In this episode, we explore the journey of Joe Whelan, a high-performing athlete in the world of distance running. Joe shares his insights on training through brutal winters, experimenting with nutrition and pacing, and playing a different game in the highly competitive world of marathoning. Whether you're an endurance athlete or just curious about pushing human potential, this conversation offers valuable lessons on resilience, innovation, and mental toughness.

In this episode we talk about:

• Joe Whelan’s journey from high school success to Olympic trials and elite marathoning
• Training strategies for harsh winter conditions, including treadmill tactics
• The importance of mental strategies and placebo effects in race nutrition
• Experimenting with fueling plans, including gels, hydration, and novel approaches like ketone supplements
• Navigating race conditions and GI issues at ultra-high effort levels
• Strategic race selection for global ranking and Olympic aspirations
• Insights into the competitive marathon scene in Europe versus the US
• The role of mental visualization, placebo, and mindset during critical race moments
• Behind-the-scenes of race logistics, including carb loading and pacing in competitive fields
• Joe’s upcoming race plans and how he’s playing the long game for international recognition

Elevate your understanding of endurance sports by listening to an athlete who’s out there not just competing but innovating at the highest level. His approach to training, nutrition, and mental fortitude pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a marathoner—less about following the crowd, more about leading your own race.

Stay connected:

• Follow Joe's running journey on Instagram: @jpwhelan
• Follow Stevie on Instagram: @stevielynlyn
• Join Stevie’s newsletter: Stevie Lyn Nutrition newsletter

Understanding Protein and Carb Loading: Clear Insights for Optimal Nutrition

In this episode, I break down the essentials of protein—what it is, how to evaluate its quality, and common misconceptions. I also delve into effective carb loading strategies for endurance athletes and practical tips for race preparation, helping you make smarter nutrition choices for your training and racing.

I chat more about:

• The fundamental role of protein: amino acids, macronutrients, and their functions
• Why more protein isn't always better and the importance of quality sources
• Common myths around protein smoothies, protein chips, and processed protein foods
• How to interpret food labels and understand "high in protein" claims
• The significance of protein digestibility scores (PDCAAS) and evaluating food quality
• The impact of protein quality on overall health and muscle building
• Understanding nutrient density versus processed "proteinified" foods
• The purpose of carb loading: optimizing muscle glycogen for endurance events
• Practical carb loading strategies: timing, food choices, and hydration
• The importance of practicing fueling strategies during training
• How to tailor fueling plans based on race length, conditions, and personal tolerance
• Balancing carbohydrate intake and minimizing GI issues on race day
• Tips to train your gut and avoid common fueling mistakes

Connect with Stevie:

• Instagram
• Website

This episode offers straightforward guidance to demystify complex nutrition topics, empowering you to optimize your diet for training and racing success. Remember, understanding nutrition is about balance, quality, and consistent practice—don't just follow the latest trend, focus on what works for your body.

In this episode, Becca McConville, an expert on relative energy deficiency in sports, shares insights on REDs and its impact on health and performance. We break down the complexities of metabolic dysfunction, the "sneaky" ways athletes end up under-fueled, and why a low resting heart rate might not be the "fitness flex" many think it is. 

From the impact of GLP-1 medications on performance to the psychology of "a la carte" movement, this conversation provides a roadmap for athletes and clinicians to move from a state of survival to true performance.

We chat about:

• REDS and its effects on metabolism and health
• Unstructured activity and its role in energy expenditure
• Nutritional strategies for athletes to prevent REDS
• Metabolic markers and signs of low energy availability
• The impact of low heart rate and HRV on athlete health
• And so much more!

Stay Connected:

• Follow Becca on Instagram: @rebeccaeddietitian
• Check out Becca's website: https://beccamcconville.com/
• Follow Stevie on Instagram: @stevielynlyn
• Join Stevie’s newsletter: Stevie Lyn Nutrition newsletter

In this episode we dive deep into the "middle space" between athletic coaching, mental performance, and clinical therapy. Guest Neal Palles is a psychotherapist, certified mental performance consultant, and ultra-running coach. He shares his unique perspective on the "many hats" he wears supporting athletes

We explore the dangerous glorification of suffering in endurance sports and how "grit" can often transform into "rigidity." 

Neal breaks down the critical differences between performance coaching (skills and strategy) and therapy (core beliefs and identity).

We also chat more about:

• Athlete identity
• Burnout, overtraining, and resilience in endurance sport athletes
• Mental health for athletes
• The "suck it up" mentality in sport
• Viewing injury from a mental health perspective
• ADHD in athletes
• And so much more!

Stay connected:

• Check out Neal's website here
• Follow Neal on Instagram @nealpalles
• Follow Stevie on Instagram: @stevielynlyn
• Join Stevie’s newsletter: Stevie Lyn Nutrition newsletter

In this episode I sit down with my colleague to dive into how sports nutrition is growing in the tactical and high-performance field. He also shares practical tips to spot nutrition misinformation, gives his take on the new dietary guidelines, and more!

Brandon Lee, DHSc, RD, CSSD, CCRP, FAND, is a human performance practitioner, researcher, and educator dedicated to advancing athlete health, readiness, and resilience. A Registered Dietitian and Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, he serves as a Dietitian within the U.S. Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system, providing performance nutrition support to more than 4,000 Soldiers in the 10th Mountain Division. His work integrates evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and applied research to optimize tactical performance and enhance Soldier lethality and recovery.

Brandon’s background spans clinical nutrition, long-term care, collegiate teaching, sports performance, and human nutrition research. He has contributed to high-performance environments, including Minor League Baseball and the Obesity and Metabolism Unit at UC Davis, where he coordinated research on dietary patterns and metabolic health.

An active scholar and speaker, Brandon has published peer-reviewed and professional articles on low energy availability, overtraining, and tactical nutrition, and he presents regularly at national and state conferences. He also serves on advisory boards and has held multiple leadership and service roles within professional organizations.

Brandon earned his Doctor of Health Science from PennWest University and is recognized as a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

In this episode Stevie chats with Brandon about:

• What is encompassed in the growing field of tactical nutrition
• Collaboration being key to be a better practitioner and to better support the individual athlete
• The three pillars of evidence-based practice
• Hot takeaways from the new dietary guidelines
• And so much more!

Stay connected:

• Check out Brandon's professional profile here
• Follow along with Brandon's work on LinkedIn
• Follow Stevie on Instagram: @stevielynlyn
• Join Stevie’s newsletter: Stevie Lyn Nutrition newsletter

Dr. Sasha Gollish is a Team Canada middle- and long-distance runner, engineer, coach, and advocate for gender equity in sport. With a PhD in civil engineering and decades of experience in athletics and research, she leads community-engagement efforts at the University of Toronto’s Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre. 

Passionate about movement and belonging, Sasha co-founded Yellow Running Shoes and works to help young athletes thrive on and off the field. She is also the author of Unstoppable, a mental-performance journal published by Strong Girl Publishing, designed to help athletes show up with confidence, focus, and resilience for every big goal that matters to them.

Stevie chats with Sasha about:

• Her background as high performance athlete and coach
• Her work as a researcher on mental health and girls in sport
• How to be unstoppable through injury and adversity
• Adapting to the changes in performance technology 
• Sensationalizing the basics when it comes to training and nutrition
• Food as connection
• New trends in sports nutrition
• And so much more!

You can find Sasha on Instagram at @SGollishRuns and @Yellow_Running_Shoes

Do you have big spring race goals but struggle to get outside in the winter? If you want to keep hitting the pavement during the cold, snowy, and windy months, this episode will give you the tools to do just that.

Jaci Wilson is a marathon & ultramarathon run coach, winter running enthusiast, and podcaster who helps runners, with many active hobbies, train sustainably through all seasons. She helps athletes excel in running without sacrificing their hobbies by managing their training load and stress bucket.

Whether it’s skiing, hunting, dog training, gardening, or scuba diving, Jaci believes avoiding burnout requires more than just running miles. More miles usually is not the answer for her athletes. Her coaching emphasizes rest, nutrition, strength training, mindset, and flexible, non-traditional scheduling that supports real life.

Stevie chats with Jaci about:

• Top 3 tips to keep training through the winter months
• Her experience training in all winter in Minnesota has to offer
• How mindset plays a role in winter running
• Finding ways to make winter more enjoyable as an athlete
• Balancing play and training for a well-rounded athlete
• Gear recommendations for outdoor winter running
• And so much more!

You can find Jaci at jaciwilsonruns.com and on social media @jaci.wilson.runs. She also hosts The One More Hour Podcast: An Insider’s Guide to Backyard Ultras, Timed Events, and the Ultrarunning Mindset of “One More,” available on all platforms, YouTube, and Instagram @theonemorehourpodcast.

Grab winter running tips, gear, and advice at jaciwilsonruns.com/winter-running

Jessica is an Assistant Professor in the nutrition department at Syracuse University, where she previously earned her PhD in Exercise Science. She also serves as the consulting sports dietitian for LeMoyne College Athletics and sees clients through her private practice, Major League Wellness. Jessica is a women's health researcher, currently studying the effects of REDs on athletic performance in female athletes. She is a mom to 4 kids and stays active with weight training, hiking, yoga, and Pilates.

In this episode we chat about:

• Her work as a professor and as a dietitian
• Ways to make research more fun for her students
• Making research a creative process
• Supplements and how to use them appropriately
• Freedom to pick what she studies
• Female athlete research
• How to apply nutrition as an art and a science in sports nutrition 
• Recent research in REDs with RMR ratio
• Upcoming research in adolescent female athletes
• Carbs and V02max
• Sports nutrition work with college athletes
• And so much more!

Stay connected:

• Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlgaray/
• Jessica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cusesportsrd/
• Major League Wellness website: https://majorleaguewellness.com/
• Stevie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevielynlyn/
• Stevie Lyn Nutrition website: https://stevielynrd.com/

Michaela is a run coach, co-founder of Strides for Strength, and a multi passionate nurse by degree. She believes in the power of movement — not just for performance, but for life. Her work lives at the intersection of being a human, moving well, and feeling good while doing it . Whether that’s on the run, chasing life’s next adventure, or the moments in between. Michaela helps others find strength, energy, and joy in the way they move through both training and everyday life.

In this episode we chat about:

• How she blends her passions for nursing and running into her purpose
• Her love for working with a variety of individuals first time marathoners to parents looking to be strong and healthy to hike mountains with their kids
• Her creative side
• The less glamorous side of social media as a business owner
• The importance of having a coach on your team
• Training for the season that you're in
• And so much more!

Stay connected:

Strides for Strength: stridesforstrength.com, https://www.instagram.com/sfsrunners/

Michaela's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaela_robertson_/

Stevie's website: https://stevielynrd.com/

Stevie's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevielynlyn/

From grinding rails to grinding miles — Jim Cielencki was a former pro BMX rider and entrepreneur, co-founding Sunday Bikes. In 2016, he ran every street in Buffalo. Today, he captures the world of running around him, highly influenced by his experiences in BMX and skateboarding.

In this episode we yap about:

• How he got into photography
• His time spent as pro BMX rider
• How injuries helped him shape his craft
• What inspired the start of mile by mile photo
• Running every street in Buffalo
• A behind the scenes look of running photography
• Supporting small biz and Jim's work
• And so much more!

Stay connected:

• Mile by Mile Photo on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milebymilephoto/
• Jim's portfolio: https://jimcielencki.myportfolio.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadYyr8D5-NRhQr09haeKiheoyaeEdQipqf-_moKbpusQASkbn1Y7y3wiLrvoQ_aem_NBzQKh1pFV8XQBbNj_Yvxw
• Jim's Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUWWRyuggKM
• Stevie's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevielynlyn/
• Stevie's website: https://stevielynrd.com/