Creating Team Culture to Talk About Periods and Eating Enough, with Coach Gracen Key from Fort Lewis College

"I had girls come up to me and say, 'I haven't had my period in X amount of time, how do I get it back?'" Gracen Key, head coach for the Women's Distance program at Fort Lewis College (FLC) in Durango CO joins us to talk about creating a team culture where athletes feel comfortable asking questions like that. Key joined FLC about two years ago, and is working hard to create a team cuture that celebrates fueling, regular periods, and self expression. After struggling with injuries, and eventually having surgery for a severe hip labrum tear, her personal athletic career seemed over but she was drawn to coaching by mentors in the sport. She's been at three programs so far, and feels strongly about her athletes having regular periods, eating enough, and performing in a way that feels best for them. We got to bring a Lane 9 workshop to her team last year, and wanted to reconnect with Key to learn more about her coaching philosophies and approach. We hope it's helpful for you, too! If you're looking for sports nutriton and marathon fueling support for your next training cycle, and/or a coach informed in REDs and women's health, go to our Lane 9 Women's Sport and Health Directory at lane9project.org/directory . Follow Lane 9 on IG @Lane9Project , and contact us anytime via Lane9project.org

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Creating Team Culture to Talk About Periods and Eating Enough, with Coach Gracen Key from Fort Lewis College is an episode from RD Real Talk - Registered Dietitians Keeping it Real by Heather Caplan RD.

This episode is 32:45 long.

This episode was published on Jan 29, 2026.

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