Tell us a little about yourself
In a nutshell, I am either communicating or moving and most commonly, a mixture of both.
I'm presently the head of communications at a corporate national and have been a freelance writer and blogger for over 6 years now. When I am not writing, pitching or interviewing, you can find me focused on endurance athletics. While I am a runner first, I love a wide range of sports within this realm: I am on the Get Out There Magazine adventure racing team (we went to USARA Nationals last year). This year, I did my first Ironman, first endurance open water swim and went to the ITU World Championships for duathlon and new for 2018, am racing on a cycling team.
I like to use my experience for good. Proper fuelling and sports is something I feel strongly about. Whether it is discussing nutrition on my blog, chatting to high school kids about healthy lifestyles as a Fit Spirit athlete speaker or activating in my local city or wider sports community, I try to share the message of self-care and excellence through fuelling and sport.
Fill us in on the evolution of your blog, Laces and Lattes
I started the blog in 2010. I was in university and had no idea what I was doing at the time - I just wanted to have an outlet where I could write without having a deadline or subject attached to it. Part of me never expected it to stick but I truly loved it and over 6 years later, I still look forward to writing posts. It has been a long-term project with a lot of difference faces - at times it has been a working resume to show what I am capable of doing, a connector to reach out and make lasting relationships with other athletes, a platform to share important messages and to establish relationships with sponsors and these days, it has been an important outlet to shine a spotlight on the incredible men and women in sports.
You have started an interview series on athletes that have had to overcome serious challenges (outside the athletic arena). What are some of the lessons that you have learned from those individuals?
The series My Sport Isn't All I'm Crushing was born of a conversation I had with a fellow athlete where I was lamenting the incredible athletes I know in the sporting world who were facing some huge challenges but were not being talked about. I wanted to do something about that and I began it at the beginning of October 2017. The biggest lesson I have learned from these athletes is to not have fear. All of them have incredible challenges to face and they are all handling it with grace and stoicism. I cannot really express how much the people from this project have inspired and challenged me but what began as a short term series with people I knew well is something I want to keep going. It has been incredible having people I've never met write in with their stories and I am excited to keep sharing this with others.
You can read the story of Hammer Canada's Ryan Correy here.
What are your top three Hammer products? And why?
Perpetuem - Because when I am completing anything over multiple hours or even days, getting calories in to keep me moving is crucial. I began using Perpetuem in adventure racing a few years back and it was an incredible, highly nutritious fuel source that I kept as a key element in my Ironman training. As for my favourite flavour? I will never forget the third day of racing in the scorching Iowa sun. I reached for my Perpetuem bottle and took a swig. It was basically hot chocolate and the fact that it still tasted amazing at that point sealed the deal for me. It is the main flavour I routinely use (although I do love the Cafe Latte from time to time for obvious reasons)...
Gels - Again, creature of habit that I am, I have at least two boxes of the Nocciola chocolate hazelnut gel at all times. It is my go-to fuel source for my half and full marathon events and top-up fuel for cycling and adventure racing. It is made with clean ingredients so my stomach handles it well. Another tip for those of you who don't love breakfast but need your pre-race coffee? Buy an espresso gel and mix it in. It is a great way to get in some quick fuel and get a jolt to kick-start your race!
Recoverite - I adore chocolate milk. This was an excellent option for me because it is lower sugar and higher nutritionally and delivers on that chocolatey taste! I like to drink this mixed with some almond milk immediately after a long sustained effort before my shower. This way, I curb my hunger so I don't overeat when I do sit down for a post-workout meal and I also kick start my recovery so I can go hard on my next workout session. My favourite flavour is, to the surprise of no one, chocolate.
Where can we follow you online?
lacesandlattes.com and on all social channels @lacesandlattes