Episode 97: Juggling Medical School and Racing: The Unbalanced Life of an Elite Athlete
Release Date: 04/08/2025
Trail Society
Episode 116 is a year end reflection with Corrine Malcolm, Keely Henninger, and Hillary Allen, released just ahead of the New Year. The conversation opens with lighthearted check ins on holiday routines, winter training, and how each host plans to ring in 2026. From there, the episode moves into results, news, and science, including a detailed discussion of new findings from the ReFUEL study examining menstrual recovery, estrogen exposure, and ovulation in endurance athletes with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea. The hosts unpack what it actually means for cycles to...
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Episode 115 is a winter roundtable with Corrine Malcolm, Keely Henninger, and Hillary Allen that explores how resilience in endurance sport is built not in isolation, but through people, culture, and environment. We open by checking in on winter training realities across snow, mud, rain, and darkness, and how community helps athletes keep showing up during the hardest part of the year. The episode also covers standout performances from CIM, including a historic day for women chasing the Olympic Trials standard, updates in women’s sport science and leadership, and notable moments across...
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Episode 114 takes us to Cape Town as Corrine gives a full UTCT race recap, reflecting on why she returned to the Deep South, the big-volume training block leading in, and the challenges of racing after travel sickness and time zone chaos. We talk pacing through the first 50 kilometers, fueling decisions, and what makes a night start feel uniquely disorienting. The conversation touches on heat training, mental reframing, and the honest emotional landscape of managing expectations when things out of your control land in your lap during race week. We also round up an exceptionally fast weekend of...
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In Episode 113 we sit down with Dr. Margie Davenport, Professor of Kinesiology and Director of the Program for Pregnancy and Postpartum Health at the University of Alberta. Margie has spent more than two decades advancing the science of exercise during pregnancy and postpartum, collaborating with organizations including FIFA, Sport Canada, ACSM, and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. She walks us through the transformative cardiovascular, metabolic, and biomechanical adaptations that make pregnancy “the ultimate stress test,” while explaining how exercise supports...
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In Episode 112 of Trail Society, Corrine, Keely, and Hillary head to the desert for the Javelina Jundred. Keely was on the ground with the rabbit x Trail Society scholarship athletes, Clarivel Vega and Daisy, crewing, pacing, and celebrating their powerful performances. From first trail race jitters and high and low moments, to late-night grit, the weekend was a reminder that showing up for one another can make all the difference. The crew dives into what it means to create access, not just by giving out scholarships, but by building community and support systems that help women get to the...
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In this episode of Trail Society, Corrine, Keely, and Hillary sit down with researcher Jill Colangelo to unpack their newly published review, “Exploring the Presentation of REDs in Ultra Endurance Sport.” This conversation dives deep into the intersection of low energy availability (LEA), disordered eating (DE), and exercise dependence (EXD), issues that are all too common yet rarely discussed openly in the ultra-endurance community. Many athletes are unknowingly underfueling, especially for efforts lasting over two and a half hours, and whether this is intentional or unintentional, the...
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In this episode of Trail Society, Corrine, Keely, and Hillary break down an action-packed World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, where Team USA came away with hardware and Hillary surprised us all with a double, competing in both the vertical and the long trail events. Hilly shares what it was like to rock the Team USA kit, how she pivoted from preparing for a one-hour climb to suddenly taking on an 80km ultra, and what she learned from the experience. The crew also highlights the story of Clarivel Vega, this year’s 30km Javelina Trail Society Scholarship recipient. A...
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Episode 109 of Trail Society features an inspiring conversation with Daisy Martinez, the rabbit x Trail Society 100K scholarship winner whose story embodies resilience and representation. A Mexican American ultrarunner from Los Angeles, Daisy started trail running in 2016 and has since transformed personal challenges into fuel for her running journey. As a teen parent and now single mother, she credits the endurance and grit she built while raising her son with helping her push through the mental and physical demands of ultrarunning. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2023, Daisy has been...
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In this episode of Trail Society, Corrine Malcolm, Keely Henninger, and Hillary Allen dive into one of the biggest weeks in trail running, the 2025 UTMB Finals. From brutal weather and historically high dropout rates to some of the closest top-10 finishes ever, the crew breaks down all the drama across OCC, CCC, and UTMB. They highlight standout wins from Jim Walmsley, Ruth Croft, and Francesco Puppi, celebrate trailblazing performances from athletes representing countries new to the UTMB stage, and reflect on the growing but still uneven women’s participation numbers. Beyond the race...
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Episode 107 of Trail Society kicks off with life updates from Keely and Hillary, before diving into listener-submitted news and research. They discuss a BBC story where undercover officers highlighted the prevalence of street harassment, with 94% of local women reporting experiences of catcalling. This transitions into a conversation around exercise during pregnancy, sparked by a listener question about heart rate guidelines. The hosts review current research showing that, for athletes already active, higher intensity exercise can be safe and even beneficial during pregnancy, lowering risks...
info_outlineIn Episode 97 of Trail Society, hosts Corrine Malcolm, Keely Henninger, and Hillary Allen dive into a wide range of topics, including the latest news in the world of sports and personal updates from their busy lives. They cover the historic election of Kirsty Coventry as the first female president of the International Olympic Committee, along with the growing momentum of women’s basketball, highlighted by record-breaking viewership during March Madness. The episode also touches on the latest developments in sports science, including intriguing research about the impact of marathons on brain health and myelin levels, and a rundown of exciting recent races like Chianti by UTMB, where thrilling battles for golden tickets played out. The hosts also recap their experiences at Big Alta, sharing race results, insights on pacing, and lessons learned from competing in challenging events.
The episode also features a deep dive into Keely Henninger's journey as a medical student and competitive athlete. Keely reflects on the challenges of balancing her rigorous medical school schedule with her running goals, admitting that the elusive "perfect balance" is difficult to achieve. Training has become more flexible as she adapts to the stress of school and life, with racing now secondary to her academic commitments. She shares her experience at Big Alta, where she had to adjust her expectations and race strategy, understanding that her priorities have shifted, but her love for running remains strong. Keely’s reflections offer a candid look at the complexities of pursuing big goals in both medicine and athletics, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and realistic expectations when juggling demanding careers and athletic pursuits.
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