This episode is an interview with NYC based RD, Natalie Rizzo. Natalie is the owner of Greenletes, a plant-based sports nutrition company, and she works primarily with plant-based athletes to help them learn how to fuel for health and performance on a plant-based diet. She has her Master's in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Columbia University and is the author of the cookbook Planted Performance. Natalie has been a vegetarian herself for over 15 years, and has completed 2 marathons and over 20 half marathons. She's also a mom to 2 boys.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Natalie found running later in life and caught the bug after finishing her first race
• Natalie's winding path to finding nutrition as a career after originally going into sales
• Her decision to become vegetarian and how she learned about plant-based sports nutrition through her own experiences
• Myths around plant-based eating for athletes
• How to navigate fiber intake as a plant-based athletes, and ideas for lunches for runners training in the afternoon/evening
• Top nutrition recommendations for plant-based runners and tips for anyone who is interested in becoming plant-based

If you're interested in working with Natalie, you can learn more on her website https://greenletes.com/ and you can find her on Instagram @greenletes

This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• I prefer not to weigh myself or know my weight, how do I go about telling my doctor I don’t want to be weighed or see my weight?
• I’m a high school runner and I haven’t PR’d since my freshman year. I still have my period and feel like I’m getting stronger, so I question whether or not it’s fueling related. Do you have any advice?
• I’m a collegiate heptathlete and was wondering if you have suggestions on how to fuel during a heptathlon?
• I struggle with knowing how much to eat during my taper weeks with a lower training volume and get anxious about eating too much. How do you recommend approaching this for peak performance?

Thanks so much to everyone who has submitted questions so far! If you would like to submit a question for future episodes, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

Today’s episode is an interview with Boulder local and professional trail runner for Nike, Bailey Kowalczyk. Bailey grew up in upstate New York where she discovered her love for running. She committed to running for Clemson in college, but right before her arrival the coaching staff underwent a complete change that ultimately ended with her struggling as a collegiate runner. Bailey ended up leaving Clemson and moving to Boulder, where she became a full time student at CU and put running on the back burner. She re-discovered her passion for the sport after some time away, and ultimately went on to find success on the trails with a win at the US trail half marathon championships and a top 5 finish in the Golden Trail series. Bailey is also a run coach, and focuses on helping athletes find life balance while chasing their goals.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Bailey discovered running, and how she considered herself to exclusively be a middle distance runner in high school
• Her transition to collegiate athlete at Clemson, where a last minute coaching change led to a less than optimal environment for her
• Bailey’s experience with RED-S that led her to seek help from a multi-disciplinary team, move to Boulder and take a break from the sport
• How that break allowed her to re-discover her love of running and that ultimately led her to the trails
• What is different about trail running, and how fueling has played a key role in her success
• Why coaching is so important to her, and why she encourages her athletes to find life balance while chasing their goals

You can learn more about Bailey’s coaching services on her website HERE.

This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• I’m a collegiate runner and want to know how to fuel for 3k, 5k and 10k races. Do you have any tips, especially when it comes to hydration as I tend to get a sloshy stomach before my races?
• I’m a collegiate runner and recently learned that I’ve been under fueling. I usually eat when I’m hungry, but now I know I need more fuel than that. Do you have a fueling structure or schedule you recommend to help with this?
• I’m a 40 year old active female who lifts and runs regularly. I’ve been using creatine but haven’t noticed a big difference. Should I increase my dose and if so at what rate?
• I’m going through the process of RED-S recovery and I’m really struggling as a runner. I haven’t had my period for 6 years, I have low ferritin, and all of my runs feel awful. Is this just part of RED-S recovery, or do you have any advice for overcoming these issues? Will I ever be able to perform the way I used to?

Thanks so much to everyone who has submitted questions so far! If you would like to submit a question for future episodes, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This week is a special episode of The Fueling Forward Podcast where you get to hear from the Fueling Forward dietitians, Maddie Alm and Alexa Efraimson. After a listener asked to hear our stories, we decided to interview each other so you can learn more about the dietitians behind Fueling Forward.

In today’s episode we talk about:

• How Alexa got her start in running, going pro right out of high school and running the American junior record in the 1500
• How Maddie went from a walk on to an All-American while at the University of Colorado
• What Alexa struggled with as a pro athlete that led her to discover the field of nutrition and pursue a career as a dietitian
• How working with a dietitian in college helped Maddie learn the importance of fueling for performance, and the changes that inspired her to become a dietitian
• What each of us hope to change when it comes to nutrition for runners, and the runners we work with to help them learn how to fuel for health and performance
• Our answers to the end of episode rapid fire questions!

If you would like to learn more about Fueling Forward and the services and resources we have to offer, you can head to our website at www.fuelingforward.com

This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

• I’ve been struggling with a bone stress injury since June 2025 and have been mostly cross training. I’m struggling with body image and acknowledging that I still need to fuel. Do you have any advice?
• I know I should fuel with carbs before a run, but should I also be fueling before strength training sessions? If so, what would be a good example?
• I’m a high school runner trying to dial in my nutrition. I have an hour commute after practice, should I be fueling during this window? If so, what should I be having?
• I’m a collegiate athlete and have been struggling to fall asleep at night. Is there anything I can do from a nutrition standpoint to try to improve this?

Thanks so much to everyone who has submitted questions so far! If you would like to submit a question for future episodes, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

This episode is an interview with runner and pelvic floor PT, Jessica Dorrington. Jess grew up in North Dakota, where she fell in love with running and went on to run at the collegiate level. Through her experience with injuries, she was inspired to pursue a career in physical therapy. She went on to get her Master's in Physical Therapy, and became a Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist and Certified Manual Physical Therapist. Throughout her time as a PT, she discovered that she was passionate about pelvic floor health and became Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certified, a certification that only 150 practitioners have nationwide. She is now the Director of Physical Therapy at Therapeutic Associates Bethany and Rock Creek, where she works with everyone from recreational to pro runners to help them manage injuries and a wide scope of pelvic health related issues.

On top of her incredible career as a PT, Jess has also finished 10 marathons and has run a sub 3-hour marathon twice, most recently at Chicago in 2025. She's also a mom of 2, and her experience with pregnancy and postpartum and working with athletes going through this phase inspired her to co-write the book Strong as a Mother with former professional runner Shannon Rowbury.

In today's episode, we talk about:

• How Jess got her start with running and what the running and nutrition scene was like in North Dakota
• What she learned navigating injuries and how this inspired her to become a physical therapist
• The overlap between physical therapy and nutrition when it comes to preventing, managing, and treating injuries in runners
• What pelvic floor PT is and why pelvic health is important for runners of all ages, genders and levels
• How Jess balances fueling with a busy life schedule, and her tips for runners to help them stay on top of their needs
• Her book, Strong as a Mother, and why she hopes it will help empower women to find the balance between staying active and listening to their body throughout pregnancy and postpartum

You can learn more about Jess and her services as a PT HERE and you can find Jess's book Strong as a Mother HERE.

This episode is a Q&A episode where I answer questions that have been submitted by listeners.

Questions for today’s episode include:

1. My husband and I are both former collegiate athletes and have noticed our bodies shifting as we enter our 30's. Is this normal, and if so can you explain the science behind why this might be happening?
2. I recently learned that calcium can block iron as well as other things. How do you recommend splitting it up at meals and with other supplements?
3. My daughter has to take thyroid medication in the morning and can't eat for 30 minutes before she runs. I don't want her to train fasted and she doesn't want to wake up earlier to take it. Is there anything we can do?
4. I lift a lot and have gotten bulkier in the off season, and I'm worried this will prevent me from running a PR during track. Do you have any advice on race weight?

Thanks so much to everyone who has submitted questions so far! If you would like to submit a question for future episodes, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at fuelingforwardpodcast@gmail.com.

If you're interested in our free Zoom webinar that will take place on Wednesday 3/18/26, you can register for that HERE.