Dear Listeners,
Katie is a terrific story teller and this week’s episode is filled with lots of colors and experiences to imagine as she looks back on her four months running across Australia. I was very lucky to catch her shortly after she finished so her thoughts are new and forming.
Katie Visco ran across Australia. 2200 miles, a marathon+ each day. Her husband Henley Phillips pedaled a bicycle loaded up with 350 pounds of gear, food, and water, making it the first bike supported transcontinental run across any country. Long runs like this are not new for Katie. In 2009, she became the 2nd youngest and 13th woman to run across America. While making that trip from Boston to San Diego, she also spoke to more than 200 audiences encouraging people to go for their big dreams.
We talk about having a life purpose, letting the next best decision manage big projects, the huge value of telling stories, water, climate, and taking care of the planet.
A Few Lasting Impressions:
1. Katie and husband Henley move from one major adventure/project to another. In the episode she talks about how she plans for and tackles such large undertakings. Much like sailor Hannah Stodel she breaks things down into smaller chunks. Each day of running more than a marathon was divided into three 1.5 hour runs. During difficult times, Katie further broke that time down into ten-minute sections – following her watch and counting down.
2. While in Australia the most frequently asked question was about how they were carrying water and if they had enough. She’s now spreading the word about caring for water. Think mellow yellow.
HOT TAKES
☄️"It takes a lot of strength and courage to actually stand up for yourself."
☄️"And when I had days that are so, so hard, when I was crying on the side of the road, when I saw my partner struggle so much it broke my heart, in those really low moments, motivation is so fickle, I have to remember my purpose."
☄️"Think about what you are already doing that makes you incredible."
IF YOU LIKE THIS EPISODE, TRY THESE:
🎤 Ep 63 Nam, endurance cycling. Listen Here.
🎤 Ep 55 Mallory Hatmaker, running as therapy. Listen Here.
🎤 Ep 37 Stacia Suttles, motivating others. Listen Here.
🎤 Ep 33 Noelle Singleton, I always like this one for meal planning. Listen Here.
I'M READING (WATCHING) NOW
✶ I Changed My Body For My Sport. No Girl Should by Picky Bars Founder Laura Fleshman, mentioned in Laura Moretti Reece's Fast Track.
✶ Mary Cain's I Was The Fast Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike. A must watch.
Latest in Fast Track.
Throwing things out, which is often what editing becomes, is not my strong suit. So once again, we have a long Fast Track. And even still, I apologize to Laura for cutting what I did. Laura Moretti Reece, Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics currently part of the Female Athlete Program and Sports Medicine/Orthopedics Team at Boston Children's Hospital, specializes in sports performance-based nutrition, treating low energy availability, disordered eating, and eating disorders in athletes. She works with Olympic and professional athletes, colleges and universities, professional sport and dance facilities and is consulting dietitian for Boston Ballet Company and US Rowing. Laura is a competitive triathlete and a three-time Boston Marathon qualifier and finisher.
Lasting Impressions:
1. It's shameful that Nike had no staff nutritionist at the Oregon Project. This, to me, shows utter negligence. Someone should have seen this and understood the implications, ramifications, and hazards. And yes, I get it, I’m sure Salazar was telling everyone, "I got this covered".
2. Laura touches on how athletes are vulnerable to coaches and to information. Being a high level athlete is a fine line of sanity.
3. Laura is not a fan of Keto. I learned the diet started as a way to manage epilepsy. Also interesting is that it may seem to work initially for less active people simply because their carbohydrate needs are low anyway.
4. My Fitness Pal is a food & exercise tracking app. I do use it regularly to avoid underfueling. Since my days tend to be radically different – many hour bike rides to a 30 minute gym workout, I can easily err on long cycling days, especially when they come back to back. Everything can be honky dory when going well. However, when I'm struggling in training, or stressed because of work, or not getting enough sleep, my nutrition suffers. And, I’m not one of those people who forgets to eat. I just lose perspective when I’m prioritizing something else. My hunger signals must stop functioning properly because they don’t send me or maybe, I don’t hear them, the proper info. For me, unusual circumstances is where the system breaks down. So, without Laura monitoring me, I use an app.