Here’s the one item Brianne Theisen-Eaton relies on in her last few miles

 

One of our last weekends living in Oregon so we’re exploring the PNW as much as we can?? Shaking out the legs with a hike after that 20 mile run yesterday! Wishing you all a happy Sunday ✌?

A post shared by Brianne Theisen-Eaton (@btheiseneaton) on Sep 17, 2017 at 10:36am PDT

Brianne Theisen-Eaton may be known for her dominance in the heptathlon but this fall, she’s proving her range. As if a pro athlete and Olympic medallist in this seven-event contest even needed to prove that she is multi-talented, now the Canadian is bumping her race distance way up and jumping into the marathon. She’ll be racing the Chicago Marathon taking place over Canadian Thanksgiving weekend which is now just around the corner. That 42.2K course is a far cry from the 800m — the lengthiest distance she’s known for racing.

RELATED: Brianne Theisen-Eaton: Marathoner

This comes very shortly after she announced her retirement and it looks like the training is going well. Oh, and fun fact: she talked to us about it in the early days explaining her decision to try the marathon, her training and her anxieties (yes, even seasoned athletes get the jitters). 

Theisen-Eaton’s second love (and one that goes hand-in-hand with athletics) is cooking and nutrition. Since she swore off the high-level track competitions, the athlete has been devoting herself to her website: weareeaton.com which serves as a guide for athletes to learn how to eat healthy — without zapping the flavour from the dinner plate. So, knowing this, it’s understandable that many would be curious to know the types of food this track star reaches for to fuel her marathon training. And actually, she’s got a rather surprising food that makes the cut. 

Of course, the Canadian speaks highly of your typical fuelling favourites: toast, almond butter, banana, oats, smoothies and bland pasta. But, as she wrote recently, she also brings candy on the run. According to the newbie marathoner, Jolly Ranchers are the secret that keep her going for the final three miles. Part of this is psychological: a reward for the long run efforts. From a physical standpoint, that spike in sugar is great for giving the body a little extra something to bring it home in the final stages. So Jolly Rancher candies go in the Olympians fuel belt – who knew? Are we going to take that tip? Absolutely.