Andrea Flowers Was Running On Empty For Years

Andrea Flowers is a runner that loves the team/group component of our sport.

Andrea Flowers

Running has always come naturally to Andrea, until it didn’t.

A devastating injury along with an eating disorder led to some setbacks that contributed to her outlook on life and running.

Hidden Talent

Andrea was a cheerleader for the first part of her life.

It was not until her sophomore year of high school that she attempted to run.

A cross county team didn’t exist at her high school until her senior year and even then she was only one of 3 team members.

Her lack of experience running against others certainly didn’t hinder her performance.

She made it to state and placed 11th for the 2 miler.

From there she went on to run in college where things became more complicated.

Own Worst Enemy

East Central University in Oklahoma is where Andrea resumed her competitive running.

She had a strong start to her collegiate career until injury hit the first year.

A stress fracture in her femur forced her to recover slowly and not rush back.

Andrea was used to being one of the fastest and running had always come easily to her.

This recovery period was very humbling for her in many ways.

Not having a way to burn calories while she was injured was taking its toll both mentally and physically.

Her relationship with food became even more restrictive than it was already

Road To Recovery

Andrea Flowers on Race Day

Recovering from an eating disorder was a slow process.

Once she gave herself permission to fuel her body she noticed she didn’t get fat, but rather she got stronger.

Andrea was used to having teammates around that made her a stronger runner.

After graduating from college, she got connected with Wahoo Running and Oiselle Volee.

For Andrea, it is important to be a part of something bigger than herself.

Her teammates now serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for her to keep striving to be the best runner and person she can be.

A BQ is on her list of goals she hopes to accomplish in the future and she is continually learning how to master the marathon distance.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Oiselle Volee
• Wahoo Running
• Oklahoma City Marathon

Stay up to date on what Andrea’s up to by checking out her Blog or connecting with her on Instagram.

Andrea Flowers is a former collegiate runner that still enjoys being a part of a team. #runchat Click To Tweet

As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

 Want to Support the Continued Growth & Production of the Show?

Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.

Subscribe to the Show

Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs Radio by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.

Please Give Me Some Feedback!

Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.

Register for a Free Race Training Plan

Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.

Join The Tribe!

There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!