Spooky Season

I hope everyone had a great September! October is one of my favorite months because there are always so many fall activities going on. From haunted houses to pumpkin carving to Halloween, I have so many fond memories of October. Not to mention, it’s also the start of fall marathon season! T-minus 4 weeks until I’ll be racing down the streets of New York City 😅. I’m getting so excited!

Training has been picking up over the last few weeks, and as my runs have gotten longer I’ve been reminded how much I miss the feeling of challenging myself physically. Ever since I started running my junior year of high school, it was something I did constantly. Every workout, every season, every race, I had an opportunity to push myself and learn how strong I could be mentally and physically. Don’t get me wrong, the break I’ve had from structured training over the last year has been much needed. But as I get back into it, I’m realizing what a gift it is to be able to work hard and how much I took it for granted that I constantly had an opportunity to do so.

The farther I get from being involved in sport, the more I realize how few and far between these opportunities are. Sometimes life forces us to be tough, but there’s something to be said about getting to choose for ourselves when that is. It doesn’t just have to be a physical challenge like training for a marathon. It could be signing up for that local pottery class that you’ve been eyeing, tackling that closet you’ve been meaning to organize all year, or finally just hosting that dinner party you and your friends have been talking about forever.

There will always be an excuse we can come up with to not do it. It’s easy to get caught up in the comfort and the familiarity of our routines, which in some ways can be a good thing. It’s nice to have structure and predictability, but sometimes they can become a crutch.

I had a very challenging September personally, but I found that leaning on the strategies I use to get through a hard run helped me through it. Taking it one day (one mile) at a time, trusting that I can do hard things, and reminding myself how tough I can be all helped give me strength and peace. It reminded me why exercising those parts of our brain is so important. I talked about this in my most recent Sunday Brunch Club newsletter, but finding opportunities to do things that scare us can help make it easier to navigate challenges life throws our way, whatever they may be.

So, as we head into October, I challenge you to lean into the spooky season and do something that scares you. Find a new way to use that part of your brain that isn’t used in every day life, and remind yourself how tough you really are. You can do hard things!

In today’s newsletter:

• Recipe highlight 🎃 - I know I did a pumpkin recipe last month, but I couldn’t help doing another one this month. This month’s recipe highlight is a delicious Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal. Perfect for making your mornings festive and easy, the whole family will love this one!

• Quick tip 💡- Are you feeling stressed over your grocery bill? You’re not alone! Prices are on the rise, which can really impact fueling. Today, I have some tips for you to help lower your monthly spending on food and make your grocery bill a little less scary.

• Rapid fire thoughts 🔥 - Last month we saw some incredible performance at the World Championships in Tokyo. From first time medalists to consistent champions, there are some amazing stories to highlight!

New York City Marathon Weekend

Come run with me!

Will you be in NYC for marathon weekend? If so, come run with me on Saturday! I’ll be hosting a shakeout run with Coach Chris Lee of Kinesis Integrated, a boulder based performance center for endurance athletes. We will be starting at 9:30am (location TBA) and doing a 5k loop around Central Park for an easy pre-race shakeout. Chris has generously offered to buy coffee for attendees, so at the very least you’ll get some free coffee. Register HERE for free (click “get tickets”) and come join me, I’d love to have you there!

Fundraise- 🚨 Giveaway alert!! 🚨

I’m going to be running the New York City Marathon as a charity runner for Trackgirlz, an incredible non-profit organization that works to provide girls access to mentorship and sport through track and field empowerment programs. To help meet my fundraising goal of $4500, I’m partnering with Hettas, a shoe designed for women. For every $50 you donate, you receive 1 entry to a giveaway where you can win a free pair of Hettas shoes, a t-shirt, a race day fueling strategy session with me, and more fun items from brands who support women in sport. If you’re interested in donating to enter the giveaway, can do so HERE. Even if you’re not able to donate $50, I so appreciate donations of any amount!

Recipe Highlight - Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal

Ok, I know I said last time that I’m not a pumpkin spice everything kind of person and I stand by that. But that said, there’s something about the flavor of pumpkin that feels so cozy and festive for October

This recipe is another pumpkin-centric breakfast idea, and one that is a staple for me in the fall. Baked oatmeal is such a tasty, filling option for breakfast and it also pairs incredibly well with coffee 😋. It’s packed with some great nutrients, including:

1. Soluble fiber - Oats are a great source of soluble fiber, meaning they’ll help keep you feeling full and satisfied after eating, and can also help improve digestion and support gut health.

2. Healthy fats - The pecans, eggs, and butter all provide healthy fats. Again, adding healthy fats with breakfast can help you feel full for longer. They also help to stabilize blood sugar and improve absorption of nutrients like vitamin A, which is found in pumpkin.

3. Antioxidants - Pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pecans are great sources of antioxidants. These are nutrients that can help reduce inflammation, improve recovery, and reduce risk for things like cancer.

Whenever I make baked oatmeal, I cut it into squares and then freeze it so that I can reheat it throughout the week. My husband isn’t a baked oatmeal fan, and this usually makes about 9 servings so I find that freezing it allows me some flexibility in my mornings.

The other fun thing about recipes like this is that you can modify to make it your own. Add chocolate chips for more sweetness, mix in some chia seeds for added nutrients, use soy milk instead of cow’s milk if you can’t do dairy, or leave out the pecans if you’re not a fan. It’s so easy to adjust to meet any and all dietary needs/preferences! It’s naturally gluten free, but if you’re celiac be sure to purchase certified gluten free oats to avoid cross contamination.

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

With grocery prices on the rise, stocking up for the week can get expensive. I know my grocery bill has been significantly higher lately than it has ever been before, but I still need to eat! Today, I’ve got some suggestions to help you get the most bang for your buck at the store and soften the impact of high prices below ⬇️!

Grocery prices are almost 25% higher today than they were pre-pandemic. Although the increase has been gradual, we have been seeing some sharper spikes as of late. This is tough because everyone has to eat, which means everyone is feeling this increase. It can be tempting to buy less to try to keep your grocery bill lower, but what ends up happening is that you run out of food by the end of the week and then have to resort to more expensive options like eating out or ordering food.

Something I try to remind the athletes I work with is that if you’re not eating out multiple times per week you will average a lower cost per meal by eating at home. For example, if I spend $100 per person in my household on groceries per week, we are averaging under $5 a meal. Yes the bill tends to be higher up front but, we don’t end up spending additional money throughout the rest of the week. Even if we decided to eat out one day each week, that would still average well under $10 per meal per person over the course of a week.

It can be overwhelming trying to save money at the grocery store, so here are some tips I have:

1. Buy in bulk - Foods like nuts, seeds, oats, flour, etc. tend to be much cheaper when you buy them in bulk. I personally don’t have much storage space in my kitchen, but if you bring your own container to a store like Sprouts or Whole Foods, you can get a really good price on these items because the price of packaging isn’t included.

2. Look for the unprocessed version - I’m not talking about avoiding processed foods altogether here, I’m talking about foods that are processed to be more convenient. Anything that has been modified for convenience (think single serving packets, pre-cut fruits and veggies, etc.) will cost more than the raw item. For example, a bag of whole carrots is $1.99 while a bag the same weight of baby carrots is $4 because they are a processed form of a whole carrot, and that processing costs more money.

3. Use frozen or canned options - Frozen fruits and veggies are just as nutritious as fresh, and you don’t have to worry about them going bad in the back of your fridge. Canned beans run about $1 per can, and are easy to add to meals like soups, tacos, chili, etc.

4. Buy in season - Produce that is in season will be cheaper than produce that is out of season because the cost of transportation is lower. If your grocery store can get an apple from the orchard in town, it won’t cost them as much to transport it to the store as if they had to get it from across the country. This reduced transportation cost will be reflected in the consumer prices.

5. Look for sales or coupons - Our local grocery store does a weekly coupon, so we try to plan our meal around what will be on sale. Grocery store websites also usually will have coupons, buy one get one free deals, or specials going, so be sure to look for those before you go to the store to help with your planning.

6. Do an inventory check before you shop - Most of us don’t realize what a stockpile of food we actually have in the pantry or freezer. Do a quick check of what you have on hand before you head to the store, and see if there are ways you can use those items throughout the week. That way, you’ll only need to buy additional items to complete your meals. Whenever I do this, I notice my grocery bill is significantly lower.

I know grocery shopping can be overwhelming, but making food at home really does help save money in the long run. If you need more tips on maximizing your grocery shopping, you can check out the quick tips section in April’s newsletter HERE.

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

September was a huge month for track and field with the World Championships was held on the later side. From record-breaking performances on the track to breakthrough debuts, historic medals, and inspiration in every events, this month showcased some incredible depth, grit, and talent in the running world that everyone can take something from. While I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little sad that the track season is almost over, we had big events on the trails and the roads this month and cross country is starting to heat up! 

Check out the biggest stories from the running world is today’s newsletter: 

• The World Championships did not disappoint and while there’s too many incredible stories to fully encapsulate in this whole newsletter, here’s a few stories to check out: 

  • Uruguay’s Juila Paternain earned bronze in the marathon; the country’s FIRST EVER medal at a senior global championships. She was ranked 288th in the world entering the race, and this just goes to show that anything can happen on race day when you focus on your race and believe in yourself. 

  • No surprise here, but Faith Kipeyegon completed the coveted ‘Tokyo to Tokyo’ sweep - winning the event on every outdoor global stage from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics through to this championships - and being the only female athlete of any event to do so.

  • Sage Hurta-Klecker had an incredible Team USA debut, not only finishing 5th in the final, but running 1:55.89. She is now the third-fastest American all-time. 

  • On the sprints side, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became the first American ever to win the gold in the 100m and 200m at Worlds and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran 47.78, the second-fastest time ever in 400m history, showing her dominance in the 400m hurdles and the flat 400m. 

• Our last major track event of the season (which is crazy to say in mid-October) is the Athlos Track Meet. Last year was the inaugural version of the meet, and I love that this meet is a celebration of female athletics with representation from so many different countries as it's the first women’s only professional track and field competition. In addition, the meet organizers make the weekend an entire event, with a concert from Ciara - and who doesn’t love that. 

• The World Mountain and Trail Running Championships took place at the end of September in Canfranc, Spain. Events included an Uphill 6K, Classic 14K, the “Short” Trail 45K, and 82K Long Trail Race. Like the World Championships, the WMTRC happens every two years, and its great to see a variety of distances and ages represented from many countries. It just shows how many different places (literally and figuratively) running can take you - whether you like the track, roads, cross country, or trails! 

• The Berlin Marathon took place on September 21st, and in case you missed it, Harry Styles’ ran sub 3:00 in the marathon - an impressive feat, and if this doesn’t make running cool, I don’t know what does? 😉 Up next for World Majors in October is the Chicago Marathon!

• Cross Country is underway and some of the most important meets of the season are happening in October including NuttyCombe, Pre-Nationals, and NCAA Conference Championships happening at the end of the month. Whether you love or hate cross country, you have to appreciate the grittiness and resilience it can build in all of us.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Stay fueled,

Maddie

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