutrition and Energy Deficiency:

Manore, Melinda. (2002). Dietary Recommendations and Athletic Menstrual Dysfunction. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). 32. 887-901. 10.2165/00007256-200232140-00002. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8107410_Dietary_Recommendations_and_Athletic_Menstrual_Dysfunction

RED-S: https://www.verywellmind.com/eating-disorders-in-athletes-4777794

This episode's sponsor:

Shoutout to plant-based protein powder, FEM Protein for supporting this episode! Use code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS" for 15% off your order. Visit FEMProteinPowder.com or @femproteinpowder on IG to learn more!

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