The Running Explained Podcast

Have you ever walked into a running store and been intimidated and overwhelmed? Do you want to learn more about running shoes? Hollie Sick (@fueledbylolz) joins the show to talk all about how to buy running shoes and her experience working in run specialty for a decade!⁠ 👟What we mean when we say you should get "fitted" for a running shoe⁠ 👟What to expect when you go to a running store⁠ 👟"Arch support"⁠ 👟Do you need to "break in" your running shoes?⁠ 👟Shoe sizes & widths⁠ 👟Rotating shoes⁠ 👟Carbon plate shoes and other shoe technology/trends⁠ 👟General terminology⁠ 👟and more!⁠ Hollie Sick has been running for 12 years. She has worked in run specialty for 8 + years and probably fit over 1000 people for shoes. She has seen the rise of minimalist shoes, then maximalist, and now carbon plated. You can find her on social media as fueledbylolz and blogging www.fueledbylolz.com.

SOLO EPISODE! Making a race day plan: what do you need to do to make your big race day successful? Logistics: traveling, food, timing, etc Working backwards on race day Big races with corrals & special considerations Race day gear Fueling & Hydration strategy A, B, C, D goals Developing pacing strategies  Planning for in-race challenges & rough spots and more! Elisabeth Scott is the founder and head coach at Running Explained. She holds certifications from RRCA, USATF, and UESCA and is on a mission to get runners to slow the heck down on their easy runs. Find her at www.runningexplained.co and on Instagram at @runningexplained

Sports Dietitian Steph Hnatiuk returns to the podcast for a deep discussion on body composition: what it is, what we really mean when we talk about body composition and "recomposition", and why chasing that ultra-low body fat percentage or certain physique goal might not be helping your running performance! What does "body composition" mean? Factors that influence body composition Why the scale can stay the same while your body composition changes Why "leaner" isn't always healthier When body recomp & training go together (& when they don't) Nutritional timing for body composition and more! Steph Hnatiuk has been a Registered Dietitian and Fitness Coach for over 10 years and has helped thousands of people improve their eating habits, get big results, and develop a better relationship with food. She helps runners of all levels achieve their personal best performance using her 3-step strategy: the Fuel Train Recover method. You can find her on Instagram @steph.the.runners.dietitian, or at www.stephaniehnatiuk.com

What happens when you're running "aerobically"? What is "anaerobic" training? WHY should you know and care? Coach Laura Norris (@lauranorrisrunning) brings the SCIENCE on this episode on go through WHAT happens in our bodies when we're creating energy aerobically versus anaerobically, WHEN you train in one specific energy/effort zone versus another, and WHY we should know this! What is "aerobic" energy production versus "anerobic" energy production The basics of how your body creates and uses energy in different effort zones Aerobic threshold & the importance of building your aerobic base "Maffetone Method" training VO2max (maximum rate of oxygen uptake per minute) The thresholds you should know about Training intensity distribution And more! 🕶️🦩This episode is sponsored by GOODR SUNGLASSES! Get 15% off (my favorite) running sunglasses in the world & support the show using code RUNEXP at www.goodr.com! 🕶️ Laura Norris is a certified running coach, content creator, and marathoner. She is the owner of Laura Norris Running and has coached over 220 runners, from beginner runners to BQ marathoners to 100K ultra runners. Her marathon PR is a 3:29 and half marathon PR a 1:34. She is also earning her Master of Science in Applied Exercise Science at Concordia University - Chicago. In addition to coaching and running, she is a wife, toddler mom, and rescue dog owner, and enjoys gardening, home brewing beer, hiking, and spending time outdoors.

Dopey winner Brittany Charboneau (@funnyrunner26.2) joins the podcast this week to talk all about her magical winning weekend, her life as a pro runner, and training for multi-race events! Brittany's non-traditional path to becoming a professional runner Training for Dopey and her plan going into the weekend Her between-race recovery strategies The hardest moment of the weekend (that almost derailed her win!) Costuming for performance and more!! Brittany Charboneau (@funnyrunner26.2) is a Denver native and a professional road and trail runner sponsored by The North Face. She is known as The Funny Runner thanks to her background in improv and sketch comedy. Most notably, Brittany placed 13th at the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials, has a first-place title at the 2020 Pikes Peak Marathon, and most recently became the first person (male or female) to sweep the 2022 Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge by winning all four races across four days in the 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon distances…all while dressed in costume! Brittany prides herself in her creative approach to her running and on being “not just a runner.” When not training for her adventures, she is a running coach for Mercuria Running, is a digital collage artist, loves singing Disney and Broadway tunes! https://www.thefunnyrunner.com/

Do you get enough sleep? Do struggle with sleep quality or quantity? Are you unconvinced by regular, non-scientist people telling you how important getting enough sleep is for your overall health and your training/running performance? Real-life sleep scientist Dr. Amy Bender (@sleep4sport) joins the show to teach us all about sleep, specifically in the context of athletic performance! The different stages of sleep How much sleep do you need as a runner? Sleep quantity: do naps count? "Banking" sleep Sleep quality Early birds vs Night Owls & training schedule optimization Sleep disorders versus a "normal bad night of sleep" Treatment for insomnia Optimizing our nighttime routine for good sleep quality Meditation or mindfulness for sleep And more! Dr. Amy Bender is the Director Clinical Sleep Science at Cerebra, a digital health company focused on improving access to advanced digital sleep analysis and diagnostic sleep technology. An award-winning sleep scientist, Amy Bender is bursting with evidence-based insights that will play an integral role in creating your new sleep strategy. After spending over 15 years studying sleep through many avenues including work as a sleep technician, clinical research, written publications, interviews for stories in Oprah Magazine and public speaking appearances including her Ted Med talk, Dr. Bender has an intimate relationship with the science. Her ability to translate science to the field is evident through her successful work with NHL, Canadian national team athletes, and Olympic athletes.

So you want to run your first marathon!! What do you need to know before you even start training? Running Coach Chris Knighton of Knighton Runs joins the show to discuss training for your first marathon! When do you know you're ready to train for a marathon? What kind of base do you need? "Bucket list" training versus training to perform your best How long should your long run be? The importance of fueling Choosing the right training plan And more! Chris Knighton helps passionate athletes run faster marathons. He is the founder and head coach of Knighton Runs Marathon Coaching and has been featured in Runner's World and Women's Running. His first book, "Run Faster Marathons - The Proven Path to PR" will be released in Early 2022. Chris lives in Providence, Rhode Island with his family. https://knightonruns.com https://www.instagram.com/knightonruns

MAKING RUNNING FRIENDS can be a challenge sometimes! Coach Whitney Heins, founder of The Mother Runners joins the show this week to talk about the importance of building community, finding "your running people" and how to make running friends Why running friends are different from "non-running" friends Finding a group or community The etiquette on group runs Traits of supportive communities and more! 🕶️🦩This episode is sponsored by GOODR SUNGLASSES! Get 15% off (my favorite) running sunglasses in the world & support the show using code RUNEXP at www.goodr.com! 🕶️ Whitney Heins is the founder of The Mother Runners, a VDOT-O2 certified running coach, 2:56 marathoner, freelance writer, a former award-winning TV news journalist, and most importantly, a mom of two beautiful, crazy kids. She's been featured in Runner’s World, The Huffington Post, US News and World Report, and more. She's thrilled to share all she learns with you so you can be your best selves on and off the roads.  Website: https://www.themotherrunners.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themotherrunners/

Multiple-time Leadville Marathon finisher, ultrarunner, & run coach Elizabeth Jansen Amell joins the show this week to talk all about how to start trail running! Elizabeth's story of losing her brother & why she started running How is trail running different from road running? Getting started/finding a trail Safety tips and practical advice Do you do speed work & strength train for trail running? Gear requirements Trail races & ultra races and more! Elizabeth is a former PreK teacher turned running coach, business owner, and blogger! With a focus on leading a healthy lifestyle, creating delicious recipes, and sharing her best running tips and race recaps, her blog Elizabeth Healthy Life documents her life as a young adult who turned tragedy and grief into motivation to work hard, build strength, inspire others, set goals, and crush them. Find Elizabeth on Instagram ElizabethHealthyLife.com 

Runner & Coach Michelle Baxter (@therunnersplate) joins the show to talk about achieving her years-long goal of running a sub-3 marathon and what it takes to chase your big goals! Learn about Michelle's journey of pursuing a sub-3 marathon Her best practices for both training and racing (fueling & more!) The anatomy of running a 100 mile peak week Why EVERY marathoner has doubts going into the race Why most runners don't set the right goals on the right timeline Tips for winter running (from Michelle's experience training in Alaska)  and more! Michelle is a running coach, blogger, and sub-3 marathoner. You can find her on Instagram @therunnersplate and on her website at www.therunnersplate.com where she blogs about her training, recipes, coaching, and more!