Eilish McColgan is a record-breaking track and field athlete who has competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics, from 2012 to 2024. Known for her endurance and consistency, she holds the European record for the 10-kilometer road race and the European best for 10 miles. Recently, McColgan shared a glimpse into her training routine on Instagram, posting a video of herself running at varying speeds on a treadmill. “Putting my headphones to the ultimate treadmill test.. 🏃🏼♀️💨🎧,” she captioned the post. From smart training strategies to her favorite pre-workout meal, here’s how McColgan stays at the top of her game.
1. She Runs
Running is the main way McColgan keeps herself in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself on a treadmill. McColgan captioned the post, “Such is life... 🫠Exactly 2️⃣ weeks since my last race! Took to the treadmill for an easy run, with some short tempo efforts to get my legs moving again. 🦵Didn't feel too bad, considering the amount of time we spent walking around Vietnam and Cambodia!”
2. She’s Consistent
McColgan shared her training secrets in an interview with Runner’s World. “Being consistent. In the past, I used to always think I needed to train harder in order to run fast but now I realise that it's more important to train smart. Since reducing my mileage and focussing on the quality in my sessions rather than quantity - I've gone from strength to strength.”
3. She Doesn’t Restrict Herself
McColgan talked about her diet in her Runner’s World interview. “There's nothing that I restrict in my diet - everything is in moderation and if I want something sweet - I'll do so. I'm training so hard, I need to make sure I'm getting in enough calories in order for my body to recover rather than restricting it. With the volume of training that I do throughout the week, it's more important that I eat as much as I possible can and fuel correctly to try and prevent any injuries from breaking down. On race day, I stick to what I normally eat throughout the week - nothing changes.”
4. She Does Lower Body Workouts
McColgan tells Your Healthy Living that she does a lot of lower body workouts in the gym. “I have two hard interval sessions a week on the track and then afterwards I’ll do a session in the gym for an hour. I do things like squats, lunges and glute exercises using Thera Bands. It’s about keeping everything activated without tiring myself too much. I don’t lift a huge amount of weights. The focus is on my core, hips and glutes as those are the areas that are really important for a good, strong, running stride.”
5. She Loves Porridge
Shutterstock
McColgan shared her favorite pre-workout meal with Your Healthy Living. “It’s pretty simple. I eat porridge every single day. I have it with milk, a banana and some berries, and sometimes I’ll add a scoop of protein. That’s the perfect fuel for me. I enjoy eating it and I don’t have any stomach issues afterwards when I go for a run.”
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
Chocolate bar life cycle on blue pastel paper background conceptShutterstock
Stacie Tovar/Instagram
Hannah Eden/Instagram
Shutterstock
Shutterstock
