Grayson Murphy on Crohn's Disease, Performance Anxiety, and Fueling as a Pro Athlete
- 16 hours ago
- 5 min read
First, a huge congratulations to Grayson and her husband on the recent birth of their daughter, Violet! At the time of recording, she was just days away from becoming a first-time mom, and I couldn't be more excited for them.
In episode 139 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast, I’m joined by professional runner Grayson Murphy as she shares her journey to becoming a two-time World Mountain Running Champion and founder of Wild Strides Paper Co.
Grayson has dealt with her fair share of challenges as an athlete, from an eating disorder and performance anxiety to years of unexplained GI issues that led to her eventual Crohn’s disease diagnosis.
However, she hasn’t let any of that slow her down. She has kept showing up to start lines, and winning, while learning how to fuel better, advocate for her health, and navigate the ups and downs that come with being human.
Grayson and I discuss:
Her transition from soccer to collegiate and eventually professional running
Years of unexplained GI symptoms, misdiagnoses, and the road to finally getting answers
Training and race-day fueling strategies, including for athletes with Crohn's disease
Tried and tested strategies to alleviate performance anxiety
Therapy, medication, and other mental health tools that have helped her
Her move from sub-ultra distances to the 50K
Training and fueling through pregnancy as a professional athlete
Whether you're navigating a chronic illness, have felt dismissed by a healthcare provider, or want to fuel smarter and show up to race day with less anxiety, this episode is for you.
Grayson Murphy on Running with Crohn's Disease
One of the most striking parts of this conversation was hearing how long Grayson lived with GI symptoms before finally receiving a Crohn's disease diagnosis, and how many times she was told by doctors that nothing was actually wrong.
For years, she largely accepted her symptoms as part of being an endurance athlete. But as Grayson put it: "My teammates aren't pooping their pants on runs. So how is this a running issue?" Her realization that what she was experiencing wasn't just runner's trots became an important turning point.
What followed was a long road of advocating for herself, being dismissed by providers, and eventually finding a physician (Dr. Teddy Bross, MD) who believed her. When she finally got her Crohn's diagnosis, Grayson wasn't devastated. She was relieved. At last, someone confirmed what she'd known all along, that she was right, and she wasn't crazy.
Her story is a reminder that persistent GI symptoms, especially those that occur outside of exercise and/or are affecting your quality of life, are worth taking seriously. Common is not the same as normal.
From a nutrition standpoint, managing Crohn's disease as an endurance athlete is genuinely complex. Grayson described a period where she felt like she had to eat three times as much to absorb a fraction of what she needed, at one point out-eating her six-foot-three Nordic skier husband who was training 20 hours a week. Fueling consistently remained a priority even when her gut wasn't cooperating, and finding strategies that worked took time, experimentation, and a good support team.
As a sports dietitian, I see athletes jump straight to food elimination when GI issues arise. While dietary modifications can sometimes help, chronic restriction rarely solves the underlying problem, and often creates new ones, including underfueling. For athletes navigating IBD or unexplained GI issues, individualized support that looks at the full picture is almost always more effective than elimination diets and guesswork.
Performance Anxiety in Athletes: Even World Champions Experience It
A lot of athletes assume confidence comes naturally once you reach a certain level. Surely world champions don't get nervous anymore, right? Not exactly.
Performance anxiety in athletes doesn't disappear with success. If anything, the stakes get higher.
Grayson has been open about the fact that anxiety is something she manages as a baseline, and not just on race day. Because the gut and brain are deeply connected, anxiety and digestive symptoms often feed off each other in ways that are hard to untangle.
One of the most practical tools she shared was her ABC goals framework: an A goal for when everything goes right, a B goal for when some things don't go your way, and a C goal for when it's a genuine disaster of a day. Having those anchors, she explained, takes some of the pressure off and gives her something to hold onto no matter what the race throws at her.
Beyond race-day strategy, Grayson has also leaned on sports psychology, general therapy, and at times medication to manage anxiety. Her analogy for anti-anxiety meds stuck with me: she thinks of it like water wings, giving her extra buoyancy when she needs to keep her head above water, and something she can take off when she feels stable enough to swim on her own.
That kind of openness matters. So many athletes are still hesitant to talk about mental health support, and hearing a world champion normalize therapy and medication makes it easier for everyone else to do the same.
The takeaway: You don't need to eliminate anxiety to perform well. You need strategies that help you move forward despite it.
Need Help Navigating GI Issues or Fueling for Performance?
GI issues are one of the most common reasons athletes reach out to me for support.
Whether you're dealing with persistent digestive symptoms, trying to optimize your fueling strategy, or simply want more confidence around your nutrition, you don't have to figure it all out alone.
I’m here to help you, advocate for you, and guide you toward answers and solutions.
Here’s what one client had to say about working with me:
"Claire was incredibly persistent in helping me solve a complicated GI situation—I received many emails that started with “oh, and I had one more idea to try…!”—tapping into her deep knowledge of sports and general nutrition and always seeking new information and suggesting new potential solutions. With her help, I have come so far in dialing in both my sports and daily nutrition, kept GI issues under control, and taken my marathon time down 36 minutes in one year, achieving my first Boston- and New York City-qualifying times. I can’t recommend working with Claire enough, and I truly believe it is what has made all the difference in my active lifestyle. Her advice is truly individualized and realistic—something you can’t get from a few slides on Instagram or a generalized guideline."
-Kristina
Here are a few ways to get nutrition support:
Fill out a new client inquiry form for comprehensive 1:1 coaching (limited spots available)
Join my low-cost, low-commitment Fuel for Life Crew membership for just $39/month, (cancel anytime)
Browse my nutrition masterclasses (all are also included in the membership)
Grab my Eat for Endurance Mini Guide Bundle (a collection of 6 mini guides, worksheets, and a bonus supplement resource)
Download my free fueling resources
Meet My Podcast Sponsors
A big thank you to Tailwind Nutrition and Good Ranchers for sponsoring this episode!
Use code EATFORENDURANCE20 for 20% off your first purchase at Tailwind Nutrition. You can’t go wrong with any of their products!
Use code IRON for $40 off a one-time box or $100 off your first 3 boxes at Good Ranchers, plus free protein with your subscription. Make sure you share "The Eat for Endurance Podcast" in your post-purchase survey, so Good Ranchers knows you're supporting the show!
Other Easy (And Free) Ways to Support the Podcast
If you enjoy The Eat for Endurance Podcast, here are a few easy ways to support it:
Leave a 5-star rating and write a review wherever you get your shows
Subscribe/Follow The Eat for Endurance Podcast so you don't miss an episode
Shop my merch and affiliate codes for Skratch, Momentous and more
Join my Patreon community
Grab the Ultimate Fueling Sticker Pack to fuel in style
Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is in no way meant to replace individual medical and nutrition recommendations.
Comments