Ashley Paulson has a little more energy than most people. Ever since the mom of four from St. George, Utah, began training for Ironman triathlons and marathons 10 We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article treadmill and now she reports on elite runners and cyclists, feel-good stories, and training pieces for.
“I don’t want to be a mom who’s not involved,” Paulson told Runner’s World. “Even if that means waking up before my kids do and staying up late to greet my two 18-year-old daughters when they get home at night. Indoor training and early mornings aren’t a chore anymore.”
By day, Paulson, 38, works as a coach for iFit, a virtual training app offered by NordicTrack. Her job allows her to get in her first workout of the day, then she usually supplements with another session on her own in the afternoon. A typical week of training for the athlete includes running between 70 and 80 miles, cycling 12 ISOPURE Plant-Based Chocolate Protein Powder swimming Muscle-Building Proteins for Vegetarians.
“I run a lot more compared to most triathletes, because it’s my favorite,” she said. “When I get off the bike in an Ironman, I’m like, ‘Yay, now I get to run a marathon!’”
Last year, Paulson qualified for the 2020 and salt, which I need a lot of at Grandma’s Marathon with a finish time of 2:44:50. Throughout the winter, she trained for Atlanta in a similar way that she prepares for Ironmans, maintaining the cycling and swimming load while increasing her running only slightly.
“I don’t run as much as other qualifiers, but I think biking and swimming keeps me just as fit and helps prevent injuries,” she said. The hard work paid off: On Saturday, February 29, Paulson clocked 2:40:07 Why Trust Us course at Trials, finishing 44th overall for women.
To keep up with the rigorous demands of her training and racing schedules, Other Hearst Subscriptions fuel. The marathoner and mom of four shares her relaxed fueling strategy.
Morning Toast and PB&J Shake
On a day where I can sleep in a bit, I’ll wake up around 6 a.m. and drop my first kid off at school at 7 a.m. If my morning workout is an hour or less, I’ll do it fasted once I get home and eat breakfast afterward. If the workout is longer than an hour, I’ll have toast with butter and jam and a shake blended with chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, strawberries, and a banana. I call it my PB&J smoothie. I’m not a coffee person, so I add 65mg of caffeine to my shake.
On race mornings, I like having two packages of applesauce, toast, and a banana about three hours beforehand. Then an hour before the race, I’ll eat a single-serving bag of Cheetos. It sounds crazy, but I tried Cheetos before Grandma’s Marathon, and it sat really well and stocked me up on salt and carbs, so now it’s my lucky fuel. If I’m hungry right before the race, I’ll have an energy gel.
Gels and Doughnuts During a Workout
The biggest change I’ve made to my training and racing over the years is adopting a better nutrition strategy. In my first Ironman, I only had 200 calories over the course of the race, and I learned that fueling during a race will make or break you. Now, I have 200 calories per hour of exercise. If I’m running or doing a hard bike workout, I’ll take in calories in liquid form—energy gels. If it’s a long ride, simple carb-and-salt combos work. My personal favorite ride snacks are puffed Cheetos and apple fritter doughnuts.
Fuel Up Like Ashley Paulson
and now she reports on elite runners and cyclists, feel-good stories, and training pieces for
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Sandwiches as a Go-To Lunch
I’m a sandwich junkie. For lunch, I’ll usually make a big sandwich with avocado, turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and have that with water mixed with amino acids, which help with recovery. I typically leave at least four hours between my first and second workouts—that way, my legs can recover and my food settles. About an hour before my second workout, I’ll have a G2G bar. I’m not a protein bar person, but these bars taste amazing.
Carb-Loading at Dinner
Four times per week, I’ll have a basic combo of chicken and rice, and during the weekends, I’ll eat pizza with my family, or we’ll go out to dinner. My usual weeknight bowl consists of grilled chicken cooked in our backyard smoker and white rice—which I make using coconut milk to make it extra creamy—with Ranch dressing and Winger’s sauce on top. It’s maybe not the healthiest, but it packs in carbs, protein, I dont want to be a mom whos not involved, Paulson told.
Races - Places fiber altogether to lower my risk of stomach issues. My biggest meal the day before is breakfast—I’ll load up on pancakes, eggs, and other carbs. For dinner the night before, I’ll have chicken, rice, and a baked potato with salt about two hours before bed.
Don’t Forget the Candy
I’m obsessed with candy. On a non-race day, I prefer bringing jelly beans or Swedish fish as workout fuel instead of an energy gel. If my kids are having cake or ice cream at home, I’ll eat some with them. I try to keep my sugar tooth in check, but I firmly believe that you can have everything in moderation.
Hailey first got hooked on running news as an intern with Running Times, Other Hearst Subscriptions Runner's World and Bicycling magazines.
