Lauren Charlton: Ambassador Spotlight
Meet STAMINAPRO Ambassador, Lauren Charlton! Like many student-athletes, Lauren must balance school, work, and sports, all while aspiring to a future career in sports nutrition. Hailing from the UK, Lauren's journey in the US has been unique and challenging, yet her unwavering determination and passion continue to propel her forward.
Q: Can you start by introducing yourself and sharing a bit about who you are?
A: Hi, I’m Lauren Charlton! I’m a competitive distance runner focusing mainly on the 5k to half marathon distances. While I prefer road running, I’ve spent the past 2 years in the NCAA focused on cross country and track.
I’m currently working towards my Masters in Human Nutrition and will be moving to St. Augustine in August to begin my year long dietetic internship.
Q: What first sparked your interest in running?
A: While I did a few primary and secondary school cross country races, my main sports were netball and horse riding growing up. However, as I did pretty well in the school races and always enjoyed the running parts of netball, I decided to join my local club when I was 17.
During this period in England we complete our A-levels which are the exams taken at the end of year 12, so racing became a great stress reliever after long days of studying.
Q: As a UK native, what inspired your move to the US? and what has the culture change been like?
A: I have always wanted to live abroad! After spending 5 years in Canada growing up, I decided I wanted to experience the American culture too. Also, we don’t have a college athletics system in England, and I wanted to progress my running to the next level after performing well in my own running sessions. I also hope to be able to work in the US which requires me to obtain my Masters degree and internship within the US. I’m an avid lover of warm weather, which most people know is lacking in England, so I was excited to move to the South-east where temperatures were much more where I like them to be.
The culture is very different. The resources provided to athletes are incredible, and most pro athletes would dream of having them. The change allowed me to live the life of a pro athlete and take advantage of everything I had available to me to make me a better runner, all while also studying for my Masters.
Q: What are your favorite things about running?
A: I love running because it gives me the opportunity to showcase the hard work I’ve been putting in day after day. Being pretty much self-coached except for my first year in the US, it comes down to me as an individual to push myself past limits I never thought I could and make all the early mornings, ice baths, and sore legs worth it.
Having the chance to represent, not only my team, but also my family and faith, is extremely important to me; and is the biggest driver when the inevitable hard times come in the race. I’ve been through my fair share of injuries and setbacks, but standing on that start line, knowing I have overcome the challenges and am more fitter and healthier than ever is the most gratifying feeling I have experienced. Getting to the start line is a win for me; the race is a chance to have fun and celebrate the process that led up to it.
Q: You faced a tibial stress reaction last fall that kept you from running. How did you navigate through that time and what did you learn from the experience?
A: That injury was really hard. As I mentioned before, running is a huge part of my life and brings me major benefits, especially to my mental health. Not being able to put on my trainers and run out of the door was a struggle. However, I learned so many valuable lessons from my injury and probably wouldn’t change it if I had to go back.
During that time I decided to focus on what I could do, not what I couldn’t; and improve in those aspects such as powering on the bike, and strength and conditioning training. It also gave me the chance to evaluate why I got the injury, and aspects of my recovery I could improve to prevent it from happening again. And I learned who was really there to support me as a person, not just as an athlete; which helped me filter out negative people who weren’t contributing to the life I wanted to live.
Q: What advice would you give a fellow runner to help them through a similar injury?
- Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.
- Always wait 2-3 days after you think you are ready to progress. Those extra days will ensure you are truly ready and won’t take a massive step backward if you cause damage by starting too soon.
- Find aspects in the areas outside of running that affect your performance such as strength, nutrition or mobility, that you can work on and set little goals to improve while you return.
- Don’t be afraid to admit you are feeling down and need support; sometimes it takes voicing those concerns to make them a lot easier to handle.
Q: What inspired you to pursue nutrition and how has it changed the way you feed your training?
A: I’d actually wanted to be a vet for ages, but decided in the end it wasn’t for me. I’ve had struggles with nutrition in the past, and making positive changes really helped me improve my health, performance, and mindset. So I became passionate about helping others not fall down similar traps, and creating sustainable approaches to food that support the goals and aspirations they have.
Learning all the intricate details of metabolism has made me understand how and why I fuel with certain foods, and when to consume them. For example, the body, in general terms, can’t tell the difference between a glucose molecule from the starch in piece of wholewheat bread versus a donut, so it’s okay to not follow a perfect diet everyday. Instead practice moderation and make sure your overall diet is balanced and sufficient for both health and performance.
Q: What are your short and long-term goals as a sports RD and runner?
A: As an RD I’ll complete my internship by next summer, and then take the credentialing exam to be registered in the US. I want to get a year or two of clinical experience because I think it’s important to have a solid foundation of dietetic skills, then I hope to work with athletes in a sports dietetic role. Ultimately, I would love to have my own online business as a sports dietitian, but as with everything in my life so far, I’ll see where life takes me. I might get some cool opportunities I never thought were possible and the path will change!
As a runner, I am officially finished with the NCAA. I plan to get back to road racing, as that is my true passion. Long-term, I would love to join a team or work with a coach, as well as represent either Great Britain or Canada on the road one day. That would be my ultimate dream.
Q: What is a quote that resonates with you and why?
A: “If the path before you is clear, you're probably on someone else's." - Joseph Campbell
My life has been anything but straightforward and ordinary. I was born in South Africa, spent 5 years in Canada, and then moved to England. I could have completed my degree in England and started a stable job, but I wanted to pursue my dream to run, work, and live in the US, so I took the risk and got on a plane in August of 2022.
From there I’ve been to 2 different schools in the US, had to do additional classes on top of my Masters to maintain my visa, and deal with so many anomalies that would have put many people off. But for me, if the end goal is always in sight I will keep trying every avenue, even if it isn’t the most conventional.
The clear path is the safe path. If I want more out of life I have to leave it behind, enter the woods, and carve my own path.
Q: What other interests or hobbies do you enjoy outside of running?
A: With doing a Masters, being a 3-season athlete, and working a part-time job, there isn’t much time for other interests. It is a big goal of mine to find time to do the fun things I used to enjoy. I love to cook and pretty much every evening will cook myself a home-cooked meal from scratch. I think I’ve probably eaten out a max of 5 times in the 2 years I’ve been here.
I also love to explore new coffee shops, and long summer afternoon walks with a good podcast always put me in a good mood. I love to travel and want to explore more places when I finish my degree - so if there are any STAMINAPRO athletes out there wanting a visit who live in a fun country, let me know!
I do enjoy creating sports nutrition related content for my business instagram page @monsmensanutrition using information I have learned in lectures, from extra research, or personal experience. I think there is so much misinformation on social media from uneducated creators that I want to make sure athletes get the right information to fuel their performance.
Q: How did you first come across STAMINAPRO, and what makes it a go-to recovery tool for you?
A: I came across STAMINAPRO through another of your athletes, Jacob Thomson. I saw him using one of the patches in a video I watched and had been struggling with ongoing muscle tightness for a while, so I was willing to give anything a try. The scientific research also looked really promising.
For me, the patches are a lifesaver. With all my hard and long training, it’s inevitable that I’ll get sore and tight. But less than 24 hours with a patch on the affected area, and I already feel relief! My problem areas are my hip flexors, lower back, and shin. I like to use the large patch on my hip flexor, and the strips on my lower back and shin. Having recovered from a stress reaction in my shin last fall, it’s really important to keep inflammation down to a minimum to prevent any further damage to the bone, and the patches are great for that.
One of the biggest game changers for me has also been the sleep patches. As most athletes know, or should know, sleep is your number one tool for recovery. The difference between a good and bad night’s sleep can make a big difference to your overall mood and performance. Since wearing the sleep patches every night, I’m sleeping with less interruptions and getting more time in REM and deep sleep which I track with my Garmin.
Q: Where can our community connect with you?
A: They can find me at my personal account @lauren.charltonn and my nutrition account @monsmensanutrition
