Just Do It

Happy spring! I hope you all had a great March and are enjoying the start to spring weather and all that comes with it. I wanted to start by thanking everyone for their incredible response to my pregnancy news and story from last month’s newsletter. It’s a very scary and vulnerable thing to share, and I heard from so many of you who had been through something similar. Thank you all for the kind words and support! I’m about to hit the start of the third trimester which is wild, and I feel so grateful that I’m still feeling good and able to stay active.

Today is also the one year anniversary of The Fueling Forward Newsletter! It’s hard to believe it has already been a year since I decided to start this newsletter, and I am so grateful to all of you for being with me on this journey.

Starting something new can be incredibly intimidating. The reasons not to do it seem to come to mind so easily and to outweigh number the reasons to go through with it. When I decided to start Fueling Forward in 2019, I remember how intimidating it was and how many times I asked myself “am I really going to do this?”. When I was weighing the pros and cons of starting a business with a friend, they said something that really stuck with me. They said “if you wait until you feel 100% ready, you’ll never do it.”

As someone who is somewhat of a perfectionist, this really hit the nail on the head. I felt like I had to plan every single thing to a T and worried that if I wasn’t prepared for every possible scenario, my business would fail. Of course it’s important to have put some forethought into something like starting a business, but I eventually realized that some things you will never be 100% ready for. You can plan and prepare all you want, but unexpected things will still pop up.

That has been the way I’ve felt with most aspects of my business. Whether it’s starting the newsletter, my podcast, or launching a new program, it can be really scary to put so much hard work out there with the potential for it to fail. But I’ve also realized that every time I’ve pushed myself to just do it anyway, I learn so much along the way and it’s always worth it no matter the outcome. It can be so easy to get comfortable and complacent, and I’ve found that anytime I have an idea where implementing it scares me, it’s absolutely something I should go through with.

So whether that’s starting a business, trying a new activity, signing up for that marathon, or just going to that workout class you’ve been wanting to try, let this be your sign to just do it even if it scares you! In fact, I would say do it especially if it scares you. You never know what door it could open, what new thing you might learn about yourself, or who you might end up helping along the way.

Thank you for being here, and cheers to many more years of The Fueling Forwards Newsletter! 🥳

In today’s newsletter:

• Recipe highlight 🌯 - Lunches can be tough, so this month I’m sharing one of my current favorite make ahead lunch recipes - Thai Peanut Chicken Wraps. These are just as easy as a sandwich, but so much more flavorful and packed with nutrients!

• Quick tip 💡- Are you someone who uses a wearable device like a watch, ring, or band, that gives you feedback on your sleep and recovery? If so, I wanted to talk a bit about my thoughts on these wearable devices and some pros and cons to having constant access to all of their data.

• Rapid fire thoughts 🔥 - March was a busy running month with NCAA Indoor Championships, World Indoor Championships, and a plethora of road races. Read on to see all the highlights from the running world in March!

Fueling Forward Announcements

Since I will be going on maternity leave in July and I work with people in 3 month increments, my final cohort of athletes for 1:1 coaching will be in April. After that, Fueling Forward’s newest dietitian Alexa will be taking on all athletes who reach out. If you’re interested in working with either of us, learn more and reach out below!

• 1:1 Nutrition Coaching - This is a great option for anyone looking for a more personalized approach. If you have specific health concerns, struggle with your relationship with food, or need more support, we offer 1:1 coaching for athletes and active individuals at all levels. Fill out an application today before spots fill up!

Recipe Highlight - Thai peanut chicken wraps

Lunches are always my weakness in that I struggle to come up with things that are easy, convenient, and that aren’t boring. After years of eating the same turkey sandwich with carrots, I’ve been trying to find recipes that are more flavorful. I recently came across this recipe, and it has been a go-to for us for lunches lately. It’s so easy to make and keeps lunch exciting!

Here are some nutritional highlights of this recipe:

1. Cabbage - Cabbage is a cruciferous veggie, meaning it's high in sulphur containing compounds that help support the body’s detox pathways and reduce inflammation. Not to mention, it’s a great source of gut healthy fiber!

2. Peanuts - In addition to adding some nice crunch to this recipe, peanuts provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals, and are a great source of healthy fats. Fun fact, peanuts are actually considered a legume which puts them in the same family as beans, lentils, and peas.

3. Chicken - Chicken is a great source of lean protein that is high in B12, a vitamin essential for energy production. Chicken thighs (which are what I personally use for this recipe) also contain iron, an important mineral for athletes because it supports oxygen delivery during exercise.

I love Asian flavors, and this recipe combines some of my favorites like a peanut sauce, cilantro and cabbage. It’s just as easy as a sandwich to bring to work or school, but it’s so much more exciting.

Here are some ways I make this recipe even easier:

• I buy a bag of pre-shredded cabbage and carrot mix from Trader Joe’s, which makes throwing this together a breeze.

• If I’m making a dinner that requires the oven, I’ll roast the chicken at the same time. I use my KtichenAid mixer with the beater attachment to shred the chicken, and then it’s ready whenever I need it for the recipe.

• I love to make a little extra of the sauce for dipping, especially when I’m having this as leftovers because the mixture absorbs some of the sauce over time.

If you make this recipe, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag @fueling_forward or respond to this email and let me know what you think!

Want more than one recipe per month? Upgrade today to the Sunday Brunch Club to get recipes like this every Sunday morning. You can sign up for free today and get a 2 week free trial!

Quick Tip

Wearable devices like Apple Watches, OURA rings, fitbits, running watches and Whoop bands are everywhere and almost every athlete I work with wears one. The technology has advanced so much over the last few years and we have more data available to us than ever. But is this necessarily a good thing? Read more to get my thoughts on the pros and cons of wearables, and how to use them to avoid data overload.

Last fall I began working with Cal State Long Beach on a research study looking at RED-S risk in female adolescent runners. We had an extra OURA ring, so I got to take one home to wear myself. Prior to that, I had never really used a wearable device consistently. I’ve always had a Garmin, but I can’t stand wearing it during the day so I take it off right after I run. OURA ring is super cool and provides tons of insightful data, but I also found myself struggling at times with “data overload” and feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by what I was seeing.

I did find some aspects really helpful, like learning that being in bed for 8 hours is not the same as getting 8 hours of sleep, or seeing how much energy I burn even on a day that I would consider a “rest” day. Gaining this knowledge has helped me make some really positive adjustments, like getting in bed earlier so I actually get 8 hours of sleep or adding in more fuel on rest days to keep my energy balance up.

But I also found some data not helpful. My HRV is really high, which is just how my body is, but this sent me into a research spiral that convinced me I had some type of heart condition (I do not). I also saw that my “stress” levels during the day were incredibly high. This made me stressed about reducing my stress, and obsessively checking my stress data shockingly did not help 😅. Additionally, after my miscarriage I noticed that my OURA ring showed a huge temperature dip right before it happened. With my current pregnancy, I was obsessively checking my temperature and got so anxious that I was miscarrying again anytime it dipped. Eventually, I took it off and didn’t put it back on until recently because the data was doing a lot more harm than good in terms of my mental health.

Having seen the pros and cons of these devices both as a user and as a researcher, here are a few things I recommend keeping in mind if you’re someone who uses one:

1. Keep accuracy in mind - Most wearable devices will give you data like heart rate, calories burned, and sleep quality/quantity, and some give even more information than this. Accuracy of these predictions vary from device to device and person to person, and while some are more accurate than others there is always a margin of error. For example, in some research I’ve done as a dietitian we’ve found Garmin watches and OURA rings to be off by several hundred calories per day and that they tend to underestimate your calories burned.

2. Look for trends -  Since there can be large errors in the numbers themselves, it can be more helpful to look at trends over time. For example, your resting heart rate may be off by 5-10 BPM but if you’re noticing that it’s increasing or decreasing that can tell you about your recovery, potential oncoming illness, or stress levels. I recommend that people don’t worry so much about the numbers themselves, but rather how they are changing over time and what activities impact those changes. You can also use wearables to track how behavior changes affect you. Maybe you see a better sleep score when you read instead of scroll on your phone before bed, and that’s helpful to know if you’re trying to improve your sleep.

3. Check in with yourself - It’s important to check in physically with yourself when interpreting your data. Maybe getting 7 hours of sleep gives you a great sleep score, but if you’re not feeling rested or recovered you might need more than that. You shouldn’t be basing all of your training, fueling and lifestyle decisions on your data without taking into account the way you’re feeling and responding to your current approach.

4. Avoid comparison - Every body is going to be different in terms of how it functions. Some athletes will chronically hang out in a low HRV range while others have HRV levels that are off the charts. Neither is inherently good or bad, and it’s like trying to compare apples to oranges if you try to compare your stats to your friend’s stats. That’s where looking for your own personal patterns is helpful, and can help tune out some of that noise.

5. Trust your body -  At the end of the day, your body knows what it needs more than a wearable device. If you’re feeling sore and tired, it doesn’t matter if your readiness score is through the roof, you should probably take it easy on your run today. If you got a horrible sleep score but you’re feeling rested and recovered, don’t let that data point get in your head. It’s important not to lose touch with what your body is telling you, and don’t take the data at face value without acknowledging how you feel physically and mentally.

6. Consider taking a break - There is such a thing as too much data. If you find that your sleep score gets in your head before a workout, race or big meeting and impacts your confidence, you might want to consider taking a break from wearing it or checking your data. A bad sleep score or two likely won’t negatively impact performance. In fact, I’ve had some of my best races off of my worst nights of sleep. I recommend avoiding those triggering data points that might send you into a spiral, and instead only checking your data once a week to look for changes in trends. At the very least, avoid checking your data right before a big event!

With seemingly everyone using some type of wearable device, it can feel like you’re missing out if you don’t have one. While I do think it can be cool to see how different things impact your recovery, training, and sleep, I also feel that constant access to this data can be too overwhelming. If you notice this data getting in your head, remember that you don’t have to use your wearable device! You can use your Garmin just as a regular old running watch and you can take off the OURA ring while you’re on vacation if you don’t want to see your calorie burn decrease knowing it might cause you to avoid the all-you-can-eat buffet. There is a middle ground between using the data to make informed decisions, and letting the data make decisions for us. At the end of the day, we aren’t robots so it’s important to remember numbers are just one piece of the puzzle, not the whole story!

If this was helpful and you’re looking for more ideas on meals and recipes, I post my own weekly menu plan for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, and include any recipes I’m using. Upgrade today to the Sunday Brunch Club to get my weekly meal plan every Sunday morning. You can sign up for free today and get a 2 week free trial!

Rapid Fire Thoughts

March brought the exciting close of the indoor track season, with both NCAA and World Indoor Championships, plus a packed slate of headline-worthy road races. Here are the biggest moments from the running world this past month: 

• The USATF Half Marathon Championships were held on March 1st and were one of the most chaotic road finishes in recent history. A lead pack featuring Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley, and Ednah Kurgat followed the lead vehicle off course around mile 11, losing crucial time in what doubled as a World Road Running Championships qualifier and ended up finishing 9th, 12th, and 13th, respectively. All the athletes who ultimately finished in the top 10 handled the situation with true class, but the situation sparked conversations around race organization and fairness, with USATF submitting a proposal to World Athletics that led to six runners being selected for Team USA instead of the usual three heading to the World Championships.

• The NCAA Indoor Championships were held on March 13-14, and as always, it was a standout weekend in collegiate distance running. BYU’s Jane Hedengren made history as the first true freshman to win the 3k/5k double, while Oregon’s Wilma Nielsen became the first woman since 1990 to win back-to-back mile titles. 

• The Barcelona Marathon was held on March 16th, where Fotyen Tesfay ran 2:10:51, the second-fastest women’s marathon ever recorded. While Ruth Chepngetich’s 2:09:56 world record still stands despite her later doping ban, Tesfay’s performance reflects a decade of consistent, high-level racing, including appearances at World Championships, Diamond Leagues, and the Olympics for Ethiopia. Performances like this may spark conversation, but faster times alone aren’t evidence of wrongdoing or doping, and for the sake of the sport, hopefully this result stands.

• The NYC Half Marathon was held on March 16th, and Helen Obiri ran an event record of 1:06:33 in a deep international field. Top U.S. women placed 6th-10th, showing solid depth as the spring racing season ramps up. 

• The World Indoor Championships were held in March, and Team USA showed out in the women’s distance events, as this marks the first time Team USA has medaled in all distance events at World Indoors - Addison Wiley (800m bronze), Nikki Hiltz (1500m bronze), and Emily Mackay (3000m silver). While not all pros prioritize the indoor season, these performances are still incredibly strong and inspiring. 

• Looking ahead to April, the outdoor track season begins, alongside some big marathons including Boston, London, and Eugene, setting the stage for a fast and competitive spring!

I hope everyone has a great start to the spring!

Stay fueled,

Maddie

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3. Listen to the most recent episode of The Fueling Forward Podcast where you can find interviews with athletes or listen to me answer questions submitted by listeners