515. Lottie Bildirici, Author of Running on Veggies

"It was the fear of the unknown — but that was what I loved also. I don’t want to do something I know I could finish or know I could do. I want to do this thing that’s going to be really hard… and there was no stopping me." At 14 years old, Lottie Bildirici — a lifelong New Yorker — went from being a happy-go-lucky high schooler to a cancer patient. A lump on her neck turned out to be Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and Lottie immediately began chemotherapy treatments. She was the sick kid. But as she recovered physically (and was given a cancer-free diagnosis!), Lottie realized she had lost her identity. Who was she without cancer? And it was running that helped her redefine herself. Lottie completed a half-marathon at Disney World, and a passion for the sport was immediately ignited. She started learning more about health and nutrition — but soon lost her way. In this conversation, Lottie talks about growing up in the kitchen, and about how a love for food led her down a scary path with orthorexia and recurring stress fractures. She talks about creating her blog and Instagram account, Running on Veggies, and about working with professional athletes including Kara Goucher and Stephanie Bruce. Today, Lottie is a nutrition coach for adidas, she's an Ironman triathlete (she completed her first Ironman on the 10-year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis), and she's a published author. Her first cookbook, Running on Veggies, came out earlier this year. SPONSOR: The WineShine Half Marathon — Register today for the inaugural event, happening July 16, 2022, and use code ONTHERUN to get $25 off your registration. See you in Napa! What you’ll get on this episode: What Lottie had for breakfast today, and how she’s celebrating life right now (6:10) Lottie’s love for cooking (8:00) On writing a cookbook (10:30) What life was like for Lottie in high school, when she received a life-changing diagnosis (12:00) How Lottie started running, and her experience with orthorexia and recurring stress fractures (23:15) How Lottie started working with professional athletes including Kara Goucher and Stephanie Bruce (35:25) What it’s like when Lottie works one-on-one with clients (39:50) Lottie’s food philosophy (43:00) Lottie’s job with adidas, and what a day in the life of Lottie Bildirici looks like (45:00) Lottie’s decision to complete an Ironman on the 10-year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis (48:15) The role running plays in Lottie’s life right now (55:00) For more, check out: Jonathan Cane on Episode 313 of the Ali on the Run Show Follow Lottie: Instagram @runningonveggies Website Follow Ali: Instagram @aliontherun1 Join the Facebook group Twitter @aliontherun1 Support on Patreon Blog Strava SUPPORT the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Spread the run love. And if you liked this episode, share it with your friends!