In this episode, I talk with the University of Minnesota Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach Sarah Hopkins. Coaching through the Covid 19 pandemic has presented unique challenges, but Sarah explains how the extra year of eligibility awarded to student-athletes has benefitted her team. The extra year of training and development has seen her teams earn notable NCAA finishes. Sarah discusses the college recruitment process and her approach to coaching that is designed to have athletes performing their best during their junior and senior years. She presents the trajectory of endurance athletes as one that sees them peaking in their 30s, rather than in high school or college. We delve into the impact of puberty on athletics and how fundamental this period of development and body change is for long term success. While weight and hormonal changes may initially correlate with decreased performance, Sarah reminds us that if we ride the train, we will come out the other side stronger and more resilient, setting us up for success far greater than what our pre-pubescent selves could ever have achieved. We touch on the nuance of athletic bodies, how individuals are built uniquely and are meant to look different to teammates, rivals, and even themselves at different stages of life: there is no one “fit” or “fast” look, and our genetics mean that we are not supposed to all be the same shape or size. Sarah mentions how necessary fueling properly is for bone development, strength and injury prevention: there are no shortcuts to success and consistency wins overall. Sarah and I discuss addressing nutrition concerns, identifying red flags, and the importance of referring athletes out for professional help. As with training and recovery, the best approach to nutrition is individualized and there are multiple different paths to success. Sarah reminds us to remove the good/ bad food labels, emphasizing our “all foods fit” approach, and how she models healthy habits with her athletes. This modeling extends to her identity as one of very few female head coaches, and Sarah explains the gender imbalances that are still very apparent and the changes that need to be made to get more women in positions of power. Follow Sarah Hopkins on Twitter and Instagram @mnxcCoachHop Sarah Hopkins’ Official Bio: Sarah is the Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach at the University of Minnesota. Sarah took over the Women’s cross country team in 2013 and the men’s team in 2021 after serving as a volunteer coach at Minnesota for 8 years. She was named both the 2020 and 2021 Midwest Region Coach of the year, as well as the 2021 Big Ten Coach of the year. Sarah coached the men’s team to their first NCAA appearance in 6 years and the women to two top 8 team finishes the last two seasons.  Learn more about Lindsey's Services and the Team at Rise Up Nutrition: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com Worried that you have RED-S? Curious to know how we could help or how you can recover fast?! Download the RED-S Recovery Race & see how you place for more support: www.RiseUpNutritionRUN.com/REDS