Running Minds

Helena Keenan

Helena Keenan is a current Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc student at Loughborough University and former NCAA Division 1 cross country and track runner. Helena's experience moving away from her home in England, to study and compete in the USA, has inspired her mental health, exercise, anti-diet and healthy body image advocacy. Tune in to hear honest conversations with friends, athletes, and motivational guests, exploring the relationships between fitness, food, sport and mental health.

  1. Hannah Knights, 400m hurdler turned distance runner discusses her experience with RED-S and Orthorexia.

    02/11/2021

    Hannah Knights, 400m hurdler turned distance runner discusses her experience with RED-S and Orthorexia.

    To kick off the next series of Running Minds, my inspiring and brave friend, Hannah Knights is here to share her journey with running and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). Hannah is a Loughborough University graduate, former heptathlete and sprinter, turned distance runner! Hannah completed a masters in Exercise as Medicine in 2020 and since then, her passion and knowledge for fitness and nutrition has grown. Recently she spoke out about her own experience with RED-S via Instagram and through a blog published in the Athlete Place. In this episode, we dive into why she switched sports, her RED-S and Orthorexia journey and how she is promoting healthy lifestyle habits and discussion in sport. Scroll to 15:30 for an overview of RED-S, 18:45 for Hannah's experience with RED-S and 35:00 for her experience with Orthorexia. For Hannah's blog post: https://www.theathleteplace.com/the-honest-truth-my-experience-of-relative-energy-deficiency-in-sport-red-s/ In this episode we discuss the benefits of making intentions versus goals for 2021, inspired by one of Victoria Garrick's Youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hi24spjL8k&t=516s  We recommend these other podcasts that cover RED-S related content: - The Female Athlete Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fMn7drvFsRbN3v07v2Gdm?si=4BsDWYhdRCK8BT_O66tGrQ - Female Athlete Nutrition Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6XJHcUjgbWdoRfCO3C4W8i?si=3kRnqzmHSHC99uKZ5J19SQ - The Train Brave Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KA5TU5ZpvV9DhtbtRGI8c?si=6YOpenm-STGb6Vtyad4HEQ For specific Eating Disorder content, see the Strong Runner Chick Radio episode with Dr Paula Quatronomi, an Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Boston University: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6h7xDZB0p5SJHXJSQzcThj?si=nCqXmqaTRhOIFlOWuvCT7g *NOTE: RED-S is a condition which is prevalent in both women and men. This episode focuses on the female perspective.  For more information on RED-S in both genders, check out: http://health4performance.co.uk/updates/ For a helpful guide of where to find support, check out: https://athletesinbalance.com/what-now/resources/

    1h 10m
  2. Honest Conversations Episode 7: Millie Howard, UK vs US Running

    09/20/2020

    Honest Conversations Episode 7: Millie Howard, UK vs US Running

    Millie is a fellow Brit who flew across the pond to study and compete in the NCAA system. Prior to her move, she excelled over the 800m and 1500m on the track and made big improvements in cross country during her years as a senior girl. At Temple University, her best cross country performance came in her final race, with a 22nd place finish at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional championships in 2019. On the outdoor track, she won the American Athletic Conference 1500m, with a time of 4:16 in 2019. On the indoor track, she broke the school’s 1km record twice, with a final time of 2:46.  In February 2020, she ran a fast 4:36 in the mile, which earned her her first ever NCAA championships selection. But devastatingly, her chance to perform on the national stage as the 11th seed, was stopped because of Covid-19. However, Millie has left Temple with a positive attitude. Not only did she excel in running, but she also had one of the highest grade point averages of any athlete in the NCAA! Her Economics degree has helped her secure a place on a masters program this October, in International Business and Strategic Management at York University. In this episode we laugh about being a Brit in America, discuss running in the NCAA vs the UK and Millie tells me about her new food blog, Millseats. We also dive deep into body image, her mental health experience as a collegiate athlete and the pros and cons of social media.

    1h 26m

About

Helena Keenan is a current Sport and Exercise Psychology MSc student at Loughborough University and former NCAA Division 1 cross country and track runner. Helena's experience moving away from her home in England, to study and compete in the USA, has inspired her mental health, exercise, anti-diet and healthy body image advocacy. Tune in to hear honest conversations with friends, athletes, and motivational guests, exploring the relationships between fitness, food, sport and mental health.