When Kate Grace, 27, Best Energy Gels for Runners in July, it was the first time she ever made the podium at a national-class race. And it was quite a podium to make, giving her a spot on her first Olympic team. After the games, she ran a PR (1:58.28) at the Weltklasse Zurich IAAF Diamond League.

Grace wasn’t always aware of how much of a role proper nutrition and fueling played in her performance, but she’s been learning since she started running professionally four years ago. 

Not long after coming home from Rio, where she was the sole American to make the final in her event, Grace talked to Runner’s World about how she’s changed her food philosophy and why it’s been an important part of her breakthrough year. 

Mistakes Made
When I first started I thought you could eat yourself fast by not eating. It completely undercut me. I didn’t realize the science of actually needing carbohydrates, Eat Like an Elite: Kate Grace.

Your training only works if you recover. My first year I was under-fueling myself, and in that sense, I really undercut my performance during championship seasons or when I went to the [Olympic] trials in 2012. I wasn’t in the place where I was going to make the team but I ran way below my PRs and I was just totally dead because I had been dieting. 

Timing is Everything
When you eat can be more important than what you’re eating. I’m religious about eating something within 10 to 15 minutes of a workout or any kind of activity. If, worst case, I am not able to get a bar or something that’s about 200 calories, I would eat anything versus nothing. I would eat crappier food instead of nothing.

You Don’t Have to be Perfect
It can be detrimental seeing Olympic athletes because you think they’re perfect and what they eat is perfect all the time. But that’s not the case. I found that having what Lauren [Fleshman] and Jesse [Thomas] call a B-B+ diet throughout the year is good enough. Giving myself permission to eat anything—I don’t have any foods that I would absolutely not eat because that allows me to maintain a pretty good quality of food throughout the year.

When I’m going into competition season, so for like two months, I will cut out alcohol and dessert, aside from dark chocolate. That’s my way of upping the quality of the diet when I’m actually in competition season. The rest of year there’s nothing I don’t eat. 

Eat Fat, Be Fit
If I was having a lot of sweet cravings, it meant I wasn’t getting enough carbs. I started to really crave ice cream and whipped cream—I was probably too low on fat. So one big change I made this year was I’d eat full-fat yogurt, which I never did before. While I’m not a fan of trends, I am a big proponent of full-fat yogurt because it really built me up.

Breakfast
I always have the same thing when I’m training: half cup oats, chia, flax seed, a few frozen berries, walnuts, unsweetened almond milk, half cup yogurt, cinnamon or pumpkin spice.

Lunch
It’s my second breakfast: eggs fried in olive oil or soft boiled, topped on toast with olive oil and a quick raw veggie. Or I’ll have a microwaved burrito with a vegetable or salad if timing is tight.

Dinner
I like experimenting, but I have my staples: taco night (slow cooked chicken, sautéed pepper and onion, black beans, avocado, and salad); veggie chicken stir fry over rice; pasta with meat sauce and salad.

Favorite Indulgence
I usually go for dark chocolate. For the two or three months I was in peak season, I cut out sweets and only bought 85-percent dark chocolate. I would dip it in coffee or tea. So tasty—I went through two bars a week. But my favorite dessert is ice cream or fruit pie with whipped cream.

Coffee Talk
I’m not religious about it in the mornings…yet. I drink coffee before workouts especially if I’m nervous or feeling out of sorts. I usually drink a cup or 1.5 cups per day. If I start wanting a ton of coffee throughout the day, I hold back and take it as a sign to rest more versus powering through. I reduce intake the week before a race and then drink cold brew an hour before race time.