The Running Explained Podcast

Mental health = physical health! In this episode I sat down with Coach Lauren Sheu (@running.for.welllness), runner and mental health advocate, to talk about how running and mental health are intertwined!  🧠WHY is running good for our mental health?⁠ 🧠How the lessons we learn from running translate to our life⁠ 🧠Breaking up with the "all or nothing" mentality⁠ 🧠Learning to deal with uncomfortable emotions and finding the root cause of your emotional discomfort⁠ 🧠Why running isn't a replacement for therapy (& how to find a therapist!)⁠ 🧠Dealing with self-doubt, and how it's OK to not be OK even if someone "has it worse" than you⁠ -- Lauren Sheu is an RRCA Certified Running Coach, Mental Health Advocate, Speaker, Blogger, wife, and working mom. Lauren is the Owner and Founder of Running for Wellness, which was created with the purpose of helping people to improve their mental health and wellbeing through running.  Lauren coaches new runners, blogs about running and mental health, and volunteers at NAMI Keystone PA as a Mental Health Speaker and Family Support Group Facilitator. You can find her on Instagram as @running.for.wellness

How do you train for the race you want to run? How does your training CHANGE AND DIFFER depending on your goals and experience? In this jam-packed episode with Coach Laura Norris (@lauranorrisrunning), we dive into "the specificity of training", what it means, and how to apply it to YOUR training! ⁠Some of the topics we cover include... HOW do you train for different race distances? ⁠ HOW does easy running work to make you faster?⁠ Is 80/20 running the best intensity split for your training?⁠ What changes between 5k, 10k, half, and full marathon training? Can you turn your 5k pace into your half marathon pace?⁠ How do you train for a hilly race?⁠ If I listed all the topics we covered, I would run out of room. This is a MUST-LISTEN and full of training answers big & small!⁠ -- 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. -- If you like the show, please remember to subscribe, rate it 5 stars, and tell your friends! Training plans available now! www.runningexplained.co/plans

What IS a "tempo run"? What do they do and when are they beneficial to include in your training? My guest this week is RRCA Coach Brian Lock (@roadrunner309) and we talk in depth and in detail about... What is (and is not) a tempo run? What is lactate threshold and how are threshold runs structured? What is the purpose of goal pace workouts in a training plan? The right (and wrong) way to execute a threshold workout/tempo run When tempo runs/threshold runs are NOT recommended ... and more!! Brian Lock is an RRCA-Certified Running Coach, sub-3 hour marathoner, and the world-record holder for fastest marathon with a soccer ball! Follow him on Instagram at @roadrunner309 or get connected with his coaching at RoadRunnerCoaching.com --

This week Starla Garcia (@starla_shines), Registered Dietician and OTQ Marathoner joins the show to talk all about in-run and in-race fueling! Wondering if, when, or how to fuel during your runs and your races? In this episode we discuss... The importance of proper run & race fueling The common reasons runners neglect to fuel, or underfuel, their runs or races The recommendations of carbs per hour The different types of performance fuel options and the importance of individual preferences Common causes of GI distress  How poor race fueling is your number one obstacle to race day success The fueling requirements for a 6:00 marathoner vs a 3:00 marathoner ...And more!!  Starla Garcia is a Registered Dietitian and owner of The Healthy Shine, LLC, 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier, and body and cultural diversity advocate. Her journey to wellness came after battling an eating disorder as a Latina student-athlete during her collegiate years. That experience was the catalyst that set her on the path of intuitive eating and developing a healthy relationship with cultural foods and exercise. Now her story is what fuels her mission to dismantle the restrictive mindset and rules that runners create around diets, exercise, and body image to help them align their nutrition with their performance goals.

Questions about strength training and how it fits into your running? Wondering how important it is? RRCA Running Coach Stacey Gross (@s__gross) answers all your questions! We talk about... HOW & WHY strength training is important for runners Why hills don’t replace strength training How to include strength in your training Heavy weights/lower reps vs lighter reps/higher reps Key strength training moves for runners Bodyweight, bands, kettlebells, and weights Muscles soreness & DOMS Strength train pre- or post-run? Hip strength exercises Harder or more complicated doesn’t equal better! Strength in a taper AND MORE!!! -- Stacey is an iced coffee-loving runner from the city of Brotherly Love. She is an RRCA Certified Run Coach and a member of the Run to the Finish coaching team. She is also a sponsored Klean Athlete. You will find Stacey putting in the work on the road and also in the gym. She strongly believes that to become a stronger runner you need to do more than just log miles.  -- If you like the show, please remember to rate & subscribe! TRAINING PLANS NOW AVAILABLE: www.runningexplained.co

In this episode, Dr. Marie Whitt (@dr.whitt.fit) and I talk all about CROSS-TRAINING as it relates to running!  What *is* cross-training? Why and when would you include cross-training when you're training for a running-specific race? Do you NEED to include cross-training in your overall training?⁠ ...IT DEPENDS!⁠ ⁠The big takeaway? Cross-training can be very beneficial but does NOT replace the sport-specific (or race-specific) training you need for your primary sport & goals!⁠ ⁠*PLUS* we go over some common cross-training questions that I receive in the weekly question box including...⁠ ⁠👉Can I cross-train instead of run for my Zone 2/easy aerobic development runs?⁠ ⁠👉Can I cross-train in Zone 2 instead of doing run-walk intervals, because I don't like that I have to walk for parts of my easy runs⁠ ⁠👉What is the recommended cross-training when you're training for a marathon?⁠ ⁠👉Can I do my speedwork on a bike instead?⁠ ⁠👉Can cross-training help strengthen or correct muscle imbalances or mobility issues in your hips? -- Dr. Marie Whitt, DPT, is runner and a sports Physical Therapist. Her job is to help runners train smarter to get stronger, and be faster by improving movement so you can run your best and compete at your highest level! Instagram: www.instagram.com/dr.whitt.fit Website: www.drwhittfit.com --

Jen Scott, RD, helps us break it down and talk about the FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION for athletes. What are macronutrients? What are micronutrients? How do these things behave in our bodies and WHY do we need more of this or that than a non-runner might need? In this episode we talk about... Macronutrients: 1. Protein (& amino acids) 2. Carbohydrates (what ARE they?) + glycogen storage 3. Fats (and what "fat-burning" really means) Micronutrients for Athletes 1. Vitamin D 2. Iron (and signs of iron deficiency) Supplements! Yay or nay? 1. BCAAs 2. Preworkout 3. Collagen 4. Creatine 5. Beet juice/cherry juice -- Jen Scott is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (R.D.N.) and Licensed Dietitian (L.D.) with over 17 years of experience. Since 2017, she has been guiding athletes and runners at all levels and stages learn how to better fuel themselves and meet their goals. She also creates meal plans and assists other clients in making adjustments to their current diets to improve their health. Instagram: @marathonmara_rd Website: Endurance Health and Nutrition -- -- If you like the show, please remember to rate & subscribe! TRAINING PLANS NOW AVAILABLE: www.runningexplained.co

Let's talk about shoes!! Every new runner is advised to go to a running shoe store to get "properly fitted for a pair of running shoes", but what does that MEAN? In this episode, we break down... A Brief History of Running Shoes Parts of a shoe: Uppers & Lowers FOAM!! & the principles of elastic energy return Stack Heigh, Heel Drop, Cushion Neutral vs Stability Carbon Plate Shoes Trail Shoes -- If you like the show, please remember to rate & subscribe! TRAINING PLANS NOW AVAILABLE: www.runningexplained.co

Nathan Fenton, running coach and founder of RunPowerCoach, discusses the concept of power as a running metric. He explains how power differs from pace and heart rate, how to measure it, and how it can be used to set goals and quantify training load. The podcast also explores using power on easy run days, converting training plans to use power, and using power on treadmills or with a peloton tread.

Bad days... we all have them! But there is a heck of a lot to learn from the days that don't go the way we planned. In this episode, we break down the common causes behind "bad days", whether in a normal everyday run, in a workout, or on race day and cover topics like... Cumulative Fatigue Expectation vs Reality WHY you keep your easy days easy HOW to execute a workout Workout Paces & Why? Race Paces & Goal Setting Race Strategy Fueling & Hydration Training for the Course/Conditions The Taper -- If you like the show, please remember to rate & subscribe! TRAINING PLANS NOW AVAILABLE: www.runningexplained.co