The Running Explained Podcast

What if you could go back to the start of your running journey and do things differently?
In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, coaches Amanda and Nick break down the 6 biggest lessons they wish they knew when they first started running. From chasing results too early to underestimating fueling, recovery, and balance, this conversation is packed with insights that can help you train smarter, avoid common mistakes, and actually enjoy the process.
Whether you’re a beginner runner or someone who’s been at it for years, these lessons will likely hit home and might just change how you approach your training moving forward.
In this episode, we cover:
Why putting pressure on results can actually hurt performance
The truth about the “finish line feeling” and why it doesn’t last
Why perfect training doesn’t exist (and what matters instead)
How underfueling impacts energy, performance, and recovery
The importance of balance in training and life
Why recovery, sleep, and time away from running are critical
This episode is a reminder that running progress isn’t just about pace or race times. It’s about building something sustainable, enjoyable, and long-lasting.
If you’re feeling stuck, frustrated, or just want to get more out of your running, this is a must-listen.

Fall Marathon Interest List
Amanda IG
Nick IG
Email - [email protected]
🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨
Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?
✅ Personalized training
✅ Weekly support + adjustments
✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability
✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach
📝PDF Training Plan Templates available
🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to
all Training Plans available in The Run Club App
Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training plan for you!
Learn more about all of this at Running Explained

Race day doesn’t start at the starting line. It starts with how you prepare.
In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, coaches Amanda Katz and Nick Klastava break down everything you need to know about race day prep, from logistics and fueling to mindset, pacing, and recovery. Whether you're running a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon, this episode gives you a complete race day blueprint so you can show up calm, confident, and ready to execute.

If race mornings stress you out, if you’ve ever forgotten something important, or if you just want to perform at your best, this episode walks you through exactly how to eliminate the chaos and focus on what matters.

This is the exact framework we use with our athletes to help them race smarter and perform better.

If you want to stop guessing and start racing with a plan, this episode is for you.

Listen, learn, and take control of your next race

This episode is sponsored by Wahoo and their hit ⁠KICKR RUN TREADMILL ⁠ the link to learn more about this revolutionary rethink of treadmills from:
Dynamic Pacing (no controls just run)
Terrain simulation (even side to side)
Unmatch Connectivity (simulate routes from Strava and other third party apps).  
Go ahead and use code EXPLAINED and Run you Run!

00:00 Intro
01:00 Race day overview and mindset
03:00 Logistics: bib pickup, parking, course planning
10:00 Course strategy and aid stations
17:00 Race week workouts and tapering
20:00 Carb loading explained
28:00 Pre-race activities (what to avoid)
34:00 Sleep and recovery strategies
38:00 Final race day tips

Amanda- https://instagram.com/amanda_katzz/?hl=en
Nick -⁠ ⁠https://instagram.com/nklastava/?hl=en
Email - [email protected]

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨
Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?
✅ Personalized training
✅ Weekly support + adjustments
✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability
✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach
📝PDF Training Plan Templates available
🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to
all Training Plans available in The Run Club App
Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training plan for you!
https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/688249e4b0197d00157fba4c
Learn more about all of this at www.runningexplained.com

This episode of the Running Explained Podcast dives into one of the most overlooked parts of running performance: the mental and emotional side of injury. Coach Nick is joined by journalist and runner Cindy Kuzma and mental performance coach Carrie Jackson to unpack what really happens when runners get injured and why it is far more than just a physical setback.

Together, they explore how injuries impact identity, confidence, and motivation, and why so many runners struggle to slow down or step away from training. The conversation highlights the emotional complexity of injury, including surprising feelings like relief, frustration, and even grief, while also addressing the challenge of rebuilding trust in your body during recovery.
00:00 Introduction to the Conversation
02:29 Understanding Injuries in Runners
05:26 The Emotional Impact of Injuries
08:21 Mental Challenges of Injuries
10:54 Building Resilience Before Injury
13:56 The Struggle to Slow Down
16:42 Identity and Injury
19:56 The Role of Comparison in Running
22:41 Identity Loss and Its Impact on Athletes
24:46 Identity and Athleticism
29:23 Navigating Injury and Recovery
38:47 Mental Tools for Injury Management
45:59 Staying Connected to Your Athletic Identity
51:21 The Importance of Coach-Athlete Communication During Injury
53:19 Finding Joy and Purpose in Sport
54:44 Understanding Injury as Part of the Athletic Journey
56:21 Transforming Adversity into Growth
58:14 Building a Supportive Community for Injured Athletes
59:53 Advice and Insights from Experienced Coaches
01:05:43 Breaking Stigmas in Mental Health and Sports
01:08:23 Connecting with Coaches and Resources

Carrie Jackson is a performance and mental training expert, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, listed provider in the USOPC Mental Performance Directory, and the author of On Top of Your Game: Mental Skills to Maximize Your Athletic Performance. She’s one of the world’s foremost authorities on the mental and emotional challenges of recovering from injury. She co-authored the book Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, and is the co-host of the widely regarded podcast The Injured Athletes Club.

Cindy is a freelance journalist with bylines in Runner’s World, SELF, The New York Times, and more. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart (with Neely Spence Gracey) and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries (with Carrie Jackson); she co-hosts the Injured Athletes Club podcast and is on the leadership team of Starting Line 1928, an oral history project documenting the lived experiences of female distance running pioneers. She lives and runs in Chicago.

Cindy Website
Carrie Website -
Rebound

Amanda IG
Nick -IG
Email - [email protected]
🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW 🚨
Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU?
✅ Personalized training
✅ Weekly support + adjustments
✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability
✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach
📝PDF Training Plan Templates available
🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to
all Training Plans available in The Run Club App
Not sure talk our Training Plan Quiz to find the right training
plan for you!
https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/688249e4b0197d00157fba4c
Learn more about all of this at Running Explained

What if you didn’t start running until adulthood… and still went Pro?

In this episode of the Running Explained Podcast, we sit down with Nike Professional runner Gabi Rooker to unpack her unconventional journey from lifelong gymnast to elite marathoner. Gabi didn’t grow up running, didn’t follow the traditional path, and didn’t have it all figured out early on. Instead, she found running later, leaned into the process, and built her way to the top.

We talk about what it really takes to go from beginner to professional, how community (like Mill City Running) can shape your trajectory, and why being a “late bloomer” might actually be your biggest advantage.

Gabi also opens up about the realities behind the scenes of elite running, including balancing a career as a physician assistant, navigating injuries, undergoing IVF and surgery during a training cycle, and managing the pressure of competing at the highest level.

This conversation goes beyond training and performance. It’s about identity, resilience, and redefining what’s possible in your running journey.
If you’ve ever felt like you started too late, this episode will change how you see your potential.

This episode is sponsored by Wahoo and their hit KICKR RUN TREADMILL the link to learn more about this revolutionary rethink of treadmills from:
Dynamic Pacing (no controls just run)
Terrain simulation (even side to side)
Unmatch Connectivity (simulate routes from Strava and other third party apps).  
Go ahead and use code EXPLAINED and Run you Run!

(00:00) Introduction to Gabi Rooker
(01:36) Gabi's Athletic Journey: From Gymnastics to Running
(05:21) Finding Community in Running
(10:35) Impact of ICE on the Running Community
(19:52) Challenges in Competitive Running
(23:41) The Nike Dreamweaver Program and Its Impact
(30:42) Navigating Injury and Embracing Curiosity in Training
(35:48) The Journey of a Late Bloomer in Running
(37:56) Balancing Professional Life and Athletic Aspirations
(45:57) Facing Health Challenges and Future Family Planning
(50:02) Preparing for the Boston Marathon: Lessons Learned
(53:44) Rapid Fire Questions: Insights and Surprises

Gabi Rooker is a professional marathoner for Nike and a physician assistant. She holds a personal best of 2:24:29 set at the Chicago Marathon in 2024. Gabi is part of the Mill City Running race team. She is coached by her husband, Alex Rooker. They live in Minneapolis, MN with their two dogs, Naot and Felix. Gabi works at M Health Fairview at the University of Minnesota in the department of internal medicine.
Gabi Instagram
Nick IG
Amanda IG
Email - [email protected]

🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW
🚨Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU
✅ Personalized training
✅ Weekly support + adjustments
✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability
✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach
📝PDF Training Plan Templates available
🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to
all Training Plans available in The Run Club App
Learn more about all of this at RunningExplained.com

In this special Women’s History Month episode of the Running Explained Podcast, Coach Nick and Coach Amanda sit down with Ashley Mateo (RunHer Magazine) and Olivia Witherite (OnBase Collective) to explore the evolving landscape of women’s running and sports media.
They dive into storytelling in the sport, the rise of women-led platforms, and why representation, fair pay, and media coverage still need major progress. From building brands to navigating the influencer era, this conversation unpacks what’s working, what’s broken, and where women’s sports are headed next.

Are you part of a Run Club that has helped you feel included. One that is giving back to it's community and making it a better place. One that has helped you love running more? We want to feature some of the run clubs who are doing just that, making running a better place in their communities. So submit your run club here at this link Run Club Submission

(00:00) Introduction to Women in Sports
(03:33) Personal Journeys in Running
(06:14) The Shift from Participation to Influence
(09:19) The Importance of Print Media
(12:14) Building OnBase Collective
(15:07) Creating and Controlling the Narrative
(18:03) Financial Independence in Women's Sports
(20:50) The Role of Community Support
(23:47) The Popularity of Women's Running
(26:52) Camaraderie in Women's Running
(29:34) Frustrations in Running Media
(32:34) The Future of Women's Sports
(41:20) Media Literacy in Sports Content
(44:24) Gender Representation in Sports Media
(47:38) The Role of Influencers in Running Media
(50:19) Brand Responsibility in Sports Marketing
(51:04) Addressing Online Harassment in Sports
(54:29) Empowering Women in Sports Media

Olivia Witherite is an amateur runner and social media marketer in the running space based in Brooklyn. She took up running in her late 20s and hasn't looked back since. Currently, she runs with both the Brooks Running Collective and Dashing Whippets Running Team. She is the owner of On-Base Collective, a social media strategy and brand marketing agency, and currently is the head of content at ATHLOS, an innovative women's Track & Field league.
Olivia Instagram -

Ashley Mateo is the founder and editor of RUNHER Magazine. Her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Runner's World, and TIME. She is also a certified running coach based in Denver, CO.
Ashley Instagram

Nick's Instagram
Amanda's Instagram
Email - [email protected]
🚨 1:1 COACHING SPOTS OPEN NOW
🚨Ready to finally train with a plan that’s built around YOU
✅ Personalized training
✅ Weekly support + adjustments
✅ Strategy, structure, and accountability
✅ Expert coaching to help you actually hit your goals

Not ready for a 1:1 Coach
📝PDF Training Plan Templates available
🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access to
all Training Plans available in The Run Club App
Learn more about all of this at RunningExplained.com