How to Fuel Your Running & Train Around Your Cycle | Dr Hazel Wallace

This week on The Runna Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Hazel Wallace, founder of The Food Medic, to explore the intersection of running, nutrition, and tuning into your body - especially as a female athlete. From struggling through her first 5K during lockdown to running the New York Marathon, Hazel shares her personal journey into running, why she trains around her menstrual cycle, and how she balances science with self-compassion. In this episode, we unpack: 🏃‍♀️ Hazel’s transition from reluctant runner to marathoner 🥗 The truth about fuelling properly as a female runner 🩺 How working through the pandemic shaped her perspective on health 🩸 Why training around your cycle matters — and how to do it 💡 Her top advice for women navigating health, hormones, and performance 💬 The pressures female runners face — and how she handles them This conversation is packed with evidence-based advice and empowering insight every runner, especially women, needs to hear. 🎧 Make sure to subscribe, rate, and share The Runna Podcast for more inspiring stories and expert guidance. 🆓 Try the Runna app for 2 weeks free with code PODCAST25: https://www.runna.com/ 📱 Follow us for behind-the-scenes content: Instagram →   / runna   TikTok →   / runna   ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:53 - Why Hazel chose to focus on health and fitness 00:03:44 - How she juggles being a doctor, runner & creator 00:05:01 - Running for charity 00:06:36 - Finding a love for running 00:08:41 - Her father’s influence on her mission 00:09:24 - How many marathons Hazel has done 00:10:41 - Goals for the year ahead 00:12:04 - Feeling pressure to go ultra 00:14:20 - Teamwork and support systems 00:16:08 - Has her diet changed as a runner? 00:18:16 - Training and fuelling around your cycle 00:21:46 - The best advice she’d give her younger self 00:23:04 - Tip of the week: Prevention is better than cure 00:23:49 - This or That 00:27:59 - Emotional Running Story of the Week 00:29:55 - Embarrassing Running Moments 00:30:41 - Hazel’s 3 must-haves for marathon day