That Psyched Runner

Today we hear from Alexa Hoppenfeld. You might know her as recoveryfortri on Instagram! She shares a bit of her story, how she's overcome adversity and her eating disorder, and how she is using her social media platform to inspire others. We discuss finding worth, purpose, and joy outside of your sport and identity as one with an eating disorder, and how to persevere through hardship. She has such great words of wisdom and advice and is truly inspirational. You will not want to miss this episode! You can find and connect with Alexa through her social media platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryfortri/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexagothopps?lang=en

Strava - The app we as athletes know and love. This app has gained so much popularity recently, and is such a wonderful asset to the fitness and running community. I personally use and love Strava. But why do we as athletes love it so much? What is the psychology behind our strava fascination? When is Strava good for you as a runner? What are some cons to using the app? How do we have a good relationship with the app? All of these questions are answered in today's episode! I talk all about how our minds are attracted to Strava, pros and cons of the app, and how to cultivate a good relationship with the app and avoid comparison. I talk a lot about comparison on this episode and how to remember your worth and originality! 

Instagram: an.athletes.apron

TikTok: sabrina.lynn73 

In today's episode, we get to hear from a very special guest: Ruby May-Tetz! You may know her as realistically.ruby on Instagram. Ruby shares her story about her journey with running, fueling, and her eating disorder, and how she overcame adversity. She shares wise insights and inspires so many. We frequently discuss the harm of comparison (especially when it comes to fueling) and how to embrace your uniqueness day in and day out. Additionally, she talks about the gift of mindset, and how we can cultivate gratitude and live life one day at a time. Her story is inspirational, and her advice is incredible. You won't want to miss this episode. You can connect with ruby on Instagram or TikTok, and she has a podcast of her own, which are all linked down below! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realistically.ruby/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realistically.ruby

Sunny-Side Up Pod: https://open.spotify.com/show/6JAWO3zsDGPNfGSDmavvHj

In today's episode, I interview Makenzie Steele, the creator of good food good run social media pages! We talk about her journey towards becoming a runner, what running in college is like, how she makes sure to fuel well as an athlete, fueling advice and tips, and how good food good run started! We talk about trusting your body and trusting the process of life. She shares some great insights and tips for everyone, whether you are an athlete or not! Make sure to give this episode a listen and to follow her social media pages! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodfoodgoodrun/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodfoodgoodrun?lang=en 

Welcome to a bonus episode to celebrate global running day! Whether you are running today, celebrating the sport, or resting your body so that you can feel stronger on your next run, celebrate this day! I wanted to create this bonus episode to talk a little bit about the history of global running day and also what truly makes you a runner. Hint (it's not based on the clock). Take time to celebrate today all of the wonderful things your body does for you! I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Today's episode is in honor of mental health awareness month. I take a deep dive into some of the recent psychology, neuroscience, and sports medicine literature to talk about the relationship between exercise and mental health. First, I talk about how exercise can enhance mental well-being and help alleviate and prevent symptoms of common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Then, I go into the "why" behind this relationship. I talk about the neuroscience behind why and how exercise helps our mental health, by looking at brain structure changes, neurotransmitter changes, and metabolic changes. Finally, I take a deep dive into running specifically and how running cultivates overall better mental health. I especially touch on the runner's high and the neuroscience behind it! I wrap up by discussing the opposite effect when exercise can actually hurt our mental health through overtraining or exercise addiction, and how to obtain a healthy relationship with exercise. 

Some super cool research in this episode you won't want to miss if you are interested in psychology and exercise! 

Welcome to the unapologetically fueled podcast! In this episode, I am introducing myself, letting you know my background, and answering your questions. I talk about what the podcast is about, how I became interested in this topic, provide some fun facts about me, and give a couple of tidbits of advice. I would love to connect with you all! You can follow me and connect with me on my Instagram, @an.athletes.apron. Can't wait for what's to come with this podcast!