Elite Runner Kara Goucher In Workout Gear Says “Hang In There, People!”

Elite long distance runner Kara Goucher may not be competing in the Olympics, but she’s still training as if she is. Goucher, 45, shared a picture of herself wearing shorts and a blue sports bra, smiling her way through an intense workout. “Y’ALL- I am having a case of the Mondays!! One bright light today- got to workout with @kinesisintegrated. Had to switch gears with my sore knee but still got some work in- and thankfully some laughs. Good grief- I need more laughs!!! Hang in there people! ❤️” she captioned the post. Here’s how Goucher is living her best life in her 40s.

1. Happy Place

Goucher is still passionate about running, even after being diagnosed with dystonia. “It’s still my happy place, meditation; I feel so happy in movement,” she told The Washington Post. “I have this rare neurological movement disorder, so I can’t run as much as I want. But I am in a pretty good place right now where I’m running most days. And I still love running so much. Some people would call it an obsession. But truly, it’s not a chore for me.”

2. Eggs and Avocado

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Goucher loves eggs, any style. "My stomach isn't usually ready for hardcore food right after a workout, which is why protein shakes are good for me," she told Well+Good. "But after 30 minutes or an hour, my stomach starts waking up and is ready to eat—and that's when I go to brunch. I love eggs and avocado, plus some toast and potatoes on the side. And I'm not discriminatory about my eggs—I'll take a good omelet, I'll eat them over veggies, or I'll have them scrambled."

3. Running Coach

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Goucher has good advice for anyone looking for a running coach. “It’s just someone who’s invested with you, respects you, understands you as an athlete, understands what motivates you,” she told The Washington Post. “Some people need that challenge of, “So and so is going to beat you." And some people need, “You just need to be focused on yourself.” A coach that is flexible between athletes doesn’t necessarily treat each athlete the same way. If you have a bad day, everybody should be taking ownership, not just you.”

4. Stretching and Foam Rolling

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Goucher uses a foam roller before bed. "My routine is all dynamic stretching," she told Well+Good. "I do lots of leg swings, walking and pulling my knees into my chest, or pulling my foot up to my butt, and I finish with some balance work to remind my tired body what it needs to remember as it gets fatigued at the end of a workout or race."

5. Take Your Time

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Goucher wants women to take their time bouncing back from pregnancy and giving birth. “I would certainly tell women coming back from pregnancy that there is no timeline and that you should not feel pressured to return to any sort of space,” she told The Washington Post. “I like to say like, yeah, I ran [a 2 hour 24 minute marathon] less than seven months after I gave birth to my son, but then I spent the next rest of my career really being injured, healthy, injured, healthy. Faith Kipyegon, [the Kenyan middle distance runner] took a year before she started training. And she’s a world champion and the Olympic champion. So I would say really take your time and don’t feel like there’s this timeline that has to be met.”

Track and field athlete Chari Hawkins is giving fans a look at what typical competition for a female athlete looks like. Hawkins, 32, shared a video of herself wearing black shorts and a green shirt, comparing the heights of all the different hurdles. “All the heights of the professional hurdle races ✨ it kind of makes you realize what superheroes the men hurdlers really are, doesn’t it??? Happy Monday! Today at practice we have hurdles, so I thought I’d show you what we are working with! ❤️❤️,” she captioned the post. Here’s what Hawkins’ training looks like.

1. At-Home Workouts

Hawkins continued training even when the 2020 Olympics were pushed back a year. “I've been doing my very best to just get a sweat in at home, go on a run and then come home and do dumbbells and a Bosu ball—just trying to get in as much as I possibly can and keep trying to take it as like, 'Hey, this is like an off-week where you're just doing the little things, you're not doing anything crazy, but you're not going to lose it.’ I think the most important thing was trying to keep your mind sane,” she told Sports Business Journal. “And I think that, honestly, I probably did a better job keeping my body sane than my mind during the uncertainty.”

2. 80/20 Rule For Diet

Hawkins says nutrition is something she had to learn. “The biggest thing that my coach has always talked to me about is the 80/20 rule,” she told PROMiXX. “80% of the time making sure I’m having balanced food and the right nutrition to recover: the right amount of protein, the right amount of fats, the right amount of everything I might need. And then 20% of the time allowing yourself to live a life. At the end of the day, when we do 100% of everything, that’s how we start getting mixed up in “this is who I am and if I don’t do well I’m not good”. Keeping perspective is really important. That 80 is keeping us healthy, that 20 is keeping us sane.”

3. Visualization Techniques

Hawkins uses visualization techniques to deal with anxiety. “Before practice, I was getting a sports massage. They are brutal. I decided if I could take that pain I could take the pain of my workout the next day,” she told Upworthy. “I started visualizing my race model for the next day, my pace, I was working with the pain that I was feeling. I was able to get through it a lot better. I wasn't as squirmy. The next day, it was my most successful workout ever. It was almost as if I had already experienced it. When I started feeling pain or anxiety in my workout, I pushed past it in my head.”

4. Pushing Through Doubt

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Hawkins almost gave up competing but was determined not to give up. “I decided I'm going to work and not have one day where I don't work as hard as I possibly can,” she told Upworthy. “I'm not going to go without fighting as hard as I possibly can. That's exactly what I did. Got enough sleep, put the right kinds of food in my body. I was working on getting faster, stronger, but also on my physical recovery. Just making strides in so many areas. It took me from 25th in the nation to 3rd. I honestly truly believe that it's because I made a promise to myself to give everything I could.”

5. Girls on the Run

Hawkins loves mentoring young runners through Girls on the Run. “It's been such an incredible experience. Every single day they got a little better,” she told Upworthy. “The day I spoke to them, the subject was joy and all the things that bring them joy. Every time they ran a lap they got a bracelet. They wrote something on a board that brought them joy. What an incredible practice. Running isn't a punishment. At the same time, they don't have to be average. Running can kind of help you become your own empowered self. They don't need to fit any mold.”

Kenyan runner Faith Kipyegon is ready for the Olympic trials! Kipyegon, 30, shared a picture of herself wearing gray running pants and a black shirt, surrounded by pairs of running shoes. “I’ve been building in a great way during the past months for a beautiful season ahead. Some weeks back I got a small muscle problem that was handled well. I’m now back in full training, focusing to start my season in 4 weeks time at the Kenyan Trials for the Olympic Games. I saw my name announced for @preclassic, it’s one of the greatest competitions in the circuit and I plan to compete there again in 2025 💗,” she captioned the post. “We can’t wait to see you at the trials,” a fan commented. Here’s how Kipyegon stays focused and strong.

1. Barefoot Runner

Kipyegon is infamous for running barefoot when she was a junior, but switched to shoes with Wavelight technology. “It’s an improved shoe, but I don’t think the shoe is running – I’m running,” she told the Irish Examiner. “I just put the shoe on, believe in myself and go and break the world record. I believe in the training; the technology comes after.” She has no intention of running without shoes anymore.

2. Marathon Running

Kipyegon wants to try more marathon running after training with different types of runners. “Training with marathoners has opened my mind,” she told Runner’s World. “I want to see myself at longer distances in the future. I could do the marathon in future and follow the footsteps of Eliud [Kipchoge] and Geoffrey [Kamworor].”

3. Motherhood and Ambition

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Kipyegon says motherhood has sharpened her ambition and made her even more determined to succeed. “Now that I’m a mother, I have to focus more on my career for the sake of my child,” she told Runner’s World. “Since Alyn came into this world, she has been my life. Now I’m a focused athlete, I have someone to take care of so I put my heart, my head, everything, for her.”

4. Postpartum Training

Kipyegon was careful about getting back into training after welcoming her daughter Alyn in 2018. “I went to my coach, and he told me to take my time, I followed all the things he told me,” she told Runner’s World. “I can say it was not easy. The food I was eating was normal food. I was eating chapati, chips, everything.”

5. Restarting Her Career

Kipyegon says she is now stronger than ever. “The motherhood journey has made me strong,” she told the Irish Examiner. “I was so afraid, (thinking): ‘Maybe I will not come back, I will just disappear.’ Every lady, their mind goes like that. I thought it was the end of my career, but it was the beginning.”

Track and field star Parker Valby got through the Olympic trials and is thrilled to be heading to Paris to compete in the women’s 10,000 meters race. Valby, 21, shared pictures of the experience, including one of her wearing shorts and a blue Nike cropped jacket, blowing a kiss. “Can’t spell Paris without Parker🤌🏼🕺🏼💅🏼 (ok maybe you can without the k e r). Anyhoots it’s officially official I’m an Olympian😮 this past week has been quiteee a journey full of some of my highest highs and lowest lows.” Here’s how Valby trains and lives her best life.

1. Running 25-40 Miles a Week

Valby runs between 25-40 miles a week, depending on her training schedule. “It’s not like I’m jogging on those days [that I’m running] or that I’m cross training easily,” she told Citius. “I think people underestimate what I’m doing. When I cross-train, there are puddles of sweat on the floor...Workout days are quality miles. That’s where all the miles come in–workout days.”

2. Cross-Training All Week

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Valby does cross-training twice on Wednesdays and takes one day a week off for active recovery. “I’ll do a cross-train double on Monday,” she told Citius. “Tuesday is typically a track workout or a grass workout depending on whatever we have coming up. So that’ll be running on the ground that day. Thursday, some weeks we have workouts, some weeks we don’t depending on if we’re working out on Saturday. And then Friday will be a cross-train double. Sunday is cross-training.”

3. She’s a Graduate

Valby just graduated from the University of Florida, which is perfect timing for the Olympics. “Some graduate with honors, I’m honored to graduate 💅🏼 (all jokes guys I actually did graduate with honors). Thank you @uflorida and @gatorstf for the best 4 years 🥲 *swipe to see my mood abt leaving #gogators5ever 🤍,” she captioned an Instagram post.

4. Recovering From Injury

Valby knows what it’s like to recover from injury after fracturing her foot. The athlete was forced to try different methods of working out while her foot healed. “I learned how to cross-train for the first time and actually cross-trained really hard for three months while I was on crutches and in a boot, mostly in a pool. You’re still getting the aerobic fitness,” she told Track & Field News. “It’s just a little bit of a shock to the legs when you come back.”

5. Big Dreams

Valby still can’t believe how much her world is changing, and says she never planned on becoming an Olympian. “If you would have asked me two years ago, I wanted to be in business or an orthodontist,” she told Runner’s World. “For a while, I wanted to be a vet. I’ve been all over the place. I never once said I wanted to be an Olympic athlete.”