Alex Štuková and Leo Lendvorský are professional runners, former athletes, lovers of an active life and running coaches who, besides a shared passion for running, are also connected by many hobbies and experiences.
Read another of our inspiring interviews, in which we look more closely at:
- How to combine your personal life with sport
- What running can bring into your life
- Myths and mistakes in sports nutrition
- Powerlogy product tips for an active running life
A simple question to start with: who are you and what do you do?
Alex: My name is Alexandra Štuková and I am a former national representative in the 400 and 800 metres. I do not compete actively at the moment, but I still do sport at a recreational level. I studied at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport and I work as a teacher and a coach.
Leo: My name is Leo Lendvorský, I am a former middle-distance runner, a running and conditioning coach and a sports analyst at the National Sports Centre. I completed a doctorate in Sports Kinanthropology at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport.
What about you and your childhood? Were you active in sport from an early age, or did something lead up to it?
Alex: From early childhood I was very hyperactive and movement was my salvation. From a young age I attended a sports class, where running clearly won. At the start I was one of the average athletes, but over time and with hard work the first successes came, such as:
- 3rd place at the World Youth Championships
- 1st place at EYOF (the European Youth Olympic Festival)
- 1st place at the World Gymnasiade.
Being a good athlete asks for a great deal of self-denial, but thanks to it I have travelled part of the world, met interesting people and had countless experiences that nobody can take away from me.
Leo: As a child I watched martial arts films with enthusiasm and at the age of five I started going to karate. Later, as I come from Lučenec, which is a basketball town, I switched to basketball and football. Then, at 15, I turned up at an athletics meet.
Since I took part in European competitions and camps, for example in South Africa where the best athletes in the world trained, I got the chance to look behind the scenes and see what an elite athlete’s preparation looks like. I found my own place in the middle distances, in the 800 metres.
What led you to choose running as your sport, and to become sports coaches?
Alex: There is no specific reason, I simply followed my feelings. I liked almost every sport. But with running I felt best, like a fish in water. As I have done athletics all my life, deciding what to study at university was not difficult at all. My work fulfils me a great deal and I am not afraid that sport would stop being fun.
Leo: I felt very good doing it, even as a child. I could clear my head and I had my best ideas while running. I also enjoyed pushing my limits, the taste of adrenaline before a race, the flood of endorphins afterwards, and the big dose of dopamine at training that let me make up for a race that had not gone well.
Where are you based now and what do you do?
Alex: At the moment I work as a physical education teacher and a teaching assistant at the Pavol Marcely primary school in Bratislava. Alongside that I coach in our Bratislava Runners and Next Generation communities. We train adult recreational runners there, but also talented young athletes. And I have a few athletes I work with in individual training sessions.
Leo: I currently have 3 main projects.
- I work as a sports analyst, or “sports scientist”, at the National Sports Centre.
- I run the Bratislava Runners community, where we help runners with their running and with structured training.
- On top of that we have the “Next Generation” project, in which we help talented young athletes with their sports preparation.
What do you consider the biggest myth people find on the internet about the recommended diet for runners?
What comes to mind here is that plenty of runners overrate supplements. What matters is a varied diet containing carbohydrates, protein, fats and fibre.
Let us not look for a miracle pill. Let us not fall for the marketing lines – eat this and you will lose weight, buy this and you will run like Usain Bolt.
What are the most common dietary mistakes made by runners, or by people who are starting to run?
- Irregular eating.
- Eating too much fat or fibre before a run, which can lead to digestive trouble.
- Not topping up carbohydrates consistently during a long run.
- Forgetting to refuel after a run.
- A low protein intake – runners need protein to maintain and build muscle mass.
You are runners, active people and coaches who care about good food and nutrition. So which Powerlogy products are your favourites?
We like all your nut creams best. But if we have to choose, we enjoy the snacks and chocolates most.
Leo: Because of lactose intolerance I have to avoid chocolate treats, but your turmeric one is definitely worth it. I like them for their great taste and their ingredients, which I am fussy about when choosing products. Everything is free of colourings and chemistry, and it still tastes great.
Since the athletes you coach surely ask you for nutrition advice at training and when putting their meal plans together, which Powerlogy products do you recommend directly?
For a tasty, wholesome and filling breakfast we recommend Powerlogy Nougat Cream and Cashew Cream. And definitely the savoury pistachio pesto, if they want to make a quick, wholesome and tasty lunch.
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