#601: Natalie Lennon - Acne, Eating Disorder Recovery, and Running 2 Marathons in 7 Days!

Nathalie Lennon is back with Brian Keane. She talks openly about eating disorder recovery, training for Chicago and Amsterdam in the same week, and the physical and emotional cost that followed. They explore menstrual health during marathon training, how she avoided getting caught up in food numbers, and why rest became part of the story. The conversation also covers acne and confidence, negative comments, choosing how much of your private life to share, building trust with brand partners, and the transition from The Dating Games to Nathalie's new show, Shake the Ground. Timestamps 00:00 Nathalie returns to the podcast 01:15 From a half marathon to Chicago and Amsterdam 04:27 Looking back at the bikini competition and eating disorder 06:02 Covid, stress and a setback in recovery 11:42 Getting her period back and rebuilding health 13:16 The emotional side of a recovery setback 16:48 Menstrual health and planning a marathon block 19:47 Fuel, data and avoiding fixation on numbers 22:39 The Chicago experience and two races a week apart 24:08 Amsterdam and how her body responded 27:19 Knee pain, rest and the time away from running 32:55 Sharing struggles after processing them 33:28 Negative comments and social media boundaries 36:22 Acne, confidence and treatment decisions 44:43 The pressure to look perfect online 48:24 Real-world community and privacy in relationships 51:24 Speaking more freely instead of posting for an algorithm 53:49 Brand partnerships and agency support 54:53 Would Nathalie recommend becoming a creator? 58:33 Trust, values and turning down the wrong campaign 61:10 Brian's Dating Games stories 66:45 Why The Dating Games ended 69:49 How Shake the Ground got its name 72:48 Taking the pressure off and finding her voice Find Nathalie and Shake the Ground Nathalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathalielennon / _ Nathalie on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@nathalielennon _ Nathalie Lennon Fitness: https://www.nlf.ie/ Polar (the athlete partner named in Nathalie's profile): https://www.instagram.com/polarglobal/ Shake the Ground on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakethegroundpodcast/ Shake the Ground on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/221tK7vSC5bDqgXW4ItQw2 Shake the Ground on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/shake-the-ground-podcast/id1711099115 Shake the Ground on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shakethegroundpodcast Episodes mentioned Brian and Nathalie, first interview — #187, Obsession Vs. Passi