This episode is an interview with professional runner for Nike, Sinclaire Johnson. Sinclaire is a Florida native who switched from lacrosse to running in high school. She earned a full ride scholarship to Oklahoma State University, where she was a 2 time All-American and the 2019 NCAA champion in the 1500, setting the NCAA championship meet record that still stands today. Sinclaire signed a professional contract with Nike right after college and has been with them for 6 years, during which she has been a 3 time World Championship qualifier. Sinclaire found herself not happy in her training environments and struggling with injuries, so this past year made the transition to being coached by her fiance, Craig Nowak.
In today's episode, we talk about:
- How Sinclaire grew up with a healthy relationship with food and how she appreciates the environment her parents created for her and her brother
- Her first experience with fueling and performance, during which she found herself restricting food intake and struggling with injury and burnout
- How concern from her coach inspired Sinclaire to make some fueling changes, and once she made these changes she found herself happier, healthier, and an NCAA champion
- A rocky transition into professional running, including frustrating injuries. She shares some insights for navigating injury
- Why she's loving being coached by her fiance, and how important it is to her to have a coach that allows for collaboration
- How cooking has helped her improve her relationship with food, and how it's helped her to see food not just as fuel but also as a way to connect with people
You can keep up with Sinclaire on Instagram at @sinclairejohnson.
