In this episode of the Female Athlete Podcast, I chat to professional ultra trail runner Lucy Bartholomew. Lucy shares her introduction to trail running inspired by her father, running her first ultra trail race at only 15! From her first trail race to her most recent, Lucy has received public scrutiny and backlash, overcoming criticism and doubt before she even stepped foot on the trail. We discuss resiliency and how she chooses to focus on herself and trust her internal why. We talk about pursuing your passions and believing in yourself, turning hobbies into your career. Lucy has turned her love of running into her job now running professionally for Salomon. Running fast is not always synonymous with health. Despite finishing an impressive 3rd at the legendary Western States Endurance Run, and outwardly meeting the standard of what an athlete is supposed to look like, Lucy opens up about the unhealthy patterns she fell into: overtraining, obsessive tendencies, underfuelling and amenorrhea. Believing lighter was faster left Lucy mentally and physically burned out, and Lucy explains why taking a break from the sport during the pandemic, gaining weight, and restoring her period was necessary in order for her to have continued success and longevity in sport and to rediscover her love for running. Lucy’s advice to listeners is that cutting corners for short term success is not worth the long term suffering and setbacks that follows.  Without the visible symptoms of a physical injury, Lucy neglected taking her mindset seriously until she hit rock bottom. We discuss the importance of taking mental health seriously and treating mental injuries: you have to be mentally and physically healthy to perform at your best, in all aspects of life. As an elite runner with lots of social media followers, Lucy faced horrible insults and body shaming as her body changed. Dealing with challenging thoughts and internal criticism during recovery is hard enough without external unwanted attention Lucy receives, and she bravely shares how leaning on her close friends and family, the support of sponsors and medical professionals, alongside taking a step back from social media allowed her to heal. We explore plant-based eating for everyone, not just athletes, and debunking “perfection” when it comes to diets. Lucy explains her plant-based approach to eating, one that is based on her passion for the environment rather than restriction or diet culture. We emphasize the power of food to bring people together, create family mealtime memories and for cultural celebrations. Rather than promoting an “all-or-nothing” mindset, Lucy and I actually feel similarly about all foods fitting and advocating for personal choice rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition.  Follow Follow Lucy on Instagram @lucy_bartholomew Website: https://www.lucybartholomew.com  Lucy Bartholomew’s Official Bio Lucy Bartholomew is a Salomon-sponsored professional ultra trail runner who has been competing in ultras for a decade. She ran her first 100km race, aged 15, alongside her father, and since then has competed around the world winning many prestigious elite races. In 2017 she raced in fifteen ultras and was the first place female in eight of them. The following year she ran her first 100 mile race, the Western States Endurance Run, and finished third in the women’s race. All of those medals came at a cost, however, and for a time she lost her love of running, causing her to take a step back and reevaluate her relationship with the sport. 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