Mental Health, Nutrition, and the Long Game with Sports Dietitian Rachael Wade

More Than Macros: Fueling the Whole Human

Rachael Wade is a mom of two, a competitive runner-turned-CrossFitter, and a sports dietitian with a doctorate in Public Health. She’s also someone who’s lived the ups and downs of chasing performance while managing mental health, body image, and burnout.

In this episode, Rachael gets real about what it means to fuel well: not perfectly, but consistently, intentionally, and with a deep awareness of what’s going on internally.

Whether she’s working with runners, CrossFit athletes, moms, or former disordered eaters, Rachael brings empathy and education to the table, helping her clients return to a place of trust with food and with themselves.

From NCAA Podiums to Public Health

Rachael’s competitive background includes gold medals at the Pan American Games, a decorated career at the University of Alabama, and an evolution into coaching, CrossFit, and motherhood. That arc gave her firsthand experience in how identity, performance, and fueling often collide, especially for women in sport.

After working in hospitals and outpatient clinics, she realized that most athletes weren’t getting nutrition support until something was wrong. So she founded Rx Nutrition, a virtual practice that helps people fuel sustainably and recover from restrictive or dysfunctional eating patterns.

Why Mental and Nutritional Health Are Deeply Connected

Rachael explains how disordered eating and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. For many of her clients, controlling food becomes a coping mechanism, something that feels predictable in the chaos of life or sport.

But the irony? That sense of control often leads to worse health outcomes, poor performance, and even burnout.

She encourages clients to look for red flags in their behaviors:

• Do you skip social events around food?

• Are you always thinking about the “right” way to eat?

• Are you unable to rest without guilt?

• Is your nutrition plan actually serving your goals—or just your fear?

Hybrid Training, Parenthood, and Energy Availability

Rachael’s shift into hybrid training (running and strength) gave her new insight into how under-fueling shows up in different sports. With CrossFit, she needed more protein and carbohydrates than ever, but also a new level of intentional recovery.

Add two young kids to the mix, and she’s also navigating sleep deprivation, stress, and a different relationship to her body.

She emphasizes that low energy availability is often the root issue in everything from poor performance to disrupted menstrual cycles.

Fueling for Real Life, Not the Fantasy Version

A theme throughout the conversation is realism. Rachael pushes back on rigid “ideal” plans and helps clients anchor their nutrition in the reality of their lifestyle:

• Busy with work? Focus on 3 solid meals and quick snacks.

• New parent? Fueling might be messy—and that’s okay.

• Endurance athlete with past restriction habits? Bring the joy and abundance back to eating.

She’s not anti-tracking, but she’s also not married to numbers. Instead, she teaches her clients how to check in with hunger cues, energy levels, training demands, and emotional patterns.

What You’ll Learn

• How Rachael balances family, work, and training

• The link between anxiety and disordered eating

• Why nutrition coaching is often more mental than physical

• How to fuel for strength and endurance at the same time

• Why letting go of control is often the hardest (and most powerful) work

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From Tracksmith to Salomon: Navigating a Career in Marketing with Drew Hartman

From Law School to Lifestyle Running

Drew didn’t go to school to work in marketing. He studied law and initially expected to work in advocacy or social justice. But alongside that path, running had taken root, not just as a sport, but as a space for connection, creativity, and clarity. And eventually, it pulled him toward the running industry in a bigger way.

His early days at Tracksmith weren’t just about building brand awareness. They were about defining what Tracksmith stood for: a culture-first running brand that cared as much about aesthetics and storytelling as it did about split times.

Tracksmith and the Birth of Brand Perspective

Drew was one of the first hires at Tracksmith, joining when the team was small, nimble, and still figuring out what would stick. He helped build the foundation for events like Trackhouse and programs like amateur support initiatives, not by copying what other brands were doing, but by tuning into the needs and quirks of their own community.

Working at a small brand taught him to move fast, think creatively, and respect the power of good design. It also taught him the value of constraints: how having fewer resources can actually sharpen creative work.

Why He Joined Salomon

After nearly a decade at Tracksmith, Drew joined Salomon to help shape its North American presence in a new way. He was drawn to the potential for growth, yes—but more importantly, to the brand’s integrity and desire to do things right.

Salomon didn’t want to just copy what others had done. They were looking to build relationships, events, and athlete partnerships that felt earned, not transactional. Drew’s role there is about scaling intentionally while staying true to the outdoor roots that make the brand what it is.

Career Advice for Creatives in Sport

Drew shares some grounded insights about what it really takes to build a fulfilling career in marketing or outdoor industry roles:

• Get to know what energizes you: creativity, relationships, autonomy?

• Don’t be afraid to leave when your learning curve flattens.

• Understand the business goals. Don’t just chase vibes.

• You don’t need to be “the face” to be impactful.

• Mentorship isn’t always formal. Pay attention to who you learn from.

The Influence of Influencers

One of the most thoughtful parts of this conversation is Drew’s take on influencer marketing. He references a recent piece in Canadian Running questioning what happens when creators promote things like Advil, and discusses how brands need to consider not just reach but relevance and responsibility.

It’s not about never working with influencers. It’s about asking: What do they represent? Do they reflect the values of the community you’re trying to build? Are you compensating them fairly? Do they know the product and believe in it?

Drew’s journey is a reminder that there’s no single “right” way into the running industry. Whether you're coming from law school, creative work, or somewhere totally unexpected, what matters is how you show up: curious, clear-eyed, and willing to build something with heart.

For anyone navigating their next step in sport, marketing, or community work, this conversation offers both a reality check and a dose of momentum.

Listen below ⬇️

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About Jon Levitt and For The Long Run

Jon is a runner, cyclist, and podcast host from Boston, MA, who now lives in Boulder, CO. For The Long Run is aimed at exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated.

Follow Jon on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.