Track and Field Star Keni Harrison in Two-Piece Workout Gear is "Goals"

Keni Harrison, an Olympic silver medalist in the 100-meter hurdles, has made a name for herself not only through her speed but also her resilience and determination. Recently, Harrison shared her friendship with fellow athlete Jenna Prandini in an Instagram collaboration with Athlos, saying, “She’s a ride or die.” Known for her fierce work ethic, Harrison credits her parents for instilling in her the values of hard work and perseverance. “To accomplish your goals, you have to work hard,” she told TODAY. From her love of salmon to swimming and taking advice from her coach, Harrison’s focus on discipline and balance has been key to her success both on and off the track.

1. She Works Hard

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Harrison has a strong work ethic. She revealed to TODAY that she got this attitude from her parents. “They live by example. They’re hard working people and they taught me not to give up and to accomplish (your) goals you have to work hard. And so that’s just something I took from them. I’m just so happy to be bringing home ... a sliver.”

2. She Loves Salmon

Harrison makes sure to eat healthy. She shared one of her favorite meals in an interview with Rehab 2 Perform. “[Salmon and vegetables] make a light and filling meal that helps me perform well at training or in competition. [It] makes me feel energized without feeling too heavy in my stomach.” The Mayo Clinic states that salmon has a lot of health benefits. “Seafood in general, and salmon in particular, is a good choice for protein in the diet. If you can use salmon in place of a higher fat meat, that's even better. Salmon is probably best known for its omega-3 fatty acids. Called EPA and DHA, these fats may support heart health, brain function and healthy joints.”

3. She’s Competitive

Harrison is an extremely competitive person, and she tells World Athletics that this has helped her. “The best tip I’ve received is regardless of the level of the meet or competition, always be extremely competitive. This has been important to me as I am able to perform at a respectful standard consistently. As an athlete who takes pride in my effort and who appreciates the fans who come out to support us, it is important that they get the best of me.”

4. She Listens To Advice

Harrison tells World Athletics that she makes sure to listen to advice that her coaches tell her. “I think it is always important to listen to your coaches as they are the ones equipped with the knowledge to assist us in reaping success. Post the US Olympic Trials [where Harrison finished sixth and missed out on a spot in the US team for Rio 2016] my coach [Edrick Floreal] was the one who inspired, pushed and encouraged me to train towards the world record. I listened and the rest, as they say, is history.”

5. She Swims

Harrison likes to swim to keep herself in shape. She shares a lot of posts on Instagram of herself in the water. Harrison posted this set of photos of herself enjoying time in a hotel pool. In it, she wore a purple patterned swimsuit. She captioned the post, “The best color. Respectfully! 💜♍️🔮😈”

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.”

MMA star Kayla Harrison is showing off her acrobatic skills in a new social media post. Harrison, 33, shared a video of herself wearing black leggings and a camo sports bra, performing an impressive kip-up on the mat before landing in a fighting stance. “I take training seriously. 😜 #sporty #sportyspice #fitnessgoals #mma #mmatraining #ufc300 #kaylaharrison #teamkayla,” she captioned the post. “Looks like something out of Mortal Kombat 🔥🔥🔥🔥,” a fan commented, to which Harrison responded with a ninja emoji. Here’s what her diet, exercise, and training regimen looks like.

1. Three Workouts a Day

Harrison treats her workouts like her job. “I usually do 2-3 workouts a day, and it can include grappling, sparring and various drills,” she told Women Fitness. “I see my strength and conditioning coach twice a week, do one light technical workout on Saturdays and then Sunday I rest. In terms of dealing with stress, being a fighter is like putting yourself in the most stressful situation possible and finding ways to cope with it. There’s nothing more stressful than locking yourself in a cage with someone who is trying to fight you.”

2. Pre-Fight Diet

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Harrison starts cleaning up her diet three weeks before a big fight. “No more pizza, no more ice cream and stuff like that. I eat as much as I want, but just really good, wholesome food,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “Nothing processed. Simple and straightforward proteins with lots of veggies and fruits if I feel like I need the sugar, and that’s it. I also have single mom status, so I eat when I can [laughs], but I think I have got it down to a science, and my body feels really good.”

3. Visualization Techniques

Harrison relies on visualization techniques for stress management. “I don’t try to find exercises to relieve stress, I try and find ways to become better at dealing with the stress,” she told Women Fitness. “This includes breathing exercises, visualization activities and positive thinking. Every night I train my brain, just like I do my body. I’m visualizing success, I’m visualizing being the best MMA fighter in the world, I’m visualizing arm barring someone or landing that perfect cross…and I repeat it repeatedly.”

4. Nutrition and Recovery

Harrison knows that nutrition will absolutely impact her recovery. “Nutrition is definitely something that I have taken more seriously as I have got older,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “When you are 20 years old, you recover easily, no matter what, versus when you are 30 years old and you just don’t recover the same. So, nutrition is a big part of recovery.”

5. Keeping a Routine

Harrison is a creature of habit and routine. “I grew up in a routine,” she told Muscle & Fitness. “I woke every morning, I’d make my bed, I got my clothes ready the night before, for school, and as I got older, I woke up every morning and went for a run or I lifted. Afterward, I would have either cross-country practice, or wrestling practice, or strength and conditioning, and then I would go from there to judo, doing my homework in the car, then come home, sleep, repeat, and do it all over again.

Hurdler and bobsledding champion Lolo Jones is philosophical about the reality of competing as an athlete—namely, you don’t always perform at your best. Jones, 41, shared a video of herself wearing black leggings and an orange tank top, dancing her disappointment away. “When you get love bombed by Track 😭😭😭😭Progress and disappointment at the same time. only a runner will know the pain of having run your fastest time of the season but still coming short. Giving me mixed signals like a man who is avoidant attachment. Are we good? Nah we not good? Ok we are def good, 😂😫Keep chipping away. #last #progressnotperfection,” she captioned the post. Here’s how Jones stays fit, strong, and ready to run.

1. Losing Weight After Bobsledding

Jones put on weight after switching from bobsledding to running, and worked hard to torch the fat. “It was tough. I had to lose the 30 pounds I had put on for bobsledding,” she told Stack. “For the first time in my life, I could relate to the struggle to lose weight. I stopped consuming 3,000-calorie weight gainers and dropped 10 pounds in a week. I lost the next 10 pounds by cutting my portions and eating healthier meals, like chicken or fish. No more double-cheeseburgers! The last 10 pounds were the hardest.”

2. Training For the Track

Jones’ workout is based on cycles, depending on how fast or slow she is running. “We build up to hard workouts within three weeks and then take a rest week,” she told Stack. “Also, if you increase your volume, you need to decrease your rest. For example, if I’m running for longer and slower, then I get less rest time. But if my run time is faster and shorter, I get a longer time to recover so that I can run at a higher velocity next round. Rest is really important.”

3. Gel Manicures

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Jones always wore polish during bobsledding training to protect her nails. "You have to keep your nails painted at all times because it protects them from getting beat up against the ice,” she told Cosmopolitan. “But I like getting Shellac [by CND] the best, because we work with acetone so much to clean the runners (aka blades) that it takes my nail polish right off—with a gel mani it stays on forever."

4. Bobsledding Eye Makeup

Jones emphasized her eye makeup during bobsledding competitions. “Even though everyone knows I'm a woman, when I'm racing I wear dramatic eyeshadow, mascara, and liner to make my eyes standout,” she told Cosmopolitan. “Especially since it's the only part of my face that you can see with my helmet on!"

5. Setting Goals and Evolving

Jones constantly reminds herself to set goals to stay on track. “After the Winter Olympics, I was physically fit and really strong from pushing the bobsled. But it was tough to get my energy up again,” she told Stack. “Competing in an Olympics can really drain you mentally and physically. One thing I’ve learned throughout my career is that whenever you lack motivation, you lack goals. So I had to re-focus and redefine my goals, like win a certain number of races this season.”

MMA fighter Kayla Harrison is active even during her down time, but she’s making it fun. Harrison, 34, shared a video of herself wearing leggings and a sports bra, hiking in the gorgeous Utah mountains. “In my hiking girl (and no days off) era. 😌 My fight camp for #ufc307 continues here in #utah with a few of my favorite people. 🩵 📌10.5.24 #slc #hiking #outside #outdoors #mma #mmatraining #kaylaharrison,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the fighter stays strong, healthy, and happy.

1. Visualization Techniques

Harrison says all athletes have days where they question if the hard work is worth it. “I do a lot of visualization and positive thinking as part of my routine,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “Even when I’m not physically training, I’m training my mind to believe that I am a winner and believe that I’m the best. I visualize myself winning tournaments and winning the Olympics. And at night I go home and cry because it’s been such a bad day and I feel like I can’t do it anymore, but then I go through my little mantra and I visualize and listen to the right song, and then I feel a little bit better.”

2. Preparing For Pacheco

Harrison is never not training. “I train year-round anyway, so it’s not like, Oh, I’m back in the gym, or I take a longer time off or something like that,” she told the New York Post about preparing to fight Larissa Pacheco. “And the reality is, Larissa fights very similar to Cris Cyborg; she fights very similar to Amanda [Nunes]. These are heavy strikers. These are front-runners. These are girls who I’m thinking about all the time when I’m in the gym. So I’ve been preparing for this fight for a lot longer than three months, and I’m ready.”

3. Switching Up Her Routine

Harrison’s training routine changes depending on what her goals are. “I was fortunate to be able to work one-on-one with a strength and conditioning coach three to five days a week,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “We also run sprints and intervals three to five days a week, and we do judo every single day. Judo doesn’t have a season per se, but there are down times when I really need to focus on building my strength, but before competition I need to focus on conditioning and getting in as good shape as possible. Sometimes I do Olympic-style lifts, and others I do a lot of circuit training. It depends where I am in the year and what I’m peaking for.”

4. Nachos and Chocolate Cake

Harrison lets herself splurge after a fight diet-wise. “Post-fight, I love nachos. And I always get chocolate cake after I weigh in” she told the New York Post. “Chocolate cake is a must. … I’m a lightweight for a reason: I’m known to eat (laughs). [If] it’s not nailed down, I’ll probably eat it. But I’m lucky. I don’t live to eat; I eat to live.”

5. Role Model

Harrison says her number one goal is to be healthy. “I try to instill a healthy lifestyle into my children, more importantly,” she told the New York Post. “Maybe before I had my kids, I didn’t think about it as much. But now that I have them and I am so conscious of [diet], I want them to grow up and be healthy and capable of making good choices and understand the difference between the choices they’re making, I’m much more health conscious. And we have a pretty clean household. On the weekends, we tend to let our hair down a little bit.”