Here at runladylike.com, Fridays are all about sharing the inspiring stories of fit people who motivate all of us to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. My Friday FITspiration series profiles runners, triathletes and casual exercisers who are making choices every day to be as healthy as they can be – in both huge ways and through simple, small victories.

Today, I’d like you to meet Susie Duke from Flexitarian Filly. This talented mom from Iowa ran an Olympic Qualifying Time marathon in 2:42:35 this past fall, all while fueling on what she calls a flexitarian diet (plant-based 85 percent of the time). She’s ultra-talented: she rides horses on her family farm, develops mouth-watering recipes that she shares on her blog, she teaches Pilates for older people, she was a French teacher for 7 years, she’s teaching her sweet little son how to be a cowboy … and of course, she’s a stand-out runner on her way to the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon.

I had a chance to catch up with Susie, who shared a ton of incredible advice with me. Check out what this amazing mother runner had to say.

When did you start running and what inspired you to start?
My mom and I joke about a running episode that we both remember well when I was quite young. Driving home from the store, I demanded she stop, let me out of the car and let me run home. She did. I ran all the way down the gravel road the mile back to our farm. I was 4 years old. It has always been apparent that I was born a runner. I even remember “training” for those little track and field days in elementary school because I had such a competitive drive. Then in high school, I was blessed to be influenced by some great coaches and teammates which fueled that competitive spirit. Now, I really enjoy competing with the clock. I like to train to improve, and I enjoy encouraging others to do the same.

This past November, you ran an Olympic Qualifying Time marathon in 2:42:35 at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. (Congrats!) What stands out most to you from that day? Did you learn anything new about yourself from that experience?
Thank you. I will forever be honored to own that qualifying time. It’s something I truly thought was impossible. But then as 2014 unfolded, things were starting to click. I ran a couple of fall half marathons and a 10-miler that gave me a glimmer of hope.

The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon was different. I went at it with a completely unique tactic – to use it as training for another marathon I had planned 5 weeks later. Though I didn’t think a 6:12 pace was possible for 26.2 miles, I thought I could maybe hold it for 20. My idea was to go out fast and basically treat the race like a 20-mile race hoping that it would prepare me to sustain the pace later. It was a long shot but, nevertheless, the plan. Then two weeks before the Indianapolis race, I ran a PR half marathon in 1:18:20 in Des Moines. Crazily, I won that race. Afterwards, I chatted with the gal who placed second. She had run a 2:43:45 marathon earlier in 2014. She was running a marathon in December and was hoping to qualify (and she did!). I mentioned my plans saying, “Yeah but … the qualifying time is just SO fast!” She called me out and said, “You ran faster than me today! It’s all in your head!” At that point, the plausibility became more realistic. What she said to me was huge, and I definitely carried it with me to and through that entire marathon. So you never know how what you say can encourage someone (or discourage for that matter).

I wrote a fairly detailed and emotional blog post about it. I’ve had the most unemotional, non-runner-type tell me they were inspired by the read, so it might be worth taking in. But, the biggest thing that stood out was that since I looked at the race as training, that really helped me to stay relaxed. I was nervous because I knew there was a possibility of big things, but again, I didn’t think it likely. In the end, I learned that big things can happen when you least expect it, or when you have lower expectations. That’s a hard mindset to take. It’s important to work on staying relaxed and practice lots of mental strategies to stay calm. Do what you can to downplay the enormity of a race or event to help lessen the pressure.

What is your running mantra(s)?
Running a marathon once, a random stranger I was running by asked me what my goal was for the race. This just came out of my mouth:

“To not be afraid to run faster than I ever have.”

That race ended up being a big PR, and that mantra has stuck. I reflect on it often when I have a freaky fast workout to run or when I’m looking to attack a new goal. I think it’s important not to let fear cripple or stagnate you; it can if you let it.

What advice would you give to runners of all abilities who are trying to take their training and running goals to the next level?
Similar to that mantra, I would encourage runners of all abilities to not be afraid to improve. People sometimes just think that they have done something one way so they have to keep doing it that way. It’s the same with racing, but that’s not right. Improvement is within everyone’s grasp.

Practical suggestions for any runner would be to:

• Take care of yourself: stretch, Pilates, yoga, foam roll, etc. As you work to improve, injury becomes more likely.
• I believe in lots of variety with training. Do plyometrics and jump training (the two are different) for stride power. Also do weekly strides or sprints on some days other than your tempo runs or interval work. Besides that, you probably should be doing mostly low-intensity slower mileage because you must run slower some of the time in order to run faster.
• Finally, I’m a big proponent of high mileage, but that’s not for everyone. It just happens to work for me. You have to find what works for you.

As an elite athlete, being comfortable with being uncomfortable is a huge part of being successful. How do you keep pushing when your body wants to give up? Any advice for the everyday runner who wants to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable?
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how hard something can seem, especially at first. But then you get going and stick it out, and you just get it done. You can do more than you think. You can go faster than you think. What really helps me deal with the discomfort is to break things down. For instance, break the half marathon up into 3 or 4-mile chunks or the marathon into 6 or 7-mile chunks. Have a plan for each of those sets of mileage. This mental strategy has helped me through my best races. I think, too, that sometimes what is most uncomfortable is the unknown – you don’t know if you can make it or if you can run a certain pace so you get tense and your body instinctively wants to conserve. But, if you break down the race almost into several “mini-races,” that can help you deal with the pain and to run a logical race while still pushing it.

You describe your diet as flexitarian because you eat plant-based roughly 85% of the time with the occasional (15%) consumption of meat or dairy. On your blog Flexitarian Filly, you share numerous recipes ranging from vegan to gluten free to lacto-ovo vegetarian to meat-based. What are your favorite recipes you’ve created that the rest of us need to make?
I enjoy eating vegan; however, what I’ve realized is that there are nutrients that I physically feel noticeably better when I consume, and they are ones that are much more accessible in some animal products.

Some of my favorite recipes are probably under the Fuel For Runners section under the Recipes tab on my blog. But things that we have every week are either hot salads which are basically a huge salad with something hot on top like sautéed potatoes or something like this “race week salad” or soups made with homemade bone broth such as, split pea soup, one of my all-time favorites.

As an elite runner with a flexitarian diet, what keeps you hydrated and fueled the best during long training runs and races?
Water is obviously crucial. Drink up.

I also have felt really consistent and good hydrating with Skratch Labs hydration drink mixes. Thankfully, they are one of my sponsors, too. I particularly love the Matcha + Lemons exercise drink mix. It’s amazing. I use their Feed Zone Portables cookbook to get ideas for handmade fuel. I like the gluten-free aspect of the recipes because I eat mainly gluten-free. Also in the height of my marathon training, I will do a few extremely difficult days. I do basically two long tempo runs (morning and afternoon) totaling 22-26 miles. The workouts themselves are quite difficult, on top of that, I will fuel with only vegetables and water and maybe a small amount of protein. This is to train my body to work off of fat stores. I don’t do this often, maybe once every three or four weeks, midway into the marathon training cycle. It’s extreme, but I believe it’s worth it. Otherwise, most runs I fuel mainly with liquids, and Skratch happens to be a favorite.

I have also learned it’s very important to eat something before my morning runs. For years, I was an early morning runner and ran on just water because I thought food upset my stomach. I realized that it’s too much food and the wrong food that upsets my stomach. When I started incorporating something small into my routine, like half a banana and nut butter or some coconut jasmine rice, it really helped me to kill my workouts. You’ve got to fuel the fire and keep the metabolism burning hot to speed progress.

What goal do you most want to accomplish in 2015? 
I’m training to run an ‘A’ standard marathon, faster than 2:37. In addition to that, I am running to raise awareness for human trafficking. It’s horrifying to realize the statistics – there are more people enslaved today than there were during the height of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. It’s not something we want to think about, but there are little ways and things we can do to ensure justice and safety in our own communities. It starts with being aware.

Finish this sentence: I run because _______________________.
I run because it’s part of my story and who God created me to be.

How can people connect with you?
Blog: https://flexitarianfilly.wordpress.com/ 
Twitter: @susiedukeruns
Instagram: @susiedukeruns
Facebook: Susie Duke – Flexitarian Filly

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Do you know someone with an inspiring story that should be featured on Friday FITspiration? If so, email runladylike@gmail.com.

What inspires you most about Susie Duke’s running journey? What advice would you give to runners looking to take their training to the next level?