Episode #18
"I Had No Control Over That" — Rachel Simson on Grief, Fueling, and Finding Her Way Back to Ironman
Send us Fan Mail Rachel Simson ( @buffalodietitian ) is a registered dietitian, endurance athlete, and mom whose relationship with food, her body, and endurance sport has changed dramatically over the years. As a teenager, Rachel struggled with an eating disorder and excessive exercise. Learning how to fuel herself so she could keep competing eventually shaped her career in nutrition and, over time, a healthier relationship with food and her body. Years later, after having children, Rachel lost her son Lincoln, and then three more pregnancies that did not survive. She had no control over any of it. What she did have control over was her body during training and on race day. Rachel talks openly about what it meant to return to Ironman training after loss, and why doing something hard and measurable gave her a way back to herself. We talk about the tension many mother-athletes know well: loving your children deeply while still wanting something that belongs to you. As Rachel puts it: "But I'm still Rachel. I still have myself to take care of." We also talk about the sacrifices behind Ironman training, the support that makes ambitious goals possible, what she tells herself when motherhood and training pull in opposite directions, and why there is no perfect time to start. And because Rachel is a registered dietitian, we get practical too: why so many mother-athletes underfuel, why sugar is not the enemy during endurance training, and why convenience foods absolutely have a place in a real family kitchen. Underneath all of it is one question Rachel keeps coming back to: what am I still capable of? Support the show If this conversation resonated, follow Strong Core and share it with another mother who needs to hear this. Connect on Instagram at @iris_strongcore for more conversations on mental and physical strength in motherhood and sport.
