ELOISE WELLINGS

Distance Running

What does your standard training week involve?

• Sunday: early long run of 24km
  
• Monday: Am: 50 minute run with drills and strides
  Mid-morning: gym
  Pm: 35 minute run
  
• Tuesday: Am: easy 30 mins
  Pm: Track workout
• Wednesday: Am: 60 mins easy
  Pm: 30 mins easy plus gym
• Thursday: 75 minute progressive run
• Friday: Am: tempo workout
  Pm: 30 mins easy plus gym
• Saturday: rest

Where is your favourite place to train?
RunLab.

What is your favourite 2XU garment? When do you use it and why?
My MCS tights, I use these during and after training for recovery. They're comfortable, sleek, and they help my body recover and re-energise after hard training.

What is your favourite training accessory?
Garmin watch.

What has been the toughest experience in your career and what did you learn from it?
I was injured for 3 Olympic Games was tough but it taught me patience, persistence and perseverance.

What’s the most common training mistake you see on the circuit? Any suggestions on how to avoid it?
Doing the wrong types of training and poor running form, it's why I love about being a coach and mentor for RunLab, teaching everyday runners how to run and how to do interval sessions so they can enjoy and get the most out of their running.

What motivates you to train and race harder?
Just trying to get the most out of myself as an athlete and also as a person. Every day I just try and be the best version of myself.

Describe your diet/meal plan leading up to a big race:
Breakfast is always "The muesli", it's 97% sugar free and loaded with nuts, oats and coconut.
Post training is banana and protein shake.
Lunch is a chicken avocado sandwich or scrambled eggs on toast.
Dinner is stir fry with rice or fish and roasted veggies.

How do you balance your training and racing life with life outside the sport?
I wake up early to go training before 6am so that I can be home for my daughter before my husband Jony goes to work. Then I put my "Mum" and "Love Mercy Foundation" hats on before I go training again in the evening when Jony gets home from work. Life is pretty full on but I love it. I feel very blessed to have the support of my husband, family and close friends.

What type of nutritional supplement do you find most helpful (either for training or competition)?
Before competition I like to have energy gels before I warm up and usually a protein/carb shake within 20 minutes of finishing a hard workout or race.

Best and worst thing about being a professional athlete:
Best: is travelling all over the world and racing in front of big crowds, I get a huge buzz out of that.
Worst: is injuries or occasional disappointing results...but this is all part of being an athlete!

In five years time, I'll be:
Hopefully a two time Olympian, an ambassador for 25,000 women in Love Mercy's ‘Cents for Seeds’ program, a mother of two and embarking on my career as a successful marathoner!

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Olympian, 3 times Commonwealth Games rep
• World University Champion
• 5,000m pb 14.54. 10,000m pb 31.41 half marathon pb 70.41