Colorado Native Megan Lund-Lizotte is best known for her mountain running accolades. This busy mom-to-be has notched two Olympic Marathon Trials on her belt, as well as three consecutive World Mountain Running Championships. In 2007 she was ranked the #1 USA female marathoner under twenty-five years of age.
Besides Megan’s ridiculous running resume, she is also the President and Head Coach of her own online running coaching business called Hit the Ground Running: “I love working with people and helping them reach their potential and goals in the process.”
Read on to find out how Megan juggles a busy life of training, coaching and preparing for her and her husband’s first baby!
Quick Stats
Name: Megan (Lund) Lizotte
Age: 28
Hometown & Current: Basalt, CO (same)
Professional & Educational background: B.A. in Marketing & Communication from University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
Sports participated in: I ran both cross-country and track in college.
Years in current sport: 20
Racing Team: Montrail/Mountain Hardwear Racing Team
Sponsors/Affiliations: Montrail, Mountain Hardwear, WIN Health Institute, Honey Stinger, Nuun, Petzel
Additional personal information you’d like to share?
My husband and I recently found out we’re expecting a baby at the end of September! So, this summer I will take a brief hiatus from my usual international racing schedule and focus on training to have a healthy baby while putting more time and energy into my growing running coaching business (www.hgrunning.com).
The Long Run
What are some of the biggest highlights in your racing career?
After my collegiate career, I started working with Art Siemers who really helped me realize my potential for longer distances and hence, really put the joy back into my training. In 2007, under his direction, I ran a 2:41 at the St. George Marathon which was also my debut at the distance. My time at St. George made me the #1-ranked USA female marathoner for 2007 under twenty-five years of age and was also an Olympic Trials qualifying mark. That’s when I really fell in love with the marathon and knew that longer distances were definitely my cup of tea! Since then, I’ve really found my niche not only in longer races, but more specifically in the mountains and on trails. When I won the Sierre Zinal Mountain Race in 2010, I really proved to myself that I am good at this and it’s exactly the kind of racing I was made to do. Qualifying for 2-Olympic Marathon Trials and 3-consecutive World Mountain Running Championships are also big highlights for me too.
What are your long-term goals? What do you want to achieve as an athlete?
I would certainly love to make an Olympic Team and while the marathon keeps getting faster and faster, I’m confident that if I focus on it in the next couple of years I’ll have a realistic shot at making the Team. I’m also hopeful that mountain running will become an Olympic sport while I’m still fast! I hope to win another national championship, and a World Long Distance Mountain Running Championship…post-baby that is!
Why Colorado? What makes Colorado so special for endurance athletes? What makes Colorado special to YOU?
I LOVE Colorado—always have! When you’re born in Aspen, it makes it hard to move anywhere else! It’s such a beautiful place and ideal for trail/mountain running. There’s obviously the altitude training advantage and for me, the availability of hill climbing opportunities is pretty necessary for the type of racing I love and am focusing on. Colorado also just seems to infect people with a desire to get outside and explore—thankfully running is an efficient & fun way for doing just that!
Middle Distance
Take us through a “day in the life,” what type of training regimen do you follow?
Thankfully, I work from home so my schedule is fairly flexible and I usually have the blessing of running at whatever time of day is ideal for what I have on tap for that day. I am also self-coached, which makes my training flexible and adaptable. Typically, I get up early and drink some coffee (ok, a lot of coffee!) and have some toast or oatmeal with almond butter while answering emails and connecting with clients. I spend most of the morning online answering client questions and working on training plans for the week. Mid-morning is usually when I run. Depending on what I’m training for, a typical day for me is between 1-3 hours both on and off-road.
When the run’s over, I do some strides, dynamics/core strengthening exercises (when I’m motivated enough!), stretch a little bit and then eat a big lunch! Lunch for me is usually a giant salad—and not a girly salad either! Salads for me are usually piled high of dark leafy greens (dino kale, spinach, arugula, chard etc.), tons of raw veggies, nuts or seeds, cheese and some protein (salmon, chicken, steak etc.). After lunch, it’s back to coaching and/or cooking, cleaning, running errands, etc. Now that I’m pregnant sometimes I manage to fit a nap in too—growing a baby is exhausting! When I’m in high-mileage mode, or during my racing season, sometimes I’ll do a second run later in the day. After the second run, I cook dinner and then my husband and I spend most of the evening just hanging out. Sometimes we’ll go for a walk, watch TV, or these days, read some pregnancy books! We have a pretty low-key schedule as we’re both usually wiped out from work/training.
What are one or two things you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
Two things that I have experienced success with in the last few years are realizing the importance of sleep and food! These are two things that you don’t immediately associate with running directly, yet both are very important components of successful training and consistent performance. I used to only sleep about 6 hours/night, but since I got married, I’ve been sleeping 9 hours/night and I’ve gotten faster and I get through the day without nodding off! Your body not only recovers when you sleep, but heals itself and in the process boosts your metabolism, so your whole system is optimized to perform better.
I also make eating nutrient-dense foods a huge priority. Calories are important, but I dig deeper than that and try to eat foods (usually plants) that are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and even natural electrolytes that your body needs. It’s especially important to get some calories back into your body within 30 mins of running. I like to shoot for a 3-1 ratio of carbs to protein to help reboot glycogen stores and repair tired muscles. I love finishing my runs at a coffee shop and getting a mocha post-run—such a delish way to get that 3:1 ratio back in and it’s easily absorbed because it’s in liquid form.
Do you follow any specific nutrition plans? What are you favorite recovery meals, drinks, etc.?
I’m on the “eat what sounds good to me” nutrition plan. Our bodies are usually really good at telling us what they need and I think you can learn a lot from cravings. I hate it when people say they wish they wouldn’t crave, for example, salty foods. Why? Your body probably needs sodium and you should honor that request especially if you sweat a lot during your workouts! I’m not saying you should stuff your face with truffle fries all day, but cravings are important and if something sounds good—especially when you’re training hard—then that’s what you should eat! Some of my favorite recovery meals are veggie-loaded salads, oatmeal with Justin’s Maple Almond butter mixed in, pesto pizza, English muffin with gruyere and an over-easy egg—wow, now I’m hungry!
Do you have any recommended resources to share (books, seminars, websites, coaches)?
Well, I’m a running coach myself, so I would indeed recommend www.hgrunning.com for custom training plans! ;) I love the McMillan online race predictor—it’s so handy and such a tangible tool for developing realistic goals. I am also a big Jack Daniels fan so his books are great resources for developing achievable goals and proper effort for specific workouts.
What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
I love long runs, hills and threshold runs. Shorter speed work? Not so much! I’m not naturally very speedy so that’s one thing I really have to work on. Even though I don’t enjoy it as much as some other types of training, I realize it’s beneficial and necessary to winning races. When I don’t want to do a speed workout, I usually recruit a few of my speedy friends to help pace me. I find that if I have company, it makes me more motivated to put the work in. Also visualizing winning a race while doing speed work helps me enjoy it more too!
What are your favorite races in Colorado?
Now that I think about it, I don’t really race that much in Colorado! I love the Basalt Half Marathon—it’s a road race but the course is beautiful as it parallels the Frying Pan River in Basalt. It’s also really fast! Even though it starts and finishes above 6,000 feet there’s a 900 foot drop which makes it a good race to run if you’re curious what you could run a flat half marathon at sea level!
I also love the Vail Pass Half Marathon hosted by the Teva Mountain Games. It starts in Vail Village and finishes at the top of Vail Pass. I love those hilly races where you just have to “grind and go!”
Where do you like to train in Colorado?
I love running in the Roaring Fork Valley and specifically in the backcountry. There are so many great trails in the Elk Mountains! A few of my favorites are the Maroon Bells, Conundrum, Electric Pass, Hunter Creek Valley, Buckskin Pass, Hay Park—I could go on and on!
Sprints
Favorite running shoe: Love the new Montrail Rogue Fly—it’s super light but sturdy and stable enough for trail racing.
Favorite post-run/race beverage: Mocha latte—great way to get some simple carbs back into your system and some protein. Plus, the caffeine aids with efficient glycogen uptake! YUM!!!
Favorite post-run/race meal: I usually crave a coke and a cheeseburger after a race! I also have an obsession with Victoria’s Espresso’s ginger scones—I eat 2/week sometimes!
Role models:
Magdalena Lowey Boulet—she is such a sweet and humble person and always willing to give advice…oh yeah, and she’s an Olympian!?
Suzy Favor Hamilton—I’ve idolized her since I was in elementary school. She’s obviously fast but also exudes a true passion for the sport and has really done a lot for providing resources for developing young women runners.
My dad—he’s my #1 fan and the person who got me into running. He was my coach in high school and always encouraged me without pressuring me to run. He motivated me to take ownership of my own running and pursue it to the highest level possible…as long as it remains fun.
Day job: I have my own online running coaching business called “Hit the Ground Running” www.hgrunning.com. I love working with people and helping them reach their potential and goals in the process. This also allows me to work from wherever I am in the world during my busy summer racing season.
Solo runner, running partner or team/group? I do most of my running alone—it’s an important time for me to evaluate and process life, pray, problem solve, think creatively and just experience God’s creation! I also love mixing in some runs with my dad and some good girlfriends.
Podium
Have you experienced a breakthrough, and if so, what led to it?
2010 was a real breakthrough year for me. I won a few big mountain races (Sierre Zinal specifically) and really established myself as a legitimate competitor in the elite trail/mountain running community. It was a defining year for me in terms of my long-term focus and goals and as a result I secured an amazing sponsorship with Montrail/Mountain Hardwear.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Trust your training! It’s so easy to take yourself out of the race at the start line based on the competition. You never know when you’re going to have a breakthrough day, or beat someone who you’ve never beaten before. Don’t put any energy into telling yourself you can’t do something—just focus on what you KNOW is true and run your own race. Be confident in your preparation and the racing will take care of itself!
Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by? That you train by?
These are a few of my favorite quotes of which I try to emulate in my everyday life and in training since they are so closely intertwined…
“What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”
-Hans Urs von Balthasar
“Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don’t so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head.”
-Joe Henderson
What keeps you motivated? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Training is hard and it can get mundane or stale, but reminding myself that I am so blessed to be able to pursue running at the elite level more than just a hobby makes me thankful for the opportunity. I also know that being fast is a short window and knowing I won’t be fast forever makes me really want to take advantage of every day. My dad is also a huge inspiration to me! He introduced me to running and has always encouraged me to pursue it for the sheer joy it brings to life. When I start feeling like running is a job, I think about him and his life-long passion for the sport and that keeps me accountable to why I really do this.
You can follow me and “Hit the Ground Running” at the follow places:
Twitter: @MeganLizotte
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/meganlundlizotte
www.facebook.com/hgrunning.coaching