7 Olympic Hopefuls Share Their Best Fitness Advice – Brit + Co

This weekend, more than 200 women from across the country will toe the line in LA for a chance to chase down one of three spots on the US Olympic Marathon Team racing in Rio this summer. Who better to give us major fitness advice and get us race ready than these distance-loving ladies? Seven Olympic hopefuls share their best tips below. Let the games begin!

1. Kara Goucher

B+C: What is your best fitness tip? 

KG: Always keep on top of your hydration. If you are slightly dehydrated you can feel tired, less motivated and sluggish. Hydration is so important for good fitness.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

KG: Look back on all the work you’ve done leading up to your race. Remind yourself that you are ready to get out there and go after your goal.

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

KG: Racing the best women in America. I am excited to see if I can make my third Olympic Team. So much preparation, sacrifice and dedication has gone into this race. I’m excited to experience racing at the highest level again. (Photo via Bob Levey/Getty)

2. Andrea Duke

B+C: Give us your best fitness tip.

AD: Don’t be afraid to relax and recover. You won’t lose any fitness if you need to take a few days off to rest your body. I’ve had to teach myself this; I worried about taking even a day off. But I learned that in order to perform at my highest level, I need to take care of my body.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

AD: I have found that breaking up the miles for half and full marathons make the overall distance more manageable mentally. I break them into segments for people in my life and think about them during their segment. This helps keep my mind off the race and shifts my perspective.

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

AD: Racing in front of my family and boyfriend. They haven’t been at any of my big marathons and having them there for their support and love will mean everything to me. I wish my kids could be there too but the trip was going to be too crazy with them. I’ll be thinking about them the whole time. (Photo via @andreaduke1)

3. Kaitlin Goodman

B+C: What is your best fitness tip?

KG: Work out in the morning! You’ll feel energized by starting your day with something active and you won’t have the workout hanging over your head.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

KG: Be brave. There’s a point in every race where you can choose to really push yourself and dig deep or back away from the challenge. Make the choice to be brave and take risks, and you just might surprise yourself and do better than you’d even imagined!

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

KG: I’m most looking forward to a great performance that demonstrates all the work I’ve put in over the past three and a half months. (Photo via @runnerkg)

4. Heidi Greenwood

B+C: What is your best fitness tip?

HG: Get a fitness friend who helps you stay motivated, inspired and continually enjoying the process of reaching and maintaining a heathy lifestyle.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

HG: No matter what happens on race day, remember that training for a race is all about the journey of getting to that start line. If you have done the work, then race day should be a celebration of that work.

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

HG: I’m looking forward to sharing this day with all the other remarkable runners in the country! It is truly an honor to be among the best runners in our country AND to be representing Oiselle. Oiselle and its sisterhood community have completely blown my mind and made my journey to the Olympic Trials something that I will never forget.

5. Andie Cozzerelli

B+C: What is your best fitness tip?

AC: Strengthen your core to become a stronger and faster runner. Your core includes your upper and lower back, abs, obliques and glutes. Work in these areas can help prevent running-related overuse injuries.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

AC: Race like your greatest competition is right behind you and never look back.

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

AC: The experience and paying it forward to all of those people who have supported me in my journey here. It is my first marathon and I have a lot to learn, but I am excited to take a shot at this distance. Good or bad, I’m just ready to find out and take that next step in my running career! (Photo via @run4acozz)

6. Becki Spellman

B+C:What is your best fitness tip?

BS: Take easy days easy and make hard days hard. It’s okay to be tired; it’s not okay to be lazy.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

BS: Stay in the mile you are running and work on owning that mile per your race plan.

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

BS: The race! I want to have fun and hope to show off the fitness I’ve worked hard to gain. I can’t wait to see all the ladies I know fly. (Photo via @beckispell)

7. Clara Santucci

B+C:What is your best fitness tip?

CS: Set lots of goals. Set big goals but also set small ones that will act like steps to your bigger goals and keep you motivated. This way you always have something to work toward and plenty of achievements to celebrate. This keeps things fun and exciting.

B+C: What’s your best race tip?

CS: Break longer races into sections so the whole thing isn’t as intimidating. For example, I like to break a marathon up into 5Ks and focus on one 5K at a time or on getting to the next fuel station.

B+C: What is the one thing you’re most looking forward to at the Trials?

CS: I look forward to the gun going off and being in the actual race. Once the race starts, all nerves melt away and I can start putting all my hard work to use. I’m also looking forward to the finish. There is nothing like the feeling of crossing the finish line knowing you’ve given it your all. I’m also eager to find out where I stand among the best Americans in the country. (Photo via @cmaerun)

Are you going for gold in an upcoming race? Tweet us your tips at @BritandCo!