Laura Kline
Ultra-Distance Trail Runners
Nickname: Vegan Rocket
Birthday: September 4
Current Location: Syracuse, NY
I was a late-comer to the running scene. I played team sports through high school and it wasn’t until after college that I turned to running as an outlet for the challenges I was facing in my life. I loved the feeling I got from pushing my limits, and the more I trained and raced the more I wanted. I began running/racing in 2001 and in 2004 I started racing duathlon and triathlon as well. In 2013 I started dabbling in ultrarunning and 2017 was my first year devoted solely to ultrarunning.
Career Highlights
Short Course Duathlon World Champion – 2012
Long Course Duathlon National Champion – 2014
Duathlon World Championship – 2015 & 2005: Gold Medalist
Ultra Race of Champions 2017: 2nd place
USATF 50k Road National Championship 2016: 2nd place
USATF 50 Mile Trail National Championship 2015 & 2016: 3rd place
Up Close, and Personal
To me, sport is…
Resilience, camaraderie, and the best way to find out what you’re made of!
On a typical training day,
I rise before dawn and have a banana with Unived Energy Mix before heading out for a run. After my run I’ll enjoy a nourishing recovery meal like oatmeal with fruit and Ultra Butter with my Recovery Mix while relaxing in my compression boots. Daytime meals and snacks are whole food, plant-based options – heavy on the vegetables with some grains and healthy fats. Sometimes I’ll have a 2nd training session in the evening – it could be a recovery run, spin on the bike, or a strength session in the gym. Dinner is often a curry or similar dish. I end my evening with some core and body work.
My idea of an effective weight training session is
I don’t get hung up on numbers and like to train more by feel. So when I’ve accomplished exactly what I set out to do in a training session, and finish feeling like I’ve given it everything I had, that’s a success to me.
The moment when I discovered my athletic potential was
When I raced my very first 5k in 2001. It wasn’t because I raced well but because it sparked a hunger in me and I knew I would work to become the strongest athlete I could be.
The three biggest lessons I have learnt so far in my athletic career is
1. Listen to your body – not to what your watch is telling you or what others are doing.
2. You’ll learn more from the races that didn’t go as planned.
3. What you put into your body is equally if not more important as your training.
Before a big race, I tell myself
Breathe. Stay strong and focused. To race my own race.
The toughest race of my life was
2017 CCC. I didn’t have the build-up I wanted and showed up with a slight injury. Only a few miles into the race I could tell my injury was going to hold me back. I had to make the decision to take it easy on my body and instead focus on the mental challenge of simply finishing my goal race.
The most memorable moment of my sporting career so far
Winning the 2012 Duathlon World Championship!
My training sanctuary is
Santa Fe, NM
My dream starting line is
There are far too many to choose! High on my list right now is Comrades.
I nourish my soul with
a long run on the trails, a fulfilling recovery meal, and relaxing with a good book.
Unived helps me by
Providing simple, clean ingredients and great flavours which offer the best fuelling for my everyday training & racing. I use Energy Mix, Hydration Mix, Recovery Mix, Endurance Gel, Ultra Butter, and Organic Protein.
I have chosen to associate with Unived because…
I initially chose Unived because they are a vegan company offering a full range of products to support my training and racing. I appreciate the ingredients they use, the trusted sources, and the natural but delicious taste and flavors of the products. As I’ve gotten to know faces behind Unived I truly love the family feel. The creators are out there alongside us racing and exploring the trails – using their own products and constantly innovating. I’m excited to be a part of this family!
In 2019, I’m setting my sights on…
Vagamon Ultrail 90K – Jan
Ironman 70.3 Virginia (tentative) – May
Comrades Marathon – June
Laugavegurinn (tentative) – July
OCC – Aug
My favourite Unived product is…
It’s a tie between RRUNN Ultra Butter and RRUNN Recovery Mix.