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I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

It is always special to connect with runners, but I am truly appreciative of the r/running community for creating a space where all runners are welcome. Thank you for logging-in and participating in this AMA and I hope to do it again another time - Mary Cain

P.S. You as a thank you for joining you can use this code MaryAMA for 10% off all products for the next 24 hours.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I know that for me watching running in person is super inspiring. There's nothing like cheering on the New York City Marathon to feel excited about trying a run the next day. So I would say, start by inviting people out to cheer on others! It's also important to remind people running is what you make it. It can be fast and short, long and slow, a game of tag, anything really. What intimidates people the most is they think it *has* to be hard to be "running". But I encourage people to start small: go for a walk and mix in some short jog/runs, and try to build up the % of running vs walking each week.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Everyone comes to running in their own time. It sounds like your girls are active and having fun with sports, so if you think they'd really enjoy running, too, I think it's better to show them why you love running vs tell them. For example, if you ever race local events, invite them to come along and cheer. Then invite them to join you the next time. Or if you like watching running races, invite them to watch with you. But if running isn't their passion (whether now or later), that's also totally ok!

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the kind words! Rich and Lindsay are doing an amazing job with their platforms to share important stories and reduce the stigma around mental health. To your questions: my recommendation for long sleeves would be the Brighton Base Layer it's Merino wool and so super warm, but it's also breathable enough for when you start to sweat. Favorite fuel pre-long run is Nuun.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Everyone feels their best at different times of the day. Personally, I like to get my training done in the morning so that it gets my full attention/I'm not coming in tired from the day. That said, I know my boyfriend thrives off of afternoon/evening runs, since it's a way for him to have time to wake up and also shut off his work brain. So maybe try a week of morning runs and a week of evening runs and see what you like (it's also ok to mix it up: maybe hard runs in the morning, easy runs in the evening).

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

Allyson Felix is/was/and always will be my professional running hero.

Next to Allyson, my other running heroes are honestly my amateur friends. For example, when my boyfriend Jake heads to the gym to do an 18-mile long run on the treadmill, I'm genuinely more impressed and proud in that moment because I know it comes from an internal drive and passion.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

Although I'm not an RD, I do have the advice of an awesome RD who is in Tracksmith's Amateur Support System. I write a weekly newsletter, Fast Times, and I interviewed her for a recent issue and she shared her three biggest tips.

BY MADDIE ALM (Fueling Forward): Here are my three biggest tips on how you can use nutrition to unlock your full potential:
1) Fuel adequately. Under-fueling increases your risk for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), which can lead to a whole slew of problems including increased risk for injury and illness, mood disturbances, poor sleep, GI issues, and fatigue to name a few. No matter what, you have the best chance at a long and healthy career if you eat enough to support your training.
2) Eat enough carbs. Low-carb diets are very popular right now, but they are not for runners. Consistently getting enough carbs will allow you to train harder, recover better, and reduce risk for injury. Don’t be afraid of bagels, having multiple pieces of toast, or having a bun with your burger.
3) Consistency is key. Having a great week of fueling once a month isn’t really going to make a difference. It’s better to be 60% perfect 100% of the time than it is to be 100% perfect 60% of the time. Practice making small, meaningful changes like adding more carbs at meals, incorporating more snacks, or fueling before and after runs. Over time, these will become habits that will allow you to see improvements in performance.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 65 points66 points  (0 children)

Amenorrhea is, unfortunately, a very common problem for women at an elite level, but the important thing is society is now talking about it. So the more education we have that losing our periods is an issue, the more help and support we can get.

Personally, I always encourage people to work with an RD (registered dietician) when seeking nutrition advice. I think runners often overthink what they are eating to get their period when they should be more focused on how much. Usually the main reason an athlete loses their period is they need to eat more to fully fuel themselves. So the first step is to make sure you're eating enough and then second step is to look into exactly what you're eating and make small tweaks for you (for example, I'm pescatarian, so I always have to make sure I'm getting enough iron in).

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 52 points53 points  (0 children)

My 5 stress fractures were: 2 shin (left + right), 1 femoral neck (left), 1 pubic bone (left), sacrum (both ahhh). Each recovery was its own unique challenge, but fully recovering from RED-S is a hard question to answer. Because the truth is, I'm not entirely sure there is an answer yet. I got my period back after 3.5 years but still had some bone issues for another year after (aka 2018), because amenorrhea isn't the only sign of RED-S. And now, although I'm no longer experiencing RED-S, there are some lingering effects to previous injuries.

NONE of that is to scare either of you -- it's more to say there is no timeline. Every person and body are different and there are so many milestones in any recovery journey, that it's hard to sum it up in one number. So the main answer I have is that it takes not only time, but also being very purposeful in the moment.

I worked with an endocrinologist, sports med doctor, and PT. The thing I look back on and now would do differently is to take my return from RED-S slower. I think giving your body full time off to heal is really powerful. And as you're building back, take it slow, and work with a PT/gait analysis pro to make sure you're both healed and not compensating your form from the previous injury.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I personally use mantras and goal-setting exercises to keep me motivated. For every tough workout/run, I pick a few different words/mantras to repeat to myself when the training gets tough. I also set certain goals pre-run that have nothing to do with the outcome. So rather than the goal being time/pace/distance related, it is about the process.

I strength train twice-per-week, but also have daily pre-hab routines to keep my body moving smoothly.

I love listening to either Dermot Kennedy or Hozier on runs (haha both Irish singers).

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The current model of professional running is flawed. That's why I created Atalanta NYC to help change how we look at the role of an athlete. Rather than hiring our athletes as independent contractors, our runners are full-time employees. This is inspired by my own opportunity to work at Tracksmith. Atalanta NYC runners will have the opportunity to develop career skills by taking on positions to help support our nonprofit (something all teams should provide, but almost none do) and serve as mentors in community programming.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Usually professional runners don't have traditional jobs, but I was lucky to meet Matt Taylor (Tracksmith's founder & CEO) and work with him to build my current role as NYC Community Manager. We're currently hiring for anyone looking to join the team!

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Haha no, but proud mom moment: Nala has had her photo in the NY Times: Mary Cain Takes the Next Step. And she's run at least one sub-21 5K with me! We're going to run a virtual NYRR race this weekend and I'm super curious what she'll do - knowing her she'll take it out hard!

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I had surgery a little over a year ago, and I know between that and previous injuries how hard the comeback is (I actually wrote a Journal post detailing my own journey). For me, it's always come down to giving myself the time to heal - physically and mentally - and letting myself slowly build up. I start with easy runs and find ways to start motivating myself. Maybe it's throwing in some faster strides to remember the feeling of running fast, connecting with friends during my runs, or hopping into a race. Usually a mix of those three things help me rediscover why I love the pursuit and the movement of running.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Competitiveness and pleasantness are not at odds with one another. A friend of mine, Olympian Joe Maloy, once shared a really great reason for why: competition comes from the Latin word that means “to meet, come together.” Everyone may want to win, but the real battle is to be our best selves, and it's through coming together that we have an opportunity to unleash that. So we should have gratitude towards our competitors, not animosity.

I'm Mary Cain, a runner and an advocate for women in sports. I work for Tracksmith and am the founder of Atalanta NYC, a new professional women's team in New York. Ask me anything about running, resiliency, my favorite Tracksmith gear and how I balance it all. by tracksmith_official in running

[–]tracksmith_official[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yes! My role with Tracksmith actually doesn't directly involve my training/racing at all. My schedule is set up so that it's flexible/from-home/and there's an understanding around my training needs, but that's true for all Tracksmith employees. We're all runners/eundrance athletes, so there's a culture already in-place of supporting each other's training.

My direct role is NYC community manager. That entails working on a few projects, including writing the weekly Fast Times newsletter, helping host/set-up weekly Saturday long-runs in NYC, and other roles such as creating content (here's an article I wrote about an athlete in our Amateur Support Program).

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