The Fueling Forward Podcast

While Maddie is on maternity leave, Alexa Gusman, the newest dietitian at Fueling Forward, is taking over to answer your questions! This episode is a Q&A episode where Alexa answers questions that have been submitted by listeners.
Questions for today’s episode include:
How can I catch underfueling before it starts affecting my menstrual cycle? What are other signs of underfueling beyond normal workout fatigue or lack of sleep?
I often find myself bingeing at night and initially thought it was from underfueling earlier in the day. However, even after increasing my intake earlier in the day, I’m still overeating at night. How can I prevent these evening binges?
When is the best time to take iron, and what can I do to improve my ferritin?
How can I respond to friends who share harmful food beliefs? And what’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?
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 professional runner for Nike, Christina Aragon. Christina is a Montana native where she grew up running and doing gymnastics. She was a 12x state champion between track and cross country, and even competed in the Olympic trials in the 1500 as a high schooler. Christina went on to run at Stanford University, where she was a 9x All-American and the 2016 U20 World Championships bronze medalist in the 1500. After college, Christina signed a professional contract with Nike and moved to Eugene to join the Bowerman Track Club, which has now morphed into the Oregon Track Club. Most recently, she finished 10th in the 1500 at the 2024 US Olympic Trials.
In this episode, we talk about:
What it was like balancing both gymnastics and running at a high level in high school, and how she ended up making the hard decision to give up gymnastics to focus on running
How she navigated pressure as a high school runner and why she found national competitions helped take the pressure off
Her struggles with body image that impacted her fueling starting her senior year of high school, and how this impacted her transition to collegiate running
How losing he period for 3 years ended up leading to a 3 year injury cycle, and why it’s so important to fix the root cause of the issue and to allow your body to go through puberty
How guidance from a teammate and coach helped her pull back her training and eat more to ultimately regain her health and get back to running
What her transition from collegiate to professional running was like, and how she has been able to focus on honing in her mental skills for racing

While Maddie is on maternity leave, Alexa Gusman, the newest dietitian at Fueling Forward, is taking over to answer your questions! This episode is a Q&A episode where Alexa answers questions that have been submitted by listeners.
Questions for today’s episode include:
I'm going to be a runner in college next year, and I had a stress fracture this spring and an inconsistent period. My body fat percentage is a little high, and I'd like to lower it for optimal health/fitness. Do you have any tips or suggestions to lower my body fat percentage, regain my cycle, and stay healthy for college athletics?
I'm a college runner who is struggling with getting good quality sleep. I've been taking melatonin and magnesium before bed; are there any other nutrition tips to help with sleep quality?
I have a hard time knowing when I'm full and tend to have portions that are too big. How do I know when I've eaten enough, and how do I portion meals?
I'm a high school cross country coach. What advice would you give to the parents of high school athletes to help their high schooler stay healthy, have fun in the sport, and fuel themselves well?
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 app developer and marathon OTQ hopeful, Maryann Gong. Maryann is an NYC local and California native. She went to MIT where she got her bachelor's degree in computer sciences and her master's degree in AI. While at MIT, she ran on the track and xc team, becoming an All-American and a D3 champion in the indoor 3k. She struggled on and off with fueling and an injury cycle after her junior year, and her experience with this inspired her to create a training app for runners called Toga. She found her way to the marathon and is currently a member of Central Park Track Club chasing an OTQ in the marathon at Chicago this fall.
In this episode, we talk about:
How Maryann got into the sport of running in high school after transitioning from soccer
What it was like transitioning from high school to running at an academically rigorous school like MIT, and why D3 was a good fit for her
Her struggles with fueling that led to episodes of bulimia and an injury cycle, and how she found her way back from that to focus on fueling for performance
Her new AI powered app for runners, Toga, and why it was important to her to include a feature that helps hold runners back to reduce risk of injury or burnout
How she discovered high carb fueling during runs, and why she feels like it has changed the game for her to get 120g of carbs per hour during training and marathons
If you would like to keep up with Maryann, you can find her on Instagram at @maryanngong. If you are interested in Toga, you can follow them on Instagram at @trainwithtoga and you can try it out free for 30 days using the code FUELINGFORWARD. You can find Toga in the app store HERE.

While Maddie is on maternity leave, Alexa Gusman, the newest dietitian at Fueling Forward, is taking over to answer your questions! This episode is a Q&A episode where Alexa answers questions that have been submitted by listeners.
Questions for today’s episode include:
I'm a high school track and cross-country athlete and definitely have a sweet tooth. My training load is relatively light compared to many other distance runners, and as the postseason approaches, my family has been encouraging me to cut back on sweets. What are your thoughts on this?
I'm recovering from an eating disorder and working to get my period back. Since gaining weight, I've been struggling to hit my usual times on the track and have lost some of my motivation and enjoyment for running. Is this more of a mindset shift I need to work through, or could I still be experiencing physical effects from my past restriction?
What tips would you give a high school athlete who wants to start fueling during long runs?
How do you navigate the belief that "thinner equals faster," especially when that message is coming from your coach?
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.