Welcome to the Running Explain podcast. I'm Elizabeth, a marathoner, running coach, and answer seeker.

When I became a new runner at the age of 29, I had so many questions, but it felt like I was on my own to figure all of the answers.

So now I'm here to answer all your running questions to help make you a better, smarter, faster, runner. There's no question

too simple and no topic too complex. So let's get started. My guest this week is sports dietitian

Courtney Burling. Now, if you're a fan of the show,

you may remember that Courtney was my very, very first guest way back on episode two where we talked

generally about running and nutrition. And today she is back to talk about a really specific topic

that is kind of a fundamental of athlete nutrition, something called the athlete plate or

athletes plate, depending on who you talk to, a tool that was developed to help active people,

athletes, understand what the daily composition of their meals should look like according to

what the demands of their day are. So this is a really fascinating topic because it really

kind of is the foundation of a lot of sports nutrition. And it's a really approachable topic. It's a really easy way for a lot of people to understand. How much should I be eating on any given day? What should my plate look like as an athlete? Courtney and I have collaborated on a couple different projects over the past two years. And so it was great to speak with her again, especially on this topic, which she is so passionate about having gone through her own journey under-fueling that actually led to infertility.

And you can see why she's so passionate about making sure that everybody is fueled properly, not for performance alone, but also for general health.

So, of course, aside from Courtney being a registered dietitian,

she's also a certified diabetes educator, she's a running coach, a mom of two, and she's also a military

spouse currently living in Japan. So I hope you enjoy the conversation. There's a lot in here to

unpack. You may also hear my little yabby girl Beatrice in the background on a couple different

segments, so sorry about that. There are more references, little bit more. may also hear my little yappy girl Beatrice in the background on a couple different segments. So

sorry about that. There are more references linked in the show notes about the athletes plate

if you want to learn more about what we are referencing specifically. So if you're feeling lost

and you're not quite sure what it's supposed to look like, don't worry. There are links to diagrams.

Enjoy. Courtney, welcome back to the show. I am so excited to have you here. Oh, Elizabeth,

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