Ainsley Chapman, a Salt Lake City resident, was this year’s Speedy Spud Sponsorship winner for Potatoes USA. She ran Saturday’s Salt Lake City Half Marathon fueled almost entirely by potatoes.
Her training? Fueled by potatoes. Race day? More potatoes. She even wore a custom potato costume.
Chapman champions the humble spud as a nutrient-dense powerhouse for runners chasing something more than the finish line — but along with her diet, her determination and drive is what led her to completing her goal.
Why Chapman chooses potatoes to fuel her workouts
Chapman started running in college. Since graduating, she now works full-time as an engineer and is pursuing her master’s degree while continuing to run.
Adding training for the Salt Lake City Half Marathon meant she needed proper fuel, enough to get her through long days and longer runs. Along with the fuel, she needed a way to keep running fresh and fun.
That’s where the Speedy Spud contest came in.
“I learned about the sponsorship through a Strava challenge Potatoes USA did last summer,” Chapman told Deseret News. “I thought it was a funny sponsorship for a challenge, so I looked into the company behind it and came across the Speedy Spud contest. I’m always looking for ways to keep running interesting and there’s no better way to do that than running in a potato costume.”
The Speedy Spud sponsorship was created to celebrate the nutrient-rich staple that can properly fuel athletes with energy, endurance and power, according to Potatoes USA’s website.
Chapman was already a fan of potatoes. But she gained a deeper understanding of how the nutrient-dense vegetable could support her performance and aid in her goals.
“As a runner, I need nutrient dense food with an emphasis on carbohydrates in order to complete my runs and continually improve. Potatoes offer a versatile and affordable way to get those nutrients,” said Chapman.
Through proper training and fuel, Chapman accomplished a great feat as a runner
It wasn’t just the potatoes that resulted in the speedy accomplishment for Chapman, but also her discipline. The commitment she made was just as important as the carbs.
“The hardest part of training was finding the will power to stick to my training plan during the cold winter days. It was definitely tough some days leaving a nice warm house to go out into the cold or snow but at the same time finding that will power each day has been very rewarding,” Chapman told Deseret News.
With a rigorous training plan through the depths of winter, Chapman stayed motivated, watching her efforts turn into physical results. Her legs grew stronger, her pace grew faster and her confidence grew with every mile she committed to.
“It’s been super rewarding to see my training pay off and feel my body get faster and stronger after this training block by staying consistent,” she said.
Chapman ran the half-marathon in a custom potato costume with a time of 1:41:15.
“It was really fun! I loved all the involvement and community that was cheering me on,” Chapman said.