RD Real Talk - Registered Dietitians Keeping it Real

" We have a lot of work to do to help improve the health of [running] culture, like the basic understanding of what it means to be a healthy runner," shares Renee Hodges DPT.  Renee Hodges is a physical therapist (DPT) based in the Phoenix AZ area, specializing in endurance athletes. As an endurance athlete herself, Hodges shares that she has experienced REDs, low energy availability, overtraining syndrome, and more. She breaks down the basics of bone health (pop quiz on osteoclasts and osteoblasts!), and how low energy avability impacts our body's recovery, and overall health.  Stay tuned for more of Renee's athletic story, why she's excited to be training for a 70.3 Ironman this year, bone stress injury rehab and recovery, and more.  Follow Renee Hodges DPT on Instagram: @reneehodges_DPT Follow Lane 9 on Instagram: @lane9project Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: Lane9project.Substack.com She's part of our Lane 9 Directory, as well! If you are looking for a clinician who specializes in women's health and sport, go to Lane9project.org/directory to match with someone who is a good fit for you.  Contact us anytime: Lane9project @ gmail dot com.  And find more of our resources for athletes in women's sports by going to Lane9project.org. 

" I just needed to do all of those things for myself before I really talked about it publicly. Plus, I was not in a great head space about it at first, as most people aren't with a big injury," says well-known sports dietitian Meghann Featherstun, RDN MS CSSD, in regards to the post where she shared her sacral stress fracture injury at the end of 2024.  Meghann Featherstun, aka "Feathers" (if you're a "Fuel for the Sole" listener), and maybe best known by her private practice's name and Instagram handle, Featherstone Nutrition, joined Lane 9 to talk about her running experiences—including her first marathon, the 6 World Marathon Majors in 18 months, her recent injury, and more. Featherstun is a 2:51 marathoner, breaking the 3-hour mark for the first time in 2019 and getting faster from there. And she's on Instagram weekly sharing accessible and easy-applicable sports nutrition information for the everyday runner.  (Think you can't fuel before your run? Her graham-crackers say otherwise!) This episode also covers:  the real reason Meghann signed up for her very first marathon in 2009 the lessons she had to learn for herself before specializing in sports nutrition how everything came together for her to complete the 6-star World Marathon Majors goal in only 18 months the process of coming to terms with her sacral stress fracture and then sharing with widely, which isn't easy to do how she's been recovering from that injury and of course, sports nutrition! Trends, carbs (not a trend!), sodium (also not a trend, but kind of is!), and eating adequately for performance.  Follow Meghann on Instagram @FeatherstoneNutrition.  Follow Lane 9 on Instagram @Lane9project.  To find a clinician to work with, go to Lane9project.org/Directory and match with a dietitian, therapist, physical therapist, and/or coach from our network.  And hey, if you like this episode, let us know! We love to see it.   

" I think I was just trying to make only running work for me and I just am not the kind of person that can only run. I need other things in my life," shares Jess McClain, who most recently finished 7th overall and first American across the finish line at the 2025 Boston Marathon, in 2:22:43, a 3-minute personal best.  Jess McClain is professional marathoner for Brooks Running. In 2024, she placed 4th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, placed 4th at the U.S Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 10,000m, won the 2024 U.S. 10K road championships, and placed 8th overall at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon. In other words: She had a big year!  McClain went on to PR in the 10K on the track, placed 4th at the US Half-Marathon Championships in March, and again, 7th at the 2025 Boston Marathon. This time around, as a professional runner for Brooks once again, she's doing things differently. She's clearer on what works well for her, when it comes to work, life, and running competitively, and she's leaving her own footprint on the sport because of that. She joins the Lane 9 podcast to talk about all of the following:  lessons learned by underfueling and overtraining for the marathon (a sacral stress fracture in 2022 became a reset for her) why she sticks to about half the weekly mileage of her fellow professional runners when training for the marathon (at least for now!) her experiences on competitive high school and collegiate track and cross country teams, the team cultures around fueling and periods, and what she learned from her coaches along the way her first experience as a professional runner—plagued with injuries, stress, and setbacks why she came back to compete at the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2024, and what she thought would happen after that race how she's fueling NOW for her marathon training and racing, and her pro tips for finding gels/fueling options that work well for you and how she loves to celebrate after her races Follow McClain on Instagram @JessTonn.     

"My big fear with all of this is the trickle down," Dr. Sasha Gollish joins us on the episode, to chat about her work in Gender Equity in sport, her time as a professional runner for team Canada, how she knew she was in perimenopause, and much more. Gollish ran at a younger age, but took some time off and worked as an engineer in Toronto before getting back to the sport at a high level. We talk about what it looked like to go back into competitive running, working with Oiselle and Asics, going to the World Marathon Championships in 2023 for Team Canada, and eventually navigating perimenopause. As a gender equity advocate, Gollish worked to bring awareness to the World Athletics decision to resume "sex testing" for athletes competing in the female category, so we discuss her thoughts and perspective on that, along with concerns about how it may impact athletes down the line.  Follow Dr. Sasha Gollish and Yellow Running Shoes on Instagram: @Sgollishruns. Connect with Lane 9 on Instagram @lane9project, email us Lane 9 project at gmail dot com, and/or go to Lane9project.org.  Find a clinician and/or coach to work with as you navigate fueling, mental health, and menstrual health by going to Lane9project.org/directory.    

"I didn't know what I was doing at all...I didn't take any gels in my first marathon...Now I take gels like every 5K or sometimes every 30 minutes."  Emilia Benton is a freelance health and wellness journalist who is particularly passionate about sharing diverse stories and elevating underrepresented voices. Her work has been published by outlets such as Runner's World, Outside RUN, SELF, Women's Health and the Houston Chronicle. Emilia is also a 14-time marathoner, 50-something-time half-marathoner and USATF Level 1-certified run coach.  We talk about the races she has run and worked at this year (including riding on the lead vehicle in Boston), and:  Why she keeps running marathons (14+), and why she loves the Houston Marathon How she has approached training for races lately & why she hired nell rojas as her coach A plea for wider carbon-plated shoes How she approaches fueling now and what she has learned along the way Her hydration tricks for getting through the heat of a Houston Summer How she transitioned from being a FT journalist at the Houston Chronicle to a job in healthcare to freelance work and more! Follow Emilia @emiliambenton on Instagram.  Follow @lane9project on Instagram, and reach out anytime: Lane9project at gmail dot com.  To find a clinician or coach who specializes in women's health and sport, go to Lane9Project.org/directory.   

"For so long, every conversation, every day, was like, 'what is your weight?'  So really like reinforcing confidence and performance all around the number on the scale." Alexa Efraimson signed a professional running contract with Nike when she was just 17 years old. She hadn't gone through puberty yet, and while did shortly after that, her cycles were "super inconsistent" for the next six+ years. She navigated challenges with weight, body image, and fueling for performance. She got a college degree while running professionally, and had some success during her eight years as a pro. But in 2022, after enduring an emotional time with her partner and their families, she began to reevaluate her relationship to running and sport. She retired, and started pursuing an additional degree to eventually become a registered dietitian.  This episode covers the following topics and more:  Efraimson's current running and a big goal she has the Dietetic internship (she's graduating in May 2025) Navigating racing professionally, weight, body image, fueling, and harmful nutrition advice Going through puberty as a professional runner How she felt about the Mary Cain story when it came out and she was also competing as a pro runner for Nike What happened during the last year of her professional running career The nutrition book that totally shifted her perspective on eating and health Follow Alexa Efraimson as she becomes a registered dietitian this year (2025) and begins supporting fellow athletes: @alexa.efraimson. Looking for a clinician to support you through REDs, fueling for performance, or navigating mental health in sports? Go to Lane9Project.org/Directory to connect with a Lane 9 provider.  Follow Lane 9 on Instagram @lane9Project and Substack: lane9project.substack.com. 

"{Houston} was a really great season opener and showed me again that I could fuel like I even fuel in the half marathon now, it's I'm able to take fuel. It's, and sustain my training and feel healthy and finishing strong in my races," shares Molly Bookmyer. Bookmyer is an elite distance runner based in Columbus OH. She walked onto the Ohio State XC/Track and FIeld teams, but left the sport before graduating because of some frustrating injuries and health issues. She wasn't getting regular periods, which actually led to her healthcare team discovering a small brain tumor. After some time away from the sport she got back into distance running and eventually qualified for both the 2020 and 2024 Marathon Olympic Trials. While her marathon and half-marathon times have improved over the years—she ran a PR and won the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon in 2:28, and ran a half-marathon PR at the 2025 Houston Marathon with a 1:09—she has also navigated some intense challenges with gut health and fueling.  We recorded this right before she traveled to DC where she ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, which she finished in 52:42, 8th overall female and 7th american. As she shared on Instagram, she “Ran over a minute PR in the 10 mile race and snagged a 10k PR of 32:11 in the process”.  Next up is London, so we'll be virtually cheering for her in a few weeks! This episode covers a lot! We discuss:  Her 14th place finish at the Half marathon championships in March 2025 Why she's planning to do more races this year How she walked onto the XC/TF team at Ohio State in college, her experience as a collegiate athlete, and why she quit after a few years How she found out she had a small brain tumor,which may have been related to her experience with amenorrhea  Why and how she got back into high level/elite running, which only a few years later landed her in 3rd place at the 2019 US 25K Championship How her fueling has evolved, especially after two stress fractures in/around 2020, and then a very unpleasant experience during the 2022 Houston Marathon Her gluten-free fueling strategies and what's working well for her now Her water bottle secret for elites And her post-race journaling prompts!  Follow Molly on Instagram to cheer her on, @MollyBookie.  Follow Lane 9 @Lane9Project.  Connect with a women's health and sport clinician to get support with YOUR fueling, mental health, and/or period health by going to Lane9Project.org/directory. 

"I had lost my period for a year. I was definitely not eating nearly enough, eating healthy to an extreme point...it was a very unhealthy relationship with my body," shares Natalie Tyner, who was a North Carolina State Champion in high school and went on to compete collegiately for University of NortH Carolina (UNC). Natalie is now focusing her work on supporting high school athletes who are preparing to compete at a higher level, navigating mental health, performance nutrition, and balancing their training with adequate rest. She's doing this work because she knows how hard it is to compete at the D1 level, and wants future athletes to be more prepared than she was.  In this episode we talk about:  the knee injury Natalie has been navigating for a few years feeling wholly unprepared for the college athlete experience, and running at a higher level, during her freshman year of college the disordered eating, and hypothalamic amenorrhea she experienced in high school, and how a cookbook can sometimes feel like a rule book the performance anxiety that plagued her running experience for years the culture around food, body image, and periods that she experienced during her collegiate experience and both why and how she came into the work she does now, supporting high school athletes as they prepare for the collegiate athlete life Follow Natalie @NatSportPrep on IG to connect with her.  Follow @Lane9project, and visit Lane9Project.org where we house our resources, including our Clinician Directory. If you are also struggling with disordered eating, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and/or performance anxiety (or other mental health issues), our directory of women's health and sport clinicians are here to help. We'll match you with a provider in your area. 

"I feel like on every team I've been on, I've been someone who has eaten the most...which is sometimes a little daunting." Annie Rodenfels joins Lane 9 to talk about everything from period health, queerness in running, body dysmorphia, and why she's still coaching herself...longer than she anticipated doing so!  Rodenfels is a professional runner based in Boston MA, coming off of an indoor track season that included two PBs in her events. After leaving the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) high performance team last year, she's been coaching herself while figuring out next steps with a sponsor and/or team. While it's not her preference, she's done it well enough to keep herself in the mix competitively.  We got to talk to Annie about her experiences from high school to D3 collegiate running to both the sub-elite and professional running environments—a conversation about periods, eating enough, body dysmorphia, and queerness in the sport of running (or...what feels like a lack thereof, compared to some other prominent women's sports).  In this conversation:  an update on her current training her take on the 2025 indoor season (and her 2 PBs) why she's still coaching herself, and balancing working 20 hours per week with training and competing the various team cultures she has experienced when it comes to periods, nutrition, body image, and having access to resources (or having to find them on your own) that high level competitors may want/need during various seasons (e.g. a dietitian, mental health therapist, etc.) protective factors (for her) against disordered eating, despite some experiences with body dysmorphia  Queer culture and representation in women's sports, and how it feels a bit lacking in the running space; why she shared her bisexuality more publicly about two years ago the race distance, and big audacious goal she might take on, in the future Follow Annie on Instagram (@andrearodenfels) and/or Strava.  To connect with a clinician who can help you navigate fueling for performance, treating REDs, body image, mental health, and/or period health, go to Lane9project.org/Directory. For more resources from Lane 9, visit Lane9project.org.  Follow us @Lane9project on IG, and let us know if you liked this episode!  

"I think for so many years I was married to like, if I don't get the run in, I don't feel like I got a quality workout in and I just don't feel like that anymore," shares Lindsey Hein, host of I'll Have Another, among other podcasts produced by her media company, Sandy Boy Productions.  Lindsey is a 17-time marathoner, running coach, mom of 4, race announcer, and podcast host! On this episode, she talks candidly with us about all the body things, and she's been through a lot. Tune in for any/all of these things: How running is feeling for her in THIS season of life, 2 years post-hysterectomy A case for doing long runs during the week! The hardest thing to recover from (mastectomy) physically, and the hardest emotionally (hysterectomy) Perimenopause symptoms Postpartum symptoms! The different experiences she had with each of her four pregnancies and postpartum return to running How running has changed for Lindsey since starting her show, I'll have another, in 2016 Her kids getting into running now,  and more! Follow Lindsey on Instagram @LindseyHein626. Find her work and her shows here! If you relate to any of these things, and are looking for a clinician who can support you through this season and chasing running goals, go to Lane9Project.org/Directory. We have clinicians and coaches who specialize in women's health and sport, across more than 20 states! For everything else we're working on, check out Lane9project.org, and send us a note if you have any questions!  Follow us on Instagram @Lane9project. 

"It's an act of resistance, in taking care ourselves, especially for those of us who have had a disordred relationship with food. Take care of yourself not just because you want to feel good on your runs, but because you want to be a badass in life." Amanda Katz is a personal trainer, running coach, Equinox trainer and programmer for indoor cycling, onset trainer with the New York Times, and co-host of the podcast, "Between Two Coaches". We connected with Amanda for our "In Lane 9 with" series on our Substack (see her feature here), and wanted to extend that conversation to the podcast.  Connect with a clinician or coach from the Lane 9 Directory by going to Lane9Project.org/Directory. We match you with a right-fit provider for performance nutrition, physical therapy and/or pelvic health, mental health, and/or menstrual health. We talk about:  her year on the run in 2024, with many PRs in fueling! Getting up to 80g carbs per hour with a lot of practice and consistency how (and why) she became both a group fitness instructor and running coach, and what her days look like when she's also training for her own movement goals (like a marathon!) why she doesn't participate in strava, or share any of her paces on Instagram her experience with two eating disorder "rock bottoms", and how she found a way to participate in group therapy for free when she couldn't afford private pay treatment options, and what actually worked for her  her take on carbon-plated shoes and her two favorite soapboxes/hot takes!  Tune in for Amanda's humor, smack talk and 'Great NYC energy, No BS', and stay for the best bagel recommendation from a lifelong New Yorker (but don't tell anyone else! she doesn't want a line!).  Find Amanda via Instagram @Amanda_Katzz and via AmandaKatz.com  For more from Lane 9 Project visit Lane9Project.org. Or email us Lane9project @ gmail.com

"It was pressure I put on myself. Because I saw other athletes and I wanted to be part of that, okay, look, I want to prove that they did the right thing supporting me during my pregnancy, and now I'm going to come back for them." Neely Spence Gracey ran professionally for eight years after a lot of success as a collegiate runner in the D2 program at Shippensburg University. She has two kids, has coached hundreds of athletes through her business, Get Running, and ran FOUR marathons in 2024 alone. In this episode, we caught up with Neely toward the beginning of 2025 and talked about all the things:  Her transition from high school success to collegiate running at Shippensburg University, a D2 program in Pennsylvania Why she started her run coaching business while still running professionally  Her two different experiences with pregnancy and running How she approached getting back to running postpartum with her second kid to try to avoid some of those injuries How long it took her to feel “normal” again on the run, and running and racing postpartum after her professional contracts ended Training between her qualifying race (CIM 2022) and the Olympic Trials in 2024 What she realized while training for the 2024 Olympic Trials marathon Her year of 4 marathons in 2024!  A race recap from her 2:33 at CIM 2024 Her 2025 goals For more from Lane 9, where we talk about REDs, period health, nutrition, and mental health, go to Lane9project.org. To connect with a Lane 9 clinician or coach, click on "Driectory", and to get in touch, click on "Contact". We'd love to hear from you! Follow Neely @neelysgracey on IG.  @Lane9Project on IG and Blue.Sky

"I absolutely know, had I not made that decision to go back into treatment, I would be still spinning my wheels in like a very, very harmful place. So, it was a risk worth taking." Amelia Boone, as many of you know, is an Obstacle Racing World Champion turned Ultrarunner, attorney by day, and eating disorder awareness advocate and writer. She had a weird year in 2024, with no start or finish lines for the first time in a LONG time. She navigated a difficult injury, and continues to navigate some of the long-term impacts of an eating disorder.  We talk about: What she would tell her younger self if they went to get coffee together How she's feeling on the run, at the time of our chat (Feb. 2025) What life looks like on the other side of elite level racing and competing Why we need more not-so-epic comeback stories Her hesitations in sharing this part of ED recovery, that's not as sensationalized, not as exciting, but maybe the most accurate in terms of what most people experience Why she wishes she had gone back to ED treatment much earlier (than mid-30s) And why going back to treatment was "110% the right choice" Some ways she's exploring her creativity and non-sport performance side now! For more from Lane 9, go to lane9project.org.  To find a clinician to work with, and build your ED and/or REDs care team, go to Lane9Project.org/Directory. We have clinicians across the country who are ED and REDs informed and ready to support you in your sport(s)!  @Lane9Project on Instagram. 

Eight years ago, on the eve of Eating Disorder Awareness Week in 2017, we decided to go live with our personal stories—our lived experiences with disordered eating, hypothalamic amenorrhea, running, injuries, all of it—and see what happened. We had BIG Ideas for Lane 9 Project, but the only way we knew how to start, was to write. Alexis wrote her essay first, and we're revisiting her story in conversation form for this episode. On the eighth anniversary of launching Lane 9, we explore why we keep coming back to this work (literally...we left, and came back last year!). And we share how we met, why we felt compelled to do something, ANYTHING, about the lack of knowledge that so many athletes (ourselves included) have about their own bodies, fueling, and period health.  More to come, this is part 1! Ways to work with Lane 9:  team workshops run coaching (with Alexis or Heather) share your story share our content with a coach, friend, teammate, or mentor! And connect with our clinicians! Go to lane9project.org/directory to find a clinician that feels like a good fit for you and your REDs recovery.  Lane9project.org. And @Lane9Project on Instagram

"A lot of us were really struggling with our own issues, particularly related to issues with eating disorders, issues with body image that sort of thing, myself included. and I think unknowingly I was kind of passing it on to my teammates," shares Julianne Morse, or Coach Jules as she's known these days!  Morse joined the Wheaton Lyons women's cross country and track team as a walkon athlete her freshman year. She competed through injuries, setbacks related to REDs, and struggles with body image. She found support in both a therapist and a dietitian, connecting with Boston's Female Athlete Clinic, and eventually ran major PRs in her 5K and 10K events. Despite what was considered a career-ending injury during her senior year, she's stuck with the sport and continues to advocate for her care so she can, hopefully, get back out on the run soon. She's now a Graduate Assistant Coach at University of Wisconsn-Platteville, where she's also pursuing her Master's degree in Sports Administration.  We talked about:  not being the fastest runner in high school, and reaching out to the Wheaton coach asking to be the team photographer...which turned into her own spot on the XC and T&F teams struggling with disordered eating, body image, and amenorrhea during her freshman and sophomore years of college connecting with both a therapist and dietitian who supported her to come back to the sport and stay injury-free for over 2 years the injury that ended her season, and her D1 committ to Niagara University her decision to coach as a Graduate Assistant Coach at University of Wisconsin-Plattevile her future plans and ambitions as both a coach and an athlete If you're struggling with REDs, body image, underfueling, digestive issues, or resonate with any of Julianne's story, we have a directory of women's health and sport clinicians ready to support you. Go to Lane9project.org/Directory and find a clinician that feels like the right-fit for you. We're happy to help! If you have questions, contact us via Lane9project at gmail dot com.  For show notes, a full transcript (via email/PDF), and more work that we're doing in Lane 9, head to Lane9project.org.  If you share this episode on social media, tag @lane9project.

"I never once felt like myself while I was running in college," shares Val Rubio Meza on the Lane 9 Podcast. But she certainly found her stride with running groups, and longer distances, after her collegiate running days were over. While she specialized in the 400m in high school and college, and couldn't fathom doing a 6 mile training run, she eventually gravitated toward 13.1 and 26.2 mile races. She found running groups in Denver that she connected with, and felt supported by, which helped her find joy and fun in the sport again.  Val shares how she increased her endurnace to run longer distances, the story of her first marathon in Indianapolis (where she ran a 3:02), and the three world majors that followed. As she shares, she learned "to respect the marathon", and eventually ran a 2:55 at CIM in December 2024.  Follow Val @valrunsdenver on IG.  Mentioned on the show: SELF article by Cindy Kuzma, "Sorry, but running without energy gels isn't the flex you think" Go to Lane9project.org/directory to find a clinician or coach to work with as you navigate post-collegiate running, REDs, and/or fueling for your sport. Our directory includes RDs, DPTs, MDs, therapists, and more.  Get in touch via Lane9Project.org/contact to bring Lane 9 resources to your team or clients. We'd love to work with you! Follow @lane9project on IG, and get all show notes at Lane9project.org. 

Katie Steele LMFT competed for University of Oregon and Florida State as a collegiate runner, and now incorporates her experiences with mental health struggles, unethical coaching practices, and the pressures of collegiate athletics into her work as a therapist. She co-authored the book, "The Price She Pays: Confronting the Hidden Mental Health Crises in Women's Sports, from the Schoolyard to the Stadium"  The title says a lot, and the book lives up to it. Telling the stories of female athletes across the country and across a variety of sports who have struggled with eating disorders, mental health, menstrual health, abuse, and more.  Katie's story is also one for the books. Her own experience as a collegiate athlete touches on most of the above, and we talk about it.  Find Katie and her team at thrivementalhealththerapy.com.  If you are struggling with an eating disorder, mental health, menstrual issues, or medical health as a female athlete, head to Lane9Project.org/directory to connect with one of our vetted women's health providers.  Follow @lane9project on IG. Get in touch if YOU are a clinician and want to add your services to our directory! 

"I've done a lot of work trying to unpack the ''faster is better, or faster is the only way to run...it sounds so silly saying it out loud, but it's just been like, weighing on my consciousness." Cate Barrett shares about this process, of unlearning the one and only way she knew how and was trained to run, as a competitive collegiate athlete and finding her post college stride. She ran an Olympic marathon trials qualifying time in 2018 at CIM, and ran the 2020 Olympic Team Trials Marathon in February 2020. Soon after that, she was pregnant with her first kid, and a year after that, she was pregnant again.  Now, with 2 and 4 year old kiddos at home, she's continue to navigate this season of life, and what it means for her running.  "I didn't realize before I had to take such extended breaks how much of a role running was playing in my self care. I think I was just like, well, it's just what I do, but, it was multiple things rolled up into one." Tune in for a relatable, but not-as-often-widely-shared story of how Cate is navigating what running looks and feels like now, how she's still building community around running, and finding new ways for it to be in her life, as a parent and 30-something in tech.  For more from Lane 9 Project go to Lane9project.org. Find a women's health and sport clinician to support you through this season of life, with nutrition, therapy, Physican therapy, and/or medical care—our national directory of providers is ready to support YOU.  Lane9project.org/Directory @lane9project on Instagram Weekly newsletter: Lane9project.substack.com  

"Okay, no one on your team is fueling. But, what if you're the person to set the example?"  Caila Yates is a sports and eating disorder dietitian based in Boulder CO, in private practice (Steady State Nutrition). She started running in college because one of her friends was doing it, and the rest is history. For her, running was supportive to her own eating disorder recovery, though we know that's not always the case. Now she works with runners at various levels of the sport, and knows the ins and outs of running culture, disordered and restrictive eating, and how hard it can be to stand up to or stand out from what your teammates are doing. So, we talk about that!  Go to steadystatenutrition.co to find ways to work with Caila.  To find and work with a women's health and sport informed clinician from the Lane 9 Project Directory, go to lane9project.org/contact to get in touch! @Lane9project on IG Lane9project.Substack.com for our regular newsletter and essays

"When I was in college I saw a lot of people struggling, not just myself, because it's just a very difficult time."  Tessa (Tess) Barrett won the 2013 Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship as a senior in High School. She was featured on a billboard in her hometown! The highs were high, and it could seem like everything was going well at the time. But she was also struggling with her own health, and with a sick parent. She went on to compete at Penn State, grieving the loss of a parent and navigating the often-fraught world of collegiate athletics, with a lot of eyes on her.  Tess eventually moved to Washington DC where she trains and competes with Georgetown Running Club, and had a huge year on the run in 2024. She won a couple of local races, including the Marine Corps Marathon with a personal best of 2:39:38. We talk about all of the above, and how Tess balances running with working, and having a life, on this episode.  Follow Tessa Barrett on Instagram @tessabarrett_ and via the Georgetown Running Club updates.  Lane 9 working to improve the menstrual and mental health of female-bodied athletes. Connect with a practitioner or coach through the Lane 9 directory by going to Lane9Project.org. Follow on Instagram @Lane9Project.

Hello 2025! The year we are connecting female-bodied athletes to the clinicians and coaches who are trained and equipped to support their fully body health—menstrual, mental, and physical wellbeing that keeps athletes in their game(s).  Tune into this short n' sweet episode to hear from Lane 9 Co-founder, Heather Caplan, about what we're up to this year and how to work with us.  For more about the Lane 9 Directory—how to find a clinician or how to join us if you ARE a clinician—go to Lane9project.org / contact.  Or DM us on Instagram: @lane9project. 

"I think making two Olympics was easier than trying to figure out what I want to do now." Jourdan Delacruz has been competing as a weightlifter for ten years, from training as a highschooler at the US Olympic Training Center, to multiple international competitions, to both the Toyko and Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, she completed her degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, on her way to becoming a registered dietitian with the hopes of working with athletes like herself.  We caught up with Jourdan at the end of 2024, as an Olympic year winds down and she reflects on everything she's accomplished to date. She's in a time of transition, without clear next steps, but excited about a variety of possibilities. We loved hearing more about her training, competitions, Olympic experiences, and how she's already supporting athletes with nutrition resources via HerAthlete.  Follow Jourdan @herathlete on Instagram.  Lane 9 is working to improve the menstrual health of female-bodied athletes at all levels of sport and through various seasons of life. Join our national directory of providers and coaches, or bring a Lane 9 resource to your team! Go to Lane9Project.org for more info.  Follow Lane 9 @lane9project on Instagram, and say hi!

" Own what you're doing. And, if you're really riding a wave of inconsistency or doubt, remember that you're always on your own side." Georgetown athlete Fiona Max, running Cross Country and Track & Field in her last year of NCAA eligibility joins us on the Lane 9 Podcast.  Fiona competed for, and completed her undergraduate degree at Princetown University from 2020-2024, then transferred to Georgetown to pursue her Master's in Sustainability and compete again. She wrote a blog post for GU Energy Labs titled "Practice over Perfection" about her experience with performance anxiety and struggling with perfectionism while competing within and studying at an Ivy League school. We talk about her experiences in collegiate athletics thus far, and what she's scheming for her post-NCAA life.  Read Fiona's post for GU here.  Lane 9 is working to improve the menstrual health of female-bodied athletes and reduce REDs by sharing athlete stories from all levels of sport and various seasons of life. We're also building a national directory of practitioners and coaches who specialize in women's health and sport. Go to Lane9project.org / contact to get in touch, and/or join our directory! Follow @lane9project on Instagram. All show notes can be found at lane9project.org, with full transcripts available by request.

Rachel Drake is a professional trail runner with Nike, co-host of The Trail Network Podcast, mom of 2-year old Lew, and a newly-minted medical resident in Salt Lake City, UT. A few weekends ago, she ran, won, and broke the course record for women at the JFK 50 Miler in northern Virginia—a huge accomplishment on its own, but especially considering all of the above.  We talked to Rachel about her time as a collegiate athlete, finding trail running and a close community of friends in that space when she moved to Portland OR, and eventually getting back to racing on the trails and roads (and doing it well!).  And she shared the full story of her postpartum running process, getting a sacral stress fracture soon after she got back into high volume training. "We don't hear about the struggle, and I think the struggle is the predominating experience," she said, when we talked about her injury and how she felt like she wasn't seeing as any stories about setbacks. How so often, what's shared is centered around the wins, the course records, the "bounce backs".  Tune in to hear Rachel's full story, and what she's eyeing for 2025!  Follow Rachel on Instagram @RachelRaeDrake.  Follow Lane 9 @lane9project on IG. If you work with female-bodied athletes, and want to 1) add your services our national directory of providers, 2) join a collective of coaches and practitioners who work with Lane 9, or 3) bring a Lane 9 resource to your team/athletes, go to Lane9Project.org/contact.   

Dr. Sarah Lesko is MANY things—a runner, parent, pracitioner, and a staunch advocate for female athletes of all ages, devoting her work to getting and keeping girls in sports. We couldn't have been more excited to chat with her, getting the story of her days as a collegiate athlete, why she took more than 15 years off of running and how that actually felt, what happened when she came back to running and met Oiselle's founder Sally Bergesen, and everything in between. Sarah is now the Executive Director and Board President of the incredible nonprofit, Bras for Girls, which started within Oiselle is 2017 and branched out as its own 501(c)3 in 2021. They have donated over 60,000 sports bras just THIS YEAR to young female athletes, and have even bigger plans for 2025. Come for all of the things Sarah has done in the sport of running and for female athletes up to this point, but stay for the hot takes, and unfiltered reality checks, on what really needs to happen within the NCAA to protect female athletes and keep them in sports at all levels, for the long run.  Follow Dr. Lesko on Instagram @DrLesko and @brasforgirls. Go to brasforgirls.org to get involved.  To work with Lane 9 and support what we're building for women's health providers and female athletes, go to Lane9Project.org, and follow us on IG @lane9project.

Melissa (Mel) Lodge was a collegiate track and field athlete who had multiple bone stress injuries, and a few providers in her corner that knew exactly what to do to help her navigate REDs. She took her personal experiences and funneled her drive into studying the prevalence of and interventions that may actually help prevent and treat REDs in all levels of sport. She takes time out of her day as a PhD candidate to translate the research into digestible bits on her popular and informative Instagram account, @FED_Collaborative.  We talked to Mel about her athlete journey, and how it's informing the work she's doing now. Tune in for some well-informed hot takes, relatable anecdotes about working with providers, and the latest in her REDs research.  Love this episode and the work we're doing at Lane 9 Project? Leave us some good vibes in the reviews! Or stop by lane9project.org to learn how to work with us.  Follow @Lane9Project on IG, or go to Lane9Project.org/Contact to get in touch. 

Emma Kertesz won the 2024 Bayshore Marathon in 2:37, a three and a half minute PR for the seasoned marathoner and Boulder CO resident. She's from Toledo OH, and ran for the University of Toledo. While she describes her collegiate athletic experiences as "tricky", she had a few lucky experiences with a supportive assistant coach that helped her steer clear of disordered eating habits or chasing the thin ideal (especially at the time). She went on to train with the Hanson brothers, and eventually moved out to the mountains. She has a full time job in early education, and is very intentional about her training, nutrition, and periods of rest. She trains with the The Track Club in Boulder, gave a shoutout to Caila Yates of Steady State Nutrition, and keeps a low profile on social media.  We talk about all of this, including what's up next for Kertesz as she trains for Houston 2025, in this episode.  Read more about Emma in the "9 Miles With Emma Kertesz" post on our Substack.  For more about the work Lane 9 Project is doing to improve the menstrual health of female athletes, and reduce REDS, go to lane9project.org. Follow along @lane9project on IG. 

We talked to Ann Arbor-based physical therapist, Eliana Lin DPT, about her experience as a collegiate athlete, completing her doctorate in physical therapy with clinical rotations in Division 1 Track and Field programs, and her clinical practice philosophies on strength training for runners, and running while rehabbing some injuries (if it's safe, of course!). Bonus (IMO): This episode includes a deep dive into the world of Pole Vaulting! Somehow I had never spent much, if any, time thinking about what the workouts, warmups, and track meet experience of a pole vaulter all look and feel like. But, we've got that for you in this episode. Eliana Lin DPT, a former pole vaulter turned distance runner and triathlete. Witnessing numerous runners sidelined by preventable injuries, Eliana is on a mission to ensure athletes stay in the race. Having experienced the frustrations of injury firsthand, she's dedicated to transforming your running experience. At Up and Running Performance, Eliana's passion is improving runners' form and strength, helping them run faster, stronger, and injury free. Whether you're new to running or a seasoned athlete aiming for new goals, Eliana is here for you every step of the way. (@Eliana.Lin.DPT on Instagram) For more from Lane 9 Project. go to Lane9Project.org and follow on Instagram @Lane9Project. We're working to keep your periods regular, plates full, and rest days aplenty, so more female athletes stay in sports! 

Melanie (Mel) Sulaver RDN, aka Nutrition by Mel (@nutritionbymel), is here to talk about her sport story from soccer to running, parenting to postpartum, and everything in between. We chat about what happened during her collegiate soccer career that led her to leaving the team, and how that was an early lesson in advocating for herself and her own wellbeing.  Mel is now a sports dietitian speicalizing in work with female-bodied athletes, menstrual health, and supporting birthing athletes through pregnancy and postpartum. Mel brings her signature Big Uterus Energy to this conversation, and her work. We talk about that! Work with Mel: NutritionbyMel.com  The Lane 9 Project is working to reduce REDS and improve menstrual health for female-bodied athletes at all levels of sport. Find more of our work and how to work with us at Lane9Project.org. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Lane9Project.Substack.com. Full transcripts are available for all episodes.   

Dietitian Serena Stewart, aka Serena Marie per her IG account, joins Lane 9 Project to talk about her experiences with adolescent body changes, how it impacted her body image, and how it led her to running. While her early experiences in sport were part of an effort to change her body, her relationship to running has evolved and changed. She recorded this episode with us at 37 weeks pregnant, on the brink of a major life transition! We know that parts of her story resonate with a lot of our Lane 9 community, and appreciate the helpful information she shared in regards to adolescent nutrition support, sports nutrition trends, and more.  Get in touch with Serena via SerenaMarieRd.com and/or via @runnergirldietitian on IG.  The Lane 9 Project is working to reduce REDS and improve menstrual health for female-bodied athletes at all levels of sport. Find more of our work and how to work with us at Lane9Project.org. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Lane9Project.Substack.com. Full transcripts are available for all episodes. 

On this episode we talk with Heidi Strickler, a dietitian who checked herself into eating disorder treatment in 2020 (at Opal) after years of struggling and running through it. Heidi planned on being a collegiate soccer player but transitioned to Track and Field, and then Cross Country, and has been a competitive and accomplished runner ever since. She talks about the many years of work she has done to untie her identity from her achievements in running, and find ways to play in the mountains, have fun, and be out there for the joy of it.  Find Heidi at @hstrickler_sportsrd on Instagram.  The Lane 9 Project is working to reduce REDS and improve menstrual health for female-bodied athletes at all levels of sport. Find more of our work and how to work with us at Lane9Project.org. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Lane9Project.Substack.com. Full transcripts are available for all episodes. 

"I did not have a period. It's not unrelated that then I had a series of five stress fractures." Nancy Boyd, former D1 collegiate runner and now DPT with a practice specializing in providing pelvic floor physical therapy, joins the Lane 9 Project for this episode.  Nancy shares her experience with late puberty onset, i.e. primary amenorrhea, at the age of 20 competing in D1 athletics. She developed an eating disorder, and experienced a series of five stress fractures. She had surgeries, a lot of time off, and some not-greaet experiences within the healthcare system. She went on to get her doctorate in physical therapy, to help athletes and humans at all levels and abilities get back to movement in whatever ways are accessible to them.  We talk about:  Nancy's story: late puberty, stress fractures, an eating disorder, and finding new ways to enjoy running as a parent and person The impact of low estrogen levels on various parts and systems within the body Everything you need to know about pelvic floor physical therapy, whether you're pregnant, postpartum, peri/postmenopause, and/or experiencing REDS or an Eating Disorder How to access the care you might need  talking to younger (high school) athletes in impactful ways For more about how to work with the Lane 9 Project in reducing REDS and improving the period health of female-bodied athletes, go to Lane9project.org.  Nancy's practice in Michigan, Ancouer Wellness: ancoeurwellness.com @ancoeurwellness on Instagram

"What I'll see in PT {with REDS} is delayed healing...." Dr. Leada Malek, whom you may know as @drmalekpt on Instagram and TikTok, joins Lane 9 co-founder Heather Caplan to chat about what it really takes for athletes to get and stay "healthy" for the long term.  We talk about her athletic story, how she starts every assessment with active clients, the most common injuries and inquiries from runners, why strength training is a key component of running fitness, and what to actually do about stretching.  Her book, "The Science of Stretch" is available wherever books are sold. And if you haven't yet, check out her Instagram and other social channels for accessible, and very helpful, short physical therapy-focused videos and content!  Lane 9 Project is working to reduce eating disorders and REDS in female-bodied athletes at all levels. Check out our upcoming events and resources via Lane9project.org and subscribe to our weekly newsletter at lane9project.substack.com. Follow along on Instagram @lane9project  

"As someone who already felt like I was such a big fish out of water... I was like, well, that's what other people are doing to get faster. Maybe, maybe that's what I should do." Morgan Voight, a registered dietitian based in Salt Lake City, Utah, who's focused on the intersection between movement and eating disorders, with specific research focused on the prevalence of eating disorders among the LGBTQ plus population, joins us for a Lane 9 Project conversation.  We chat about Morgan's early experiences as a middle and high school track athlete, and then joining the Quinnipiac Cross Country and Track and Field teams as a D1 competitive runner. Between her junior and senior year, she had to take time off to begin the process of treating her disordered eating, but she was able to get back to competition before graduating.  Morgan talks to us about her relatoinship with running now, what may have been helpful to her as a younger athlete, and why she's not ashamed to be using loads of Body Glide!  Reach out to Morgan via the Kayla Jessup Nutrition team in Salt Lake City, and follow her on Instagram @morganvoight.  The Lane 9 Links:  @lane9project on Instagram Lane9project.substack.com Weekly newsletter Lane9Project.org to get in touch, and access our resources!  

In this Lane 9 Project v2, we need your help. Listen to learn more about big things coming up—like our first event in Ann Arbor, where we're hosting the Global Trail Running Film Festival at Cahoots, on Thursday Aug 1, and a workshop for high school athletes in the works—and to get the scoop on what this relaunch of Lane 9 involves for us, your co-founders. We appreciate you tuning in, and continguing to support this work in whatever ways work for you! The links:  trailfilmfest.com/tour (Ann Arbor, August 1!)  Lane9project.org for our content like athlete stories, our contact form, and other ways to get involved (i.e. work with us to bring Lane 9 workshops to your team!)  @lane9Project on IG Our Substack: Lane9project.substack.com, where from July 1 to Aug 1 you can help us with our ReLaunch Lane 9 campaign.   

"Running served as a place where I could feel like I was holding on to my mom, and that is like what I needed more than anything when I was grieving." Emily Halnon's debut book, "To the Gorge: Running, Grief, Resilience, and 460 Miles Across the PCT", is a story that weaves together the deep and transformative grief of both losing her mom to cancer in 2020, and running the fastest known time (FKT) on Oregon's 460 miles section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Emily is an avid and prolific ultra-runner and writer. And she writes often about her experience with running as a love language, thanks in no small part to her brave, wholehearted, joyful mom.  We talk about finding balance and sustainable routines when training for ultra-marathons, about cultivating community and connection through running, and navigating Big Hard life things while keeping joy for the things and people you love.  For more from and about Emily, visit EmilyHalnon.com. Buy her book from you local independent book store! Follow her on IG @emilysweats.  The Lane 9 Project:  We're working to reduce eating disorders and hypothalamic amenorrhea at all levels of running. If you want to work with us, and bring Lane 9 to your team and/or coaching staff, contact us via Lane9Project.org  Follow on Instagram @Lane9Project. And subscribe to lane9project.substack.com 

"When you can perform through this kind of lifestyle,  it makes you not think that there's a problem. And I think that's where, we have to be careful." Andie Cozzarelli, semi-professional runner and running coach/owner of Run for a Cozz coaching, is back on the Lane 9 podcast! Listen for updates about what Andie has been up to running, training, and coaching-wise since our last episode together in 2018/2019.  Follow Andie on IG @run4acozz  The other links:  @lane9project on Instagram lane9project.org to get in touch with! and lane9project.substack.com to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter Want to hire Lane 9 Project for your run coaching needs, or to provide a workshop to your athletes or staff? Reach out. We'd love to chat!

"I listened to the {Ali on the Run interview with Sarah Sellers after 2018 Boston Marathon}. I remember I was on a run, I was crying, and I was like...'I want to do that!"  Ashley Munro RDN is a dietitian based in Tuscon AZ. By day, she's an Instructor and Performance Dietitian the University of Arizona—where she recently developed the curriculum and programming for the first ever Weight Inclusive Certificate program for healthcare providers and healthcare students. But at 4:30 or 5am, she's a runner! (If you live in AZ, you know.)  Ashley recently ran the Eugene Marathon (2024), her fourth in just a couple of years. We connected to talk about all things running, as runners will do. We love sharing stories of runners who come to the sport in a variety of ways, and from a variety of sports (like dance and cheerleading, in this case!). And we love hearing how they find their way in training for big goals while building community, relationships, and time for themselves. Ashley's running story touches on all of the above!  To learn more about Lane 9 Project, visit us and/or get in touch via lane9project.org. Subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter lane9project.substack.com. And inquire about our Run and Nutrition coaching services, workshops for athletes and coaches, and upcoming events.  @lane9project on Instagram

"Looking back, I can now see that {taking a break from collegiate running} was actually me listening to my body. And I actually feel I did the brave thing, taking that time off.” Kate Ringwood is an eating disorder (ED) therapist, working with clients in treatment and recovery to improve and/or mold their relationship to movement and sports. She's been a runner since she was 10, and competed at the collegiate level while navigating her own ED and healing process. Kate took a year off of running and training with her team, and talks about the importance of that year for her overall wellbeing, her relationship to running and competing, and her longevity in the sport.  We also talk about what the Higher Levels of care, aka HLOC, mean in the ED treatment world, and what her work as looked like at various levels.  You'll find Kate at serendipitycounseling.com.  The other links:  @lane9project on Instagram lane9project.org to get in touch with! and lane9project.substack.com to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter Want to hire Lane 9 Project for your run coaching needs, or to provide a workshop to your athletes or staff? Reach out. We'd love to chat!

"As a woman, in the middle of my life, I realized that there was a lot I didn't know about my own body, and really not understanding how that impacted my overall health and larger systems in my body."   Christine Yu is known most recently for writing and publishing the book "Up to Speed", which explores the myriad issues that have plagued womens' sports for decades, and highlights the "Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes".  She's been writing in the women's health and fitness space for years as a journalist, and turned that work into a book that will change the game for coaches and any support staff in sports at all levels.  In this episode we talk about Christine's unique experience in youth sports without the pressure of specialization, how she got into surfing as an adult which ultimately led to her career pivot from public policy to journalism, and the actual groundbreaking science of women athletes.  The links:  Christine's Substack @cyu888 on Instagram her BOOK, "Up to Speed" !  Get in touch with us via Lane9project.org. And follow on Instagram @lane9project. 

"Maybe the issue is we don't care about the long term effects…until it's too late."  Amelia Boone is five years out from her second time in high level Eating Disorder (ED) treatment, training for her next 100-miler, and enjoying the year of "Maybe". She recently wrote about being past her "prime" as an athlete, and has also shared personal updates such as choosing to freeze her eggs, the long process of building back up to running after her recent stress fracture, and ending her time as a sponsored athlete. Amelia is known for so many accomplishments in the endurance running world—an obstacle course racing champion, and ED awareness advocate, a talented ultra-marathon runner, etc. In this conversation, we tough on what that all looks like now, in 2024, and how's she processing it. Everything from the long-term health effects of eating disorders and hypothalamic amenorrhea to what "recovery" means to her, at least for now.  The links:  @arboone11 on Instagram, X, and Threads ameliaboone.substack.com lane9project.org lane9project.substackcom @lane9project on Instagram and Threads

If you know what we meant by "holding up your left hand" to check some geography during this episode, you get ten points! Tag us @lane9Project on IG and we'll award them accordingly.  This is a check in episode! Co-founder Heather Caplan, about to earn a double RD after her name (you'll see), checks in to see what you're doing to add some FUN to your runs, and shares how she's been doing that recently. (See: Music, running groups, community, and more! HBU?) She also offers a period check in, because the more we talk about these things, maybe (maybe!) the less in-our-feels we might, feel, about them.  And last but not least, a note about the race(s) she has coming up this month, like the Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City. Will we see local and global running celebrity Des Linden back on the course?!  The links:  CHECK IN with your updates to these questions or whatever else is on your mind: Lane9project.substack.com Follow along on Instagram: @lane9project Get in touch: Lane9project.org 

“I was modeling all these super lean athletes that we see in the media and that are celebrated for their somatotype,  even though, you know, they may have achieved that by very unhealthy means.” Pippa Woolven is the founder of Project RED-S and a former elite and champion steeplechase runner in both the UK and US. In the last few years Pippa has become a first-time parent, and managed Project RED-S, while navigating and exploring this era of her relationship to running and competing. Her work and story have been featured in national publications such as CNN and Runner's World, raising awareness of the prevalence of RED-S, and its impact on athletes' overall health.  The links:  red-s.com @project_reds_ on IG lane9project.org @lane9project on IG Newsletter: lane9project.substack.com  If you want to connect with us, share your story, and/or join us for a conversation, reach out via Lane9Project.org .  

"It took me a lot of tries to get it right," shares professional ultra-marathoner Dr. Stefanie Flippin, of her journey with the 100-mile distance. Stef is not only a professional ultra-marathoner, sponsored by lululemon and GU energy labs, she's also a podiatrist (currently on sabbatical from private practice but still consulting on medical cases), and a running coach with the Lift Run Perform team.  In this conversation with Lane 9 Project co-founder, Heather Caplan RDN, Stef shares insight into how she's managed to run not one but many 100-mile races, winning the 2021 Ultramarathon National Championship (100-Mile distance), and becoming a professional athlete while also maintaining her work as a physician.  Additionally, Stef shares details about the recent lululemon FURTHER event, wherein they brought 10 women of various backgrounds and athletic experiences to run a 6-day ultramarathon, while also conducting biomedical, biophysical, and psychosocial research on the athlete's experience.  The links:  Stef Flippin and Carolyn Su, co-hosts of Making Strides podcast, hosting shakeout runs and a live podcast event in Boston. Event details here!  @stefanieannflippin on Instagram StefanieFlippin.com   Lane9Project.org. Contact us if you have any questions about the show, guest/topic requests, and/or want to work with Lane 9! Subscribe to the bi-weekly Newsletter at Lane9project.substack.com. Follow @Lane9Project on Instagram.   

"People are going to get a really realistic dose of me in this episode!" Mary Johnson, running coach and owner of the Run Coaching group and team, Lift Run Perform, joins us for this episode. She's been part of the Lane 9 project since it began, submitting personal essays and having conversations with us about all things disordered eating, amenorrhea, and working toward big fitness goals while keeping your health and wellbeing intact.  We cover a LOT in this episode:  Mary's go-to strategy for keeping boundaries with social media Current training and fitness goals (you heard it here first, she's got her eyes on something new!) Making big life decisions while keeping our short terms goals in mind, but also in check Why having her life-altering hip surgery in 2022 is something she's proud of, and how it has changed her running & perspectives The links:  Dopamine Nation book by Anna Lembke MD Opal Screentime app Milkman songs on Spotify @itsamarython on Instagram , @liftrunperform on Instagram    LiftRunPerform.com  And all the Lane 9 Project things: Lane9Project.org, lane9project.substack.com (bi-weekly newsletter!), and @Lane9Project on Instagram.   

Is running still feeling fun? What do you tell your ego when a race day isn't going as planned? Alexis and Heather check in on these big questions, recap the recent NYC Half-Marathon, and talk about the more common but less "celebrated" postpartum running journey, pelvic floor PT and all.  The links:  Lane9Project.org @lane9project on Instagram lane9project.substack.com for essays and newsletters! Contact us with questions and/or ways to work with Lane 9 Project! We'd love to hear from you.

Traditional eating disorder (ED) treatment models have fallen short on including relationships to sport and nmovement into the therapeutic process. Opal Food and Body Wisdom treatment center in Seattle WA opened in 2012 to change that. To acknowledge that we, as humans, are embodied beings and that sport has potential to be so beneficial to us. Kara Bazzi, Opal co-founder, joins ths Lane 9 podcast to talk about her experience as an accompllished D1 Collegiate runner who struggled with an eating disorder, and how she went on to build Opal with her cofunders, Julie Church RDN and Lexi Giblin PhD.  The links:  Lane9Project.org @lane9project on Instagram lane9project.substack.com for essays and newsletters! Opal: opalfoodandbody.com 

Alexis and Heather check in on their own training things, and welcome your input on 1) a podcast intro hot take and 2) which spring half-marathon Alexis should be signing up for (traveling from Denver)! Tag us @lane9project on IG or send an email with your thoughts.  They also chat through a few things going on in the running world right now, including but not limited to Nikki Hiltz's fire streak that keeps on keeping on, Parker Valby chucking the norms in training and doing her 3-days-a-week thing, and what happens when new parents win big titles.  The links:  Lane9Project.org @lane9project on Instagram lane9project.substack.com for essays and newsletters!

What we consider normal, or even "healthy", is so often shaped by and evolves with the communities we're in. With increased access to the training and lives of elite athletes and recreational runners alike, it can be hard to decipher what's disordered, "disciplined", worth pursuing, and/or damanging to your overall wellbeing. Abby and I chat about her relationship to movement, her work as a sports dietitian getting athletes at all levels to eat more, and we get into a few questions from the community! The links:  Lane 9 Project community survey (come tell us about you!) Newsletter Lane9project.substack.com Lane 9 Project on Instagram @lane9project We're working on content and event partnerships and collaborations! Interested? Contact us via lane9project.org.  Abby Chan RD @abbytheRD on Instagram and TikTok, and Evolve FLG here. 

Based on a recent newsletter essay, Alexis and Heather talk in much more detail about catalysts for change, the very gradual processes they each experienced coming out of disordered eating and movement patterns, and even the soccer to endurance running pipeline. If you relate, we'd love to hear from you!  The links:  Lane 9 Project community survey (come tell us about you!) Newsletter Lane9project.substack.com Lane 9 Project on Instagram @lane9project We're working on content and event partnerships and collaborations! Interested? Contact us via lane9project.org. 

What IS the Lane 9 Project? On the Lane 9 podcast, we're diving back in and starting with the co-founder's meet cute, followed by the big goals they're working on now. A sub-3 marathon on has been on Alexis's list for a long time, but first she had to take many steps back. Hear more about that process on this episode, and read more about it in the bi-weekly newsletter!  The links:  Lane 9 Project community survey (come tell us about you!) Newsletter Lane9project.substack.com Lane 9 Project on Instagram @lane9project   We're working on content and event partnerships and collaborations! Interested? Contact us via lane9project.org.