At Impact, our Lifestyle Philosophy guides everything we do - from providing high quality nutrition to prioritizing movement, supporting recovery, defining purpose and embracing community. This year, we brought on two marathon athletes, Dar in New York City and Kathryn in Toronto, to support their training for their local marathons. With our recent expansion into NYC, their journeys felt like the perfect way to highlight how these pillars show up in both cities and how movement continues to connect our growing community. In this Q&A, Dar and Kathryn share the highs, challenges and lessons that shaped their marathon journeys, from raceday emotions to the everyday habits that helped them get there.
Dar: I’m Dar. I’m born and raised in New York City. I started running 2 years ago. I have my own run club at Lululemon Williamsburg.
Kathryn: Hi! I’m Kathryn, and I am a holistic nutritionist, runner, master’s student and content creator in Toronto. I started running when I was in grade 3, and since then, it has always been part of my life. I was never the fastest girl on the track or cross country team, but I never let that stop me from continuing to run. When I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and this is what sparked my interest in nutrition and led me to my career in holistic nutrition today! Being an athlete and someone living with celiac disease, Impact Kitchen has been a massive part of my journey both on and off the race course.
Dar: I completely forgot about any of the miles that felt tough. I was just overwhelmed with happiness when I saw that finish line in sight. I immediately cried.
Kathryn: Running up the last 300 meters felt so surreal. There were SO many people cheering, and I feel like I definitely got a little emotional. When I first crossed the finish line, I was SO happy. I had been dealing with bad stomach cramps for the majority of the race, so it was a little relief at first. Then I walked to get my medal, saw my friends, and started to feel really proud of myself, but also really sad that it was all over. I walked out of the athletes' area and into Nathan Phillip Square and met up with all my friends, and this is when all the emotions really hit me, that I had just run a marathon. There were lots of cries, laughs, smiles and hugs, and overall, I just couldn't get over the fact that I had really run a marathon, something that a few years ago, I never thought would be possible.
Dar: The crowds in NYC are wild! I’ve cheered before and had a taste of what it’s like, but nothing prepares you seeing it for 26 miles. Every block and every borough really comes through for the runners. It felt like a 26 mile long block party. The energy is indescribable.
Kathryn: You can do all the training and preparation, but I feel like there is nothing that will really ever prepare you for the marathon. I was really surprised by how mentally difficult the race was- I hadn’t heard anyone talk about this before, but I was surprised how the second I had one negative thought, more and more kept flooding in. Like any day, you cannot control everything that will happen, and that is part of the beauty and journey of running a marathon.
Dar: Impact Kitchen coming to Williamsburg has been a game changer for my fueling. Having Impact helped me make better choices for meals. The Island Jerk bowl honestly got me through summer training and once the temperatures got a little cooler, the Chicken Noodle Soup was my go to. I even grabbed one after my marathon!
Kathryn: As a holistic nutritionist, I’m always thinking about fuelling. Throughout the training, I focused on lots of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. The night before a speed workout or long run, my dinner would be mostly carbohydrates, and the meal after (usually breakfast) would rely heavily on protein, with some carbs. Pre-race, I eat my meal 2 hours before the race, and for me, it is a gluten-free bagel with almond butter, one banana, and honey. During training, I fueled every 6 kilometres with gels that contain 25g of carbs - I felt great taking these, but by kilometre 30, I was not in the mood to eat more of them lol. Impact has always been a massive part of my everyday nutrition, but it became a HUGE part of my training! As someone with Celiac disease, eating out can be hard, but I have been able to enjoy Impact Kitchen without worrying about my allergy, and I know that the meals I get will be fuelling me for recovery and performance. My go-to order is the Warrior bowl, sub white rice for brown rice, add tempeh and a chocolate sea salt cookie on the side! What helped me feel my best was sticking to the foods my body likes! Nothing new on race day!
Dar: Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re a human being and you’re doing your best. Be consistent and disciplined, but just remember you’re choosing to do this because you love it. It’s okay and normal to be tired or emotional. It’s okay to sometimes dread a run or not hit all your paces. You’re training because you CHOSE to. Remember how lucky you are to even be able to train for a marathon!
Kathryn: Looking back, I would tell myself that not every run is going to feel good. Some weeks felt great, others not so much, and that is ok. Something that helped me with the weeks that didn't feel as good was going out to a run club or running with a friend! This helped foster a sense of community and focus on the bigger picture rather than just the race. I would also remind everyone, and myself, not to skip the warmup and mobility! Marathon training takes a lot of time, and I know warming up and mobility work may seem like a waste of time, but trust me, it will help so much in injury prevention, which would put you out of running and require much more work to get back into it!
Dar: I took a week off from running. I slept in late every day. I was so hungry and definitely treated myself to multiple chocolate sea salt cookies from Impact! I also have been cold plunging often. I’m running another marathon in January, so I am getting back into running a bit sooner than normal.
Kathryn: Post-marathon, I focused on lots of rest with my legs up and compression boots on, as well as going to Othership! It’s also super important to add in some movement, like walking. My nutrition focused heavily on protein to help repair my muscle tissue, complex carbohydrates to refuel my glycogen stores, and omega-3s to help with inflammation. I tried to stick to the same sleep/wake cycle and would replace my usual run with walking or another activity like reading.
Dar: Running has made me want to make healthier choices. I perform better when I’m eating better. All food is fuel, but when you’re eating the right nutrients, it really makes a difference in how I feel. Running makes you hungrier and it’s absolutely okay to give your body what it needs! Fueling will make you a stronger runner.
Kathryn: I used to have a complicated relationship with running and fuelling my body. I used to think I needed to run to burn off what I ate, but my mindset has completely shifted. I now fuel for my runs and know that if I do not properly fuel my body, I cannot run. The more I have focused on fuelling my body correctly, the better my running results have been. While marathon training, the energy your body needs to keep up with training and at first, this was hard for me because I felt like I was eating SO much. But then I reframed my thoughts and reminded myself that my body knows what it needs.
Dar: I’m Dar. I’m born and raised in New York City. I started running 2 years ago. I have my own run club at Lululemon Williamsburg.
Kathryn: Hi! I’m Kathryn, and I am a holistic nutritionist, runner, master’s student and content creator in Toronto. I started running when I was in grade 3, and since then, it has always been part of my life. I was never the fastest girl on the track or cross country team, but I never let that stop me from continuing to run. When I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and this is what sparked my interest in nutrition and led me to my career in holistic nutrition today! Being an athlete and someone living with celiac disease, Impact Kitchen has been a massive part of my journey both on and off the race course.
Dar: I completely forgot about any of the miles that felt tough. I was just overwhelmed with happiness when I saw that finish line in sight. I immediately cried.
Kathryn: Running up the last 300 meters felt so surreal. There were SO many people cheering, and I feel like I definitely got a little emotional. When I first crossed the finish line, I was SO happy. I had been dealing with bad stomach cramps for the majority of the race, so it was a little relief at first. Then I walked to get my medal, saw my friends, and started to feel really proud of myself, but also really sad that it was all over. I walked out of the athletes' area and into Nathan Phillip Square and met up with all my friends, and this is when all the emotions really hit me, that I had just run a marathon. There were lots of cries, laughs, smiles and hugs, and overall, I just couldn't get over the fact that I had really run a marathon, something that a few years ago, I never thought would be possible.
Dar: The crowds in NYC are wild! I’ve cheered before and had a taste of what it’s like, but nothing prepares you seeing it for 26 miles. Every block and every borough really comes through for the runners. It felt like a 26 mile long block party. The energy is indescribable.
Kathryn: You can do all the training and preparation, but I feel like there is nothing that will really ever prepare you for the marathon. I was really surprised by how mentally difficult the race was- I hadn’t heard anyone talk about this before, but I was surprised how the second I had one negative thought, more and more kept flooding in. Like any day, you cannot control everything that will happen, and that is part of the beauty and journey of running a marathon.
Dar: Impact Kitchen coming to Williamsburg has been a game changer for my fueling. Having Impact helped me make better choices for meals. The Island Jerk bowl honestly got me through summer training and once the temperatures got a little cooler, the Chicken Noodle Soup was my go to. I even grabbed one after my marathon!
Kathryn: As a holistic nutritionist, I’m always thinking about fuelling. Throughout the training, I focused on lots of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. The night before a speed workout or long run, my dinner would be mostly carbohydrates, and the meal after (usually breakfast) would rely heavily on protein, with some carbs. Pre-race, I eat my meal 2 hours before the race, and for me, it is a gluten-free bagel with almond butter, one banana, and honey. During training, I fueled every 6 kilometres with gels that contain 25g of carbs - I felt great taking these, but by kilometre 30, I was not in the mood to eat more of them lol. Impact has always been a massive part of my everyday nutrition, but it became a HUGE part of my training! As someone with Celiac disease, eating out can be hard, but I have been able to enjoy Impact Kitchen without worrying about my allergy, and I know that the meals I get will be fuelling me for recovery and performance. My go-to order is the Warrior bowl, sub white rice for brown rice, add tempeh and a chocolate sea salt cookie on the side! What helped me feel my best was sticking to the foods my body likes! Nothing new on race day!
Dar: Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re a human being and you’re doing your best. Be consistent and disciplined, but just remember you’re choosing to do this because you love it. It’s okay and normal to be tired or emotional. It’s okay to sometimes dread a run or not hit all your paces. You’re training because you CHOSE to. Remember how lucky you are to even be able to train for a marathon!
Kathryn: Looking back, I would tell myself that not every run is going to feel good. Some weeks felt great, others not so much, and that is ok. Something that helped me with the weeks that didn't feel as good was going out to a run club or running with a friend! This helped foster a sense of community and focus on the bigger picture rather than just the race. I would also remind everyone, and myself, not to skip the warmup and mobility! Marathon training takes a lot of time, and I know warming up and mobility work may seem like a waste of time, but trust me, it will help so much in injury prevention, which would put you out of running and require much more work to get back into it!
Dar: I took a week off from running. I slept in late every day. I was so hungry and definitely treated myself to multiple chocolate sea salt cookies from Impact! I also have been cold plunging often. I’m running another marathon in January, so I am getting back into running a bit sooner than normal.
Kathryn: Post-marathon, I focused on lots of rest with my legs up and compression boots on, as well as going to Othership! It’s also super important to add in some movement, like walking. My nutrition focused heavily on protein to help repair my muscle tissue, complex carbohydrates to refuel my glycogen stores, and omega-3s to help with inflammation. I tried to stick to the same sleep/wake cycle and would replace my usual run with walking or another activity like reading.
Dar: Running has made me want to make healthier choices. I perform better when I’m eating better. All food is fuel, but when you’re eating the right nutrients, it really makes a difference in how I feel. Running makes you hungrier and it’s absolutely okay to give your body what it needs! Fueling will make you a stronger runner.
Kathryn: I used to have a complicated relationship with running and fuelling my body. I used to think I needed to run to burn off what I ate, but my mindset has completely shifted. I now fuel for my runs and know that if I do not properly fuel my body, I cannot run. The more I have focused on fuelling my body correctly, the better my running results have been. While marathon training, the energy your body needs to keep up with training and at first, this was hard for me because I felt like I was eating SO much. But then I reframed my thoughts and reminded myself that my body knows what it needs.
Dar: I am now currently training for the Dopey Challenge in Disney World in January. It’s 4 days of running: 5k, 10k, Half, and Full Marathon. It’s 48.6 miles in 4 days. I am a little nervous, but so excited to challenge my body and mind.
Kathryn: What keeps me going is how good I feel after each run - both mentally and physically! It’s an outlet and helps me disconnect and de-stress. I am already back in my next training block and training for the Tokyo Marathon, which is this spring!
Dar: Running really changed my life for the better. Before I found running, exercise and movement felt like a chore. What kept me running was the community I found. I didn’t have one friend who ran when I started. I would do all my runs alone. I started to show up to run clubs and running events alone and started introducing myself to people. These running events kept me motivated. It made running so fun. It inspired me so much that I now have my own run club in Williamsburg Brooklyn. I want to give other runners the community that I had. I want to help runners find their people. Seeing people come back to my run club consistently every week makes me so proud. It makes running more rewarding when you know you have an entire team cheering you on.
Kathryn: I make an impact every day by showing up for myself and those around me. Living with a purpose means showing up for myself so that I can support, educate and be there for those around me. I make an impact through movement and by educating others on the importance of properly fuelling your body. Movement, specifically through running, teaches me discipline, balance, and resilience, and reminds me that growth comes from showing up even on the days when I don’t want to. This is where I can reconnect with my why. I make an impact through nutrition by educating others on the power of fuelling your body properly and how food supports your energy, hormones, recovery and performance.
