Most professional athletes live very strict, regimented lives. They’re religious about their training, obsessed with their diets, and fanatical about their sleep schedules.
Not Lauren Goss. While she approaches her training with the same level of intensity as her competitors, the 30-year-old professional triathlete keeps a flexible and loose attitude. She ditches workouts when she feels like it, drinks wine every week, and goes to bed when she’s tired. This hasn’t hindered her success. In fact, it’s fueled it.
To date, the South Carolina native has finished more than 100 triathlons, including 25 Ironman 70.3s. Of those, she’s won 7 and made the podium 13 other times.
We chatted with the Boulder, Colorado-based athlete to learn how she makes it all happen—and why staying chill is a crucial part of the process.
Runner’s World: You’re very accomplished in the triathlon world—yet you didn’t pick up the sport until your senior year of college. What’s the story there?
Lauren Goss: I was a competitive swimmer growing up and stopped at age 16 because of an eating disorder. I was on a trajectory to swim full scholarship in college and blew it. When that happened, I stopped sports completely for 4 years and instead focused on school and doing pre-med in college [at Clemson University].
Then, my junior year I was stressed with school and wanted to start exercising again—so I began running a 3-mile loop every single day. I’d go all out and get my time every day. That was my first introduction to running. After that, I got connected with the triathlon club, and my senior year I placed in the top five at the Collegiate National Championships, officially earning my pro license.
RW: How does running compare to biking and swimming?
LG: Running is my favorite of the three. With running, you can go anywhere and all you need are shoes—you don’t need a bike or a pool. You also have to be so connected with your whole body: your core, arms, head position, legs, glutes, how you lean forward, how you're breathing, your cadence. On my long runs, I typically just follow my heart rate and at the end, I guess my pace. I’ve always been within 3 seconds. Running has helped me be so in tune with my body.
RW: It sounds like you have an extra special connection to running. What’s been your favorite experience with the sport?
LG: In 2009, I signed up for the Richmond Half Marathon. I had never run 10 miles before. The day before the race, I found out you could pay $20 to transfer your registration to the full marathon. I thought it would be super cool to qualify for the Boston Marathon, so I paid the fee. I started with the 3:30 pace group, and I ended up running 3:11 and negative split the race by 15 minutes. I was so stupid—in terms of fuel, I had one gel [the entire race] and I didn’t know what I was doing, but to this day it was my favorite race experience. Because I was so naive, I didn’t have any fear—or any expectations.
RW: How far you’ve come! These days, you compete in an average of 12 to 15 races a year, which take you all around the world—from China to Costa Rica to Canada. Do you have a favorite place to race?
LG: I love South America. In South America, the people are so genuine, down to earth, and excited. When I race there, I feel like I’m in the Tour de France—there are thousands of people cheering and wanting selfies. It’s super easy to race there—and every race, the scenery is so beautiful.
RW: Speaking of great places to run, what's your all-time favorite route?
LG: The trails at Chautauqua Park in Boulder. It’s super beautiful there. I love getting lost in the woods.
RW: Do you ever have trouble motivating yourself? And if so, how do you overcome that HOKA Cavu. What do you love about it?
LG: For starters, it’s stylish. The all-white or all-black design is definitely a more fashionable option when it comes to running shoes. I can wear it with jeans and I can wear it at the gym. It’s also very versatile—I can run on the track and race Half Ironmans in it. It’s so lightweight. I can put a lot of miles on it for such a light shoe.
Click here for more on the new HOKA Cavu
RW: Your training program is intense—18 workouts a week, including 200 to 250 miles on the bike, 12 miles in the pool, 40 miles of running, and 3 strength training sessions. Where does recovery fit into that?
LG: As an endurance athlete, you need rest. Every Monday is typically easy for me, and every twenty-first day, I take off. If I wake up feeling sick or tired, I’ll take a day off. As soon as I feel something [off in my body], I don’t run for a few days. I’m the first person to skip a workout. I took a whole week off recently, and I came back and had the best training of my life.
RW: I imagine all that training leaves you ravenous. What’s your typical post-training fuel?
LG: I try to eat a lot, and I eat all the time. After a hard workout, I will immediately have a protein recovery shake made with Garden of Life protein powder, chia, homemade almond milk, and a banana. Then, I’ll take a shower and fuel up again, typically avocado toast with eggs, hemp seeds, turmeric, and spinach. Or, for something sweet, I’ll have sweet potatoes with almond butter, honey, and salt. I put salt on everything—watermelon, oatmeal, peanut butter, smoothies. I don’t need to take salt pills or extra electrolytes.
RW: Do you ever have trouble motivating yourself? And if so, how do you overcome that?
LG: Yes. When that happens, I’ll either take time off, or I just won’t do a structured workout. Instead, I’ll recruit my friends to do fun training. I’ll go mountain biking or trail running, and I won’t wear a watch. It usually takes just one day of that for me to get bored and miss my interval workouts.
RW: You seem to have a remarkably chill attitude about all this, especially for someone at your level of competition.
LG: I’ve been that way my whole career. I started triathlons as a joke because I never thought I’d really make it [as a pro]. And then when I started making money, I was like "Wow, this is awesome. I’m running around in my bathing suit and people are paying me. This is insane." So I just don’t put too much pressure on myself. I just try to have fun.
RW: What are you future goals?
LG: I want to be on the podium at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships next year. I’d also like to successfully do a full Ironman. But more than that, I like encouraging others to change their lifestyles. Seeing the impact that healthy changes can make on someone’s life gives me more joy than winning a race.
Last year, I started a youth program with another local athlete called “Girls Ride for Treats.” We did weekly bike rides with 10-year-old girls and ate cookies together after every ride. I also teach kids how to swim. I like giving back to the next generation—that’s what inspires me. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I enjoy it.
