Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Baumann.
Hi Kristy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After my daughter was born, it really hit me that I didn’t want to show up to a 9 to 5 job every day. I wanted a more flexible job where I could set my own schedule. After applying for probably over 100 jobs and getting one rejection letter after the other, I was frustrated. I would spend hours applying for a job and it wouldn’t get me anywhere. I decided why not start my own business. It was something I had always thought about but didn’t think I had enough experience with. That was in 2019 when social media was starting to be used more for business purposes and I saw more and more dietitians do nutrition coaching online. I knew I could do it, too.
Sports nutrition specifically for runners was something that I was interested in but didn’t think I would be able to pursue career opportunities without going back to get my master’s degree. Instead, I decided to invest in an online business coach and it was the best investment.
I ran cross country and track throughout high school, and college and continued to run half and full marathons after college. When I looked back on my running journey, even after becoming a Registered Dietitian, I was under fueling.
Little did I know that many other runners, of all paces, had similar experiences. As I talked to other runners, they shared their stories of how they got into running to lose weight, started one diet which lead to another diet but it left them feeling sluggish on their runs. They would experience .binge eating, obsessing or constantly thinking about food, sugar cravings, have a lot of ‘food rules’, or feel like they needed to run to earn their food. But it all left them feeling exhausted mentally and physically.
That’s when I knew runners didn’t need more information about the “top 10 foods runners should eat”; they needed to heal their relationship with food and learn to look at food differently. Food isn’t something that you don’t need to run to “earn” or “burn off”, it fuels your body both physically and mentally.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been a huge learning curve. I didn’t go to school and major in business or marketing, but after hiring a business coach, I learned how to better market my services.
Growing an Instagram account to over 50K followers has also definitely had its challenges. There are always people who aren’t going to agree with you. But controversial topics also bring attention. I’ve had a reel talking about how eating a pop tart as pre-run fuel can be a great option, easy to digest, easy on the stomach and quick energy. I received a lot of pushback from people wondering how I could promote such a thing. It’s hard because you can take things so personally and people don’t think about how there is a real human being behind an account.
We’ve been impressed with Kristy Baumann Nutrition, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
While my business name is Kristy Baumann Nutrition, most people know me as Marathon Nutritionist on Instagram. I work with runners, many of whom are training for a half or full marathon, and help them learn how to fuel their bodies well to support their training and have a healthy relationship with food. It’s not uncommon for runners to obsess about food, count calories, or maybe have followed keto, intermittent fasting, Whole30 or another type of diet. I specialize in helping runners overcome these disordered eating habits, not be afraid of eating bagels, pop tarts or peanut butter and help them learn what a difference proper fueling (both before, during, and after runs) as well as everyday nutrition, can make a big difference in feeling strong on runs. Many runners realize that when they have a healthy relationship with food, they can pass on a healthy relationship with food onto their kids and that’s what motivates them.
I’ve been really proud that I’ve been able to help hundreds of runners and truly change their lives. They have improved relationships with their kids and significant other, they are able to hit new PRs and times that they never expected or simply overcome everyday GI issues or help them push past barriers they never expected.
What were you like growing up?
I was raised on a family farm in south central Minnesota. We had pigs, corn and soybeans. I was active in 4-H and FFA, and enjoyed teaching others about food, nutrition, and where their food came from. The funny thing is, I was a really picky eater growing up. I remember eating a salad (lettuce, croutons and shredded cheese with ranch) for the first time in my junior year of high school and I was so proud of myself. It wasn’t until college that I started learning about food and nutrition that I started to try different foods, specifically vegetables, and actually enjoy them.
In my senior year of high school, I remember telling myself I never wanted to run competitively again. I actually went to college for a band scholarship, one year later I joined my collegiate cross-country and track teams and never looked back. Now I’ve run a sub-3 hour marathon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marathonnutritionist.com (coming soon!)
- Instagram: marathon.nutritionist
Image Credits
Meg Foster https://www.fosterphotoco.com
