mbg Magnificence Director
mbg Magnificence Director
Alexandra Engler is the wonder director at mindbodygreen and host of the wonder podcast Clear Magnificence Faculty. Beforehand, she’s held magnificence roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports activities Illustrated, and Attract.com.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
July 15, 2024
We love celebrating ladies on high of their sport. In our new sequence Sport On, we’re interviewing high athletes about their well-being routines—overlaying the whole lot from diet that makes them really feel robust to the moments that carry them pleasure.
Heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics to symbolize Crew USA in seaside volleyball is a celebrity duo generally known as TKN. Final week, we chatted with one-half of that pair, 27-year-old Taryn Kloth—and at this time, we get to meet up with the opposite half, 26-year-old, 5-foot-6-inch athlete Kristen Nuss.
The duo heads into the Olympics with a whole lot of buzz: They at present rank second on this planet and effortlessly clinched the primary spot on Crew USA with almost three months left to spare through the qualifying timeline.
With visions of gold within the not-so-distant future, Nuss chatted with me all about how she’s getting ready her physique for the highway forward, how she finds psychological readability, and what equipment she should have together with her on the sand.
mindbodygreen: You are preparing for the Paris Olympics. The brightest highlight on the largest stage. How do you mentally put together for giant matches?
Kristen Nuss: My method could also be totally different than most. I’ve discovered over time that if I get tremendous targeted and “locked in” that I truly do not carry out properly. So I attempt to be slightly extra laid again.
Taryn most likely talked you thru our routine of listening to the identical AirPod [ed. note: In Kloth’s Game On interview, she shared that they listen to the same music by sharing AirPods during warm-ups to help them get in the same mindset]. So, in warm-ups, I simply attempt to maintain it enjoyable and relaxed. Yow will discover me jamming out to no matter tune is enjoying in my head. Chatting with our coaches.
I am not tremendous targeted—holding it very gentle. It is simply having enjoyable. As a result of, actually, that’s what I discover I must carry out my finest.
mbg: What do it’s a must to have with you on the sand? What are your game-day necessities?
Nuss: In seaside volleyball, we do not have a ton of apparatus. We get on the courtroom, and we’re in our bathing fits. However an absolute necessity is sun shades. I couldn’t play this sport with out sun shades.
We put on Zenni Optical Sport Efficiency Sun shades. We like them as a result of they’ve a whole lot of choices for competitors sun shades with totally different lenses and types. It is nice to have the ability to have enjoyable with it—even with the ability to match the colour of our lenses with our fits. Or relying on what the solar is doing that day, we’ll choose lenses to assist efficiency. The totally different lenses will assist with visibility primarily based on the sunshine.
For instance, if there aren’t any clouds and it is simply pure solar, among the lenses are higher for that. Or different lenses do not block as a lot of the daylight. Some lenses will assist modify the colour you are seeing—so it is slightly yellow or slightly darker. Plenty of that is determined by your private desire.
Oh, after which sunscreen and my hat. That is just about it. That is just about all of the tools and the whole lot that I must carry out through the competitors.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: How do you sleep earlier than an enormous match? As a result of lots of people wrestle with sleeping earlier than one thing huge—nonetheless one thing just like the Olympics or an enormous international competitors!
Nuss: Sleeping points earlier than one thing huge is for certain a factor. There’s been numerous nights earlier than an enormous sport or a championship match laying in mattress, and I am identical to, Fall asleep, fall asleep, fall asleep. However I can’t shut my mind off!
If that is the case—if it is a kind of nights—I are inclined to give attention to my respiration. I simply take actually deep breaths, out and in, and actually simply hone in on that. Then I am going to additionally simply begin counting and I am going to simply depend. It offers my mind one thing to do aside from take into consideration that one factor—the match. It makes my mind give attention to one thing aside from, OK, what is going on to be the climate tomorrow? What is the play? How am I going to carry out?
Aside from that, earlier than I am going to mattress I prefer to get off my cellphone. I learn a guide earlier than—which once more is actually useful if it is the evening earlier than an enormous sport and I do know I’m going to wrestle to sleep. Studying simply helps me relax and get off the display screen.
mbg: What meals show you how to really feel strongest and gas your physique?
Nuss: Actually, earlier than an enormous sport—and particularly relying on once we play—an excellent ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That may be a strong pregame. It is the right snack to provide the power and carbs that you just want. We [Kloth and I] eat them quite a bit once we journey.
Day after day, I comply with a high-protein weight loss plan. It is nearly consuming a ton of protein in each meal that we get. I personally love doing larger protein, decrease calorie, and a whole lot of amount as a result of I’m somebody who enjoys that feeling of fullness.
Excessive protein. Low calorie. Excessive amount. That is the objective.
mbg: How do you construct up resilience?
Nuss: I give a ton of credit score to our coach. He constructions observe the place there are some days that it is simply getting in to get reps—however then there are the times we simply get after it.
You need observe to be tougher than the sport itself. That is the place the resilience will get constructed—in these observe moments whenever you’re in a very laborious drill, he is simply crushing balls at you, then you definitely’re having to do some form of serve obtain and consistently simply execute. You get to the purpose the place your mind is like, Go, go, go—however your legs are dying and simply cease working.
I really feel like should you can push via that in observe, then you definitely’ll be OK. In a sport you’ve adrenaline pumping via you, so you realize OK, I can get via this. That is straightforward.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise that has nothing to do along with your sport?
Nuss: Do you contemplate strolling?
mbg: Oh yeah, completely.
Nuss: Properly, I completely love simply happening a stroll. It is also simply good for the psychological aspect of issues—simply leaving the cellphone at house and simply going for a stroll.
Particularly once we’re at these tournaments internationally and we’re at these occasions set in these wonderful locations. It is so enjoyable to discover! That is one thing Taryn and I actually get pleasure from doing—simply going out and exploring.
mbg: I am so concerned with teammate dynamics and what makes an excellent teammate. Seaside volleyball is exclusive as a result of you’ve one teammate, so I am curious—what makes an excellent teammate?
Nuss: I feel for me, an excellent crew is somebody that is going to instill confidence in you and construct you up. Particularly in seaside volleyball, you want your different half on the courtroom to achieve success.
I’ve seen conditions the place somebody would possibly get a nasty set, and the teammate will roll their eyes. It is like, Why are you tearing down your associate? Your associate is the one one that you want essentially the most to succeed at this.
So I feel an excellent teammate is somebody who instills that confidence and belief in you throughout these laborious occasions, like say, whenever you aren’t enjoying your finest sport. time goes to be somebody who continues to be there and so they’ll nonetheless have utmost belief.
I feel that’s one thing that Taryn does a lot for me. I do know that she trusts me a lot that in laborious occasions she nonetheless believes in me. And that perception is one thing that is laborious to return by.
mbg: What recommendation do you’ve for younger ladies or ladies who need to play volleyball?
Nuss: Dream huge—no dream is simply too huge.
I am slightly undersized in comparison with most different seaside volleyball gamers. Each single time I turned on the TV, nobody appeared like me height-wise. I’d search for the heights of gamers and everybody was at the very least 2-3 inches taller than me. However I simply saved on going.
Do not let anybody inform you which you can’t.