This episode is an interview with professional runner, Ella Donaghu. Ella grew up in Portland where she was introduced to running through a family of runners. She played soccer as well but ultimately chose to focus on running and ended up becoming a 6x state champion and NXN runner up. She went on to run at Stanford, and struggled initially with her transition after dealing with a stubborn injury, under fueling, and her mental health. After focusing on getting herself to a better place mentally and physically, she was finally able to break her high school PR's and went on to become a 7x All-American. She signed a pro contract with Nike right out of college, and has since become a sub 15 minute 5k runner and 2x US Olympic Trials qualifier.
In this episode, we talk about:
- What it was like growing up in Portland surrounded by track, and how she ultimately chose to pursue running
- Her struggles with body image and fueling as she transitioned into her freshman year of college
- How mental health played a role in her struggles with fueling and why seeking help was instrumental to getting back on track
- Her journey from not running a PR since high school to finally having a break through her junior year of college, and what shifts in mindset and fueling allowed her to get back on track and have an incredible collegiate career
- What it was like signing a pro contract with Nike right out of college and why she initially found that transition challenging
- Why it’s important to her to have things outside of running and how that has helped take the pressure off of her pro career
- How fueling during workouts has helped reinforce the idea that food is fuel and essential to performance
