The Fueling Forward Podcast

• 22. Jess McClain

  This episode is an interview with professional runner for Brooks and 2:22:43 marathoner, Jess McClain. Jess grew up in Arizona, where she was a 4x Footlocker qualifier and 14x state champion while in HS. She went on to run for Stanford and became a 7x All-American. Jess signed a professional contract with Brooks out of college and went to train with Brooks Beasts in Washington, but really struggled with the transition and to stay healthy. She ultimately ended up moving back home with her parents and stepping away from running professionally, and transitioned to working full time in marketing. After deciding to train for a marathon for her 30th birthday, Jess ended up running an OTQ and placed 4th at the 2024 Olympic Trials in the marathon. She signed a new professional contract with Brooks, and since then has finished as the top American and 7th overall at the 2025 Boston Marathon and represented Team USA at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo where she placed 8th in the world in the marathon. Jess also works full time for the nonprofit LoveUp foundation, focusing on foster youth advocacy, and as the executive director and marketing consultant of her own LLC.In this episode, we talk about:What is was like finding immediate success in high school and how she learned to navigate race day nervesHer transition to collegiate running and why it's important to give you and your body time to adjust to college without putting pressure on yourself to achieve big things right awayHow she struggled in her transition to professional running and why hitting the eject button was the best thing she did for herself and her running careerThe importance of advocating for yourself and surrounding yourself who have a good relationship with food, body image, health, and the sport in generalWhat it was like to OTQ without expecting to, and how that experience inspired her to keep the joy in runningWhat she has learned about fueling for the demands of marathon training, and how fuelingThe process of having her eggs frozen, and why she made that decision this yearYou can follow along with Jess on Instagram @jesstonn.

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• Q&A With Maddie - 20

  Today's episode is a Q&A where I answer questions submitted by listeners. It's also my last Q&A episode before I run the New York City Marathon, so I talk a little about my training block and race day goals.Questions answered in today's episode include:Do you have any good snack ideas for night time? I usually like to have something sweet before bed.Recently I started waking up really hungry and was wondering if this is normal or a sign of under fueling? I only have noticed this recently after being more intentional with fueling.What are your thoughts on caffeine pills or beetroot juice before races?I recently ran a 10 mile race, but when I tried increasing my carbs the week before my race I experienced tons of GI distress that disrupted my race. What did I do wrong and what can I do differently next time?Links mentioned in the episode:New York City Marathon pre-race shakeout on Saturday November 1: register HEREDonate to my fundraising campaign for Trackgirlz HERE. For every $50 you donate, you get 1 entry to win a race day support pacakge (a free pair of Hettas shoes, a t-shirt, a race day strategy Zoom call with me, and more from brands who believe in women's sports)If you would like to submit a question for a future Q&A episode, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at [email protected].

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• 21. Elise Cranny

  This episode is an interview with Elise Cranny, Colorado native and professional runner for Nike. Elise found immediate success in the sport as a high school runner, and went on to run for Stanford. While at Stanford, Elise struggled with RED-S and several bone injuries that disrupted much of her collegiate career, but despite these struggles she was still a 12x All-American and NCAA runner up, and signed a contract with Nike right out of college. Elise credits her post-collegiate career to learning how to properly fuel herself, and since going pro in 2018 Elise has won 4 US titles, represented Team USA 5 times, and is a 2 time Olympian.In this episode, we talk about:What is was like finding immediate success in the sport in high school, and some things she wished she had known were signs of under fuelingHow allowing her body to shift in college saved her running career, and how she navigated the adjustment to that body shiftWhy it’s important to trust the process when you’re going through an injury cycle despite making changes to your fueling, and how to stay the courseWhat is was like coming close to wanting to quit the sport, then signing a professional contract and finding her way back to being healthy and loving the sportWhat it meant to her to make her first Olympic team after coming out the other side of an injury cycle and RED-S, and how it helped reinforce that she made the right choices with fuelingWhy it’s important to her to create a training environment that allows her to be happy outside of runningSigns and symptoms of RED-S, what to be on the lookout for interns of what is normal and what is a red flag, and how she adjusts accordingly if she notices warning signsYou can keep up with Elise on Instagram @elise.cranny and you find her on the Voice in Sport platform as a mentor.

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• Q&A With Maddie - 19

  This episode is a Q&A where I answer questions submitted to me beforehand by listeners. Today's questions include:I'm a busy college runner who relies heavily on pre-packaged foods and bars, often grabbing them for snacks or before or after runs. Do you have any recommendations for conveniences foods that won't hurt my stomach?Should I consume 60g of carbs per hour on all long runs, even the "shorter" long runs that are 10-15 miles?What is a good strategy for taking in fluids during the marathon? Should I use on course options or carry my own?My cholesterol recently came back as borderline high but I'm super active and don't have a family history. Should I be concerned, and are there dietary changes I should be making?Links mentioned in the episode:New York City Marathon pre-race shakeout on Saturday November 1: register HEREDonate to my fundraising campaign for Trackgirlz HERE. For every $50 you donate, you get 1 entry to win a race day support pacakge (a free pair of Hettas shoes, a t-shirt, a race day strategy Zoom call with me, and more from brands who believe in women's sports)If you would like to submit a question for a future Q&A episode, you can do so on my website HERE or email me at [email protected].

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• 20. Dani Jones

  Today's episode is an interview with professional runner for New Balance, Dani Jones. Dani and I were teammates at The University of Colorado Boulder, and became teammates after college while on Team Boss. Dani was a standout collegiate runner, earning 12x All-American honors and becoming a 4x NCAA Champion. After her 5th year track season was cut short due to covid, she signed with New Balance and went pro, focusing on the 1500. Dani has competed in 8 USATF championships and most recently was selected to represent Team USA at the NACAC Championships, where she earned a silver medal in the 1500.In today's episode, we talk about:How Dani found her love for running after playing every sport under the sun, and why her high school's xc/track team was so special to be a part ofHer transition to collegiate athletics and navigating the challenging of wanting to compare herself to other athletesWhat it was like working with a dietitian in college, and how that helped Dani feel more confident in her fueling choicesHow Dani discovered she has a genetic condition called hemochromatosis that causes iron overload, and what she does to manage itWhy working with a dietitian has been so key to her performance and confidence around fuelingWhy it's important to Dani to be happy outside of running, and how giving back to the sport inspires herIf you are interested in Dani's camp, you can learn more and register HERE.

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