Listen to Your Body: Reflections from a Former Collegiate Athlete

Q and A with Clara (Leutheuser) Black

Tell us about your health journey in college and beyond.

Health has always interested me—perhaps because I’m a lousy sufferer. Only in recent years have I become more passionate about enjoying good health through healing. My leap into motherhood is probably the reason: it’s much more fun raising a family when everyone has energy and feels well!

In college, my health choices were primarily motivated by athletic performance and fitness: I tried to eat a clean diet, of course got plenty of exercise, and had a better-than-average amount of sleep for a college student. I still had plenty of setbacks, though- mono my sophomore year, back issues, and emergency surgery for ruptured ovarian cysts my junior year. Interestingly, these always happened in our “off” season- as if I was crashing from the stress of the first semester. In retrospect, I wish I would’ve listened to my body and protected my rest even at the expense of other opportunities. I wish I would have been more proactive in connecting with a good doctor for areas such as supplemental help and hormonal balance. I wish I would have sacrificed even more time for the appropriate exercises in the training room to correct dominance and imbalances.

Since college, I’ve been learning to unravel the stresses both collegiate athletics and adulthood/motherhood have put on my body (military wife with twins!), and to come through it stronger. Self-education is a big part—and I’m aware I didn’t have the time for this with my college schedule—but so is being persistent searching for good care. I sometimes joke that if I knew how much parenting (well, life in general) would revolve around the medical world, I would have changed my major. But in reality, it’s been rewarding to have a continuing education in an unsuspected area.

What tips do you have for students transitioning from high school athletics to college life and/or college athletics to adult life?

For incoming college students, my primary advice would be to LISTEN to your body. My guess is that most incoming student-athletes are trained in listening to authorities: coaches, mentors, upperclassmen. This is great when it comes to pushing yourself and increasing skill; it’s not great when it comes to suppressing symptoms or ignoring physical, mental, and emotional cues. College is a time of transition, so it can take a while before establishing a baseline of how you “should” feel. Don't give up! Try to take stock of your health every day and respond to whatever information you have – even if it’s as simple as drinking an extra glass of water, or staying 10 more minutes to ice. My other emphasis would be on patience. Growth in the first part of the collegiate career isn’t too different from my toddler’s growth spurts: you’re going to feel really cranky, clumsy, and close to tears at times. That’s normal. Keeping your humor will help you recognize and enjoy the other side more quickly!

“College is a time of transition, so it can take a while before establishing a baseline of how you “should” feel.”

For athletes transitioning to the real world: it’s okay if you never win another…anything. I’m still learning this one! J You’ve already heard why athletes are successful, or the ideal employee, entrepreneur, etc. That doesn’t mean your next job will compare with the one you’ve just completed – perhaps on a high note with PR’s or championship wins. It’s okay to grieve the loss of recognition along with the loss of a sport you love. In fact, the sooner you realize the need to grieve, the sooner you can embrace the next challenge with real passion.

Oh, and move your body every day. You will be so grumpy if you don’t. I think it’s pretty common among athletes to take a well-earned rest post-graduation, but it can be so hard to develop a new routine while all your others are in flux. Establish accountability (especially if you were part of a team sport) and be open to what other forms of exercise fire you up. I love sprint triathlons, but most days, it’s walk/runs with my gang of four bikers and a stroller.

How do you build a health/fitness routine for yourself when you're used to it being set for you (as a college athlete)?

“Don’t make “perfect” the enemy of “good.””

Student-athletes graduate knowing the essentials of a healthy exercise “diet”, even if it’s only sports-specific. I started by piecing together parts of my off-season practices and weight room workouts. To this day I still enjoy a certain stationary bike workout from our summer volleyball conditioning, or even 300-meter repeats on the track in the springtime. Muscle memory is a powerful asset. I think the key is making your goal realistic.  Spend some time assessing how much time and money you can budget, and then research your options. Maybe a HIIT workout plan subscription at home would do more good than a membership to the gym, where you would wander around looking for nonexistent teammates. Don’t make “perfect” the enemy of “good.” The freedom in it all can be paralyzing; in reality, there is NO WRONG CHOICE – so begin somewhere, and refine as you go!

Where do you get your motivation to exercise/stay healthy? How do you stay motivated?

My family! My husband is ridiculously disciplined, and is willing to support my fitness goals however he can (usually by watching the kids, but his home gym doesn’t hurt!). In fact, my main problem is not comparing accomplishments, since these first 9 years of marriage have been more limiting for me physically (a.k.a. lots of pregnancies/postpartum), while he cranks out personal bests at an alarming rate. It’s that very reason, though, that I’m motivated to take care of myself. For me, it’s about functional fitness. I stay healthy so I can be a strong mom who has energy not just to take care of her kids, but to bike, climb trees, and be active in every possible way they’d like me to be. In learning to heal from having babies, I’ve also learned so much about old injuries and chronic issues and have corrected them simultaneously with more recent ones. I feel older and wiser AND stronger. That’s all the motivation I need!