The Running Explained Podcast

Running Explained
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Hosted by multi-certified run coaches and fitness professionals, Amanda Katz and Nick Klastava, The Running Explained Podcast is your go-to resource for actionable insights, expert tips and motivating advice to help you become the best runner you can be. We take a science-backed approach to running and fitness, offering practical strategies for athletes at all stages of their journey. Whether you're struggling with injury, wondering how to fuel your long runs or trying to nail your race day strategy, we've got you covered with expert interviews, listener questions and so much more.

  1. 7 hr ago

    Run Clubs Get a Bad Rap. Here's What's Actually True

    Run clubs get called dating apps with cadence, influencer marketing for the warm-up, and content farms in matching kits. Some of that is fair. Most of it misses what these groups actually do every week. Coach Nick sits down with two founders running clubs on the ground: Sydney Hara of Slow Girls Run Club in Vancouver, BC, and Will Walker of A Tribe Called Run in Baltimore, MD. They get honest about the criticisms and the parts nobody talks about. In this episode: Whether the "dating app" reputation is fair, and why intention is the whole gameBrand partnerships and content: building a community vs. farming your runners for a free commercialThe pace problem, and what "all paces welcome" actually requires (caboose crews, walking trails, wolfpack long runs)The runners who never would have started without a club to show up toWhat run clubs do for mental health that has nothing to do with fitnessGiving back: diaper drives, beach cleanups, back-to-school drives, and rallying around members in hard momentsStarting your own club: two things to do, one thing to never doThe question to ask any club before you joinFind the guests:Slow Girls Run Club (Vancouver, BC): @slowgirlsrunclub. Runs Wednesdays at 6 PM. Sydney Hara is the founder of Slow Girls Run Club, a women's running community in Vancouver built around one idea: movement should feel good, not intimidating.What started as her own search for a space without pressure or pace expectations has grown into an active community of women who show up every week to run, connect, and have a genuinely good time. Events sell out. Friendships form. People come back. A Tribe Called Run (Baltimore, MD): @atribecalledrun. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. More from Running Explained: runningexplained.com and @runningexplained on Instagram. Rate, review, and subscribe if this one hit.

  2. 2 Jul

    REDs Explained, Why Underfueling Doesn't Have a Look w/ Dr. Melissa Lodge

    You can run well on too little fuel for a long time. Right up until you can't. This week, Coach Amanda and Coach Nick sit down with Dr. Melissa Lodge (PhD in exercise science and sports nutrition, RD-in-progress, and the mind behind @fed_collaborative) to unpack REDs: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It's one of the most misunderstood, under-screened issues in endurance running, and it does not have a look. We get into why low energy availability sneaks up on runners (intentional and inadvertent), why weight is a terrible way to diagnose it, and the hidden biomarkers worth advocating for on your next blood panel (hi, T3). Melissa breaks down what's actually happening beneath the surface when you underfuel: bone loss, suppressed hormones, disrupted cholesterol, and a body quietly triaging which systems it can afford to keep running. We also cover: Why a "withdrawal bleed" on hormonal birth control isn't a period, and what you lose as a vital signThe adolescent window for bone development that you genuinely cannot get back (essential listening for parents and coaches)Within-day energy deficits, backloading calories, and why "I fueled my long run" isn't the finish lineHow to raise concerns with a teammate or friend without pointing fingersThe carbohydrate revolution in endurance sport, and the trap of nailing one thing while ignoring the other 22 hours of your dayThe throughline, in true Running Explained fashion: nail the basics first. Eat enough, eat often, and stop making fueling harder than it needs to be. Bio: Melissa Lodge, PhD, is an exercise physiologist and soon-to-be RD. Her research focuses on the physiological and psychological impacts of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), particularly in female athletes. As a former elite runner, Melissa is especially interested in REDs prevention to improve the health and performance of athletes across the lifespan. Melissa also runs the social media platform @fed_collaborative, where she translates complex research on exercise physiology, REDs, and sports nutrition.  Find Melissa on Instagram at @fed_collaborative. This episode touches on disordered eating and bone health. If any of it hits close to home, please reach out to a sports-medicine-informed physician or dietitian. Amanda IG Nick IG Email - Hello@runningexplained.com 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 to find the right training plan for you!

  3. 25 Jun

    More Salt Isn't the Answer: Summer Fueling and Hydration w/ Stevie Lyn Smith

    It's getting hot out there, and your fueling and hydration plan needs to keep up. Registered dietitian and board-certified sports nutritionist Stevie Lyn Smith (fresh off running 460-ish miles from Buffalo to Brooklyn, as one does) joins Coach Nick and Coach Amanda to break down what actually changes when the temperature climbs. We get into why more electrolytes isn't automatically better, the real reason carb-based sports drinks help you absorb water faster, and how to run a simple sweat test at home so you can stop guessing. Stevie walks through her own half Ironman fueling strategy (carbs, caffeine timing, and cooling tricks included), what to grab on course when your gut says no to one more gel, and how to think about caffeine dosing without ending up with heart palpitations on the treadmill. Then we go down a couple of rabbit holes you asked for: iron and ferritin (when to supplement versus when to dig into the why), and peptides (spoiler: the human research is thin, and we aren't rats). Evidence-based, occasionally unhinged, zero filler. Exactly how you like it. Find Stevie on Instagram, stevielynrd.com, and on her podcast Real Fuel with SLS. Grab her book Power Up: A Young Woman's Guide to Winning with Sports Nutrition wherever books are sold. Amanda IG Nick IG Email - Hello@runningexplained.com 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  to find the right training plan for you!

  4. 18 Jun

    Running Boston at the Back of the Pack: What Really Happens When the Crowds Leave w/ Avelyn

    What's it actually like to finish a marathon after the crowds have gone home, the aid stations are packed up, and you're getting moved to the sidewalk at mile 22? This week Coach Amanda and Coach Nick sit down with Avelyn, a proud back-of-the-pack runner who went from zero to three marathons in two years. She takes us inside the Walt Disney World Marathon and the famous balloon ladies, running New York as the crowds thin, and a brutally honest account of Boston: the unspoken bond she formed with two strangers on course, the ugly cry at mile 24, and why she chose gratitude over rage in a race that wasn't built for runners like her. We get into why run-walking is real running, why "faster" and "better" aren't the same thing, how to define success beyond a finish time, and why what's happening in your body is nobody else's business. If you've ever felt too slow for this sport, this one's for you. Avelyn is a Latina, born and raised New Yorker currently living in Atlanta, GA with her rescue pup, Georgia. She started running in February of 2024 with the goal of running her very first marathon. Since then Avelyn has completed three marathons and has built an online community by showing ordinary people that they can do extraordinary things. Amanda IG Nick IG Email - Hello@runningexplained.com 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!

  5. 11 Jun

    Trail & Ultra Running 101: Community, Mud, and Why Nobody Asks Your Finish Time

    Coach Amanda and Coach Nick are joined by Justin Andreas a trail and ultra running coach, active duty Air Force member, beekeeper, girl dad, and host of the Golden Hour Adventures podcast for a deep dive into the world of trail and ultra running. Justin shares his journey from competitive bodybuilder to 19-time ultra finisher (including six 100-milers), why he hated his first road marathon, and how the ultra community's culture of celebration especially for back-of-the-pack runners sets it apart. Plus: how he balances 100-mile training with fatherhood, what road runners get wrong about ultrarunners, and why your finish time genuinely doesn't matter out there. In this episode: How Justin went from a once-a-year PT test to falling in love with distance running in GuamWhy he hated his first marathon (and what that taught him about community)Making room for ultra running as a parent: 4 AM runs, stroller miles, and one 100-miler a yearWhat road runners get wrong about ultrarunners ("we're not just walkers eating PB&Js... mostly")How to choose your first 50K — and why "hilly" means something very different on trailsWhat road runners can steal from trail culture: efficient walking, gut training (~60g carbs/hour), and letting go of pace obsessionThe "golden hour": why ultra finish lines save the biggest celebrations for the final finishersJustin's best advice ever received, courtesy of his wife's mid-race text messagesJustin Andreas is a proud trail and ultra runner who has completed many races all over the country, including six 100 milers. His love for the outdoors and running started at a very young age, but once he discovered trail running in 2019, there was no looking back. “There is something special with being in nature, cruising on the trails, and crushing some vert”! After completing multiple races, he decided he wanted to help other adventurers crush their goals as well. Beyond his coaching and hobby life, Justin is an active duty Air Force Firefighter, husband of 18 years, dad, and certified nerd. He is stationed in Alaska and resides in the North Pole. Justin’s also a co-host of the popular The Golden Hour Adventure podcast. Find Justin: Instagram / TikTok / YouTube: @running_in_stache Podcast: Golden Hour Adventures — available on all platformsEnjoyed the episode? Leave us a rating and review (you know the minimum — five stars) on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and reach out anytime @runningexplained. Amanda IG Nick IG Email - Hello@runningexplained.com 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! Training Plans

  6. 4 Jun

    Who Are You Really Racing? Chip Times, Cheating, and the Integrity of Running

    Is the running world losing the plot? Amanda and Nick break down race time manipulation, the rise of unregulated supplements, and a certain influencer controversy that's got everyone talking. More than just drama this episode is about character, honesty, and what kind of sport we want running to be. Road to Race Day: Fall Marathon Program now open. Sign up before 7/31 to be a part of our group program that is built on flexibility. You choose the Marathon and you pick the start date and how long you want coaching support for and we will bring the team. You will get multi-week check-in's from your coach, strength training built into your running plan on Final Surge, monthly calls with the team and a WhatsApp community of people chasing their goals. Don't miss this group and sign up today Amanda IGNick IG Email - Hello@runningexplained.com 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

  7. 21 May

    The Off-Season Is Part of Training, How to Recover & Rebuild After a Big Race

    You crossed the finish line… now what? In this episode of the The Running Explained Podcast, Coach Amanda and Coach Nick break down what runners should do after a big race, whether your race went exactly as planned or completely fell apart. They talk about post-race recovery, the mental side of transitioning out of a training block, post-race blues, how to reflect on your season honestly, and why the off-season is one of the most important parts of becoming a stronger runner. You’ll learn: How long recovery should actually lastWhy jumping immediately into another training block can backfireHow to identify weaknesses from your last cycleWhat “base building” really meansWhy runners need seasons, not constant grindingHow to avoid burnout while still improvingThe difference between maintaining fitness and building long-term fitnessWhy your easy pace and workout paces don’t define your potentialThis episode is for runners training for marathons, half marathons, 10Ks, or anyone trying to build a healthier, more sustainable relationship with running and performance. If you’ve ever felt anxious taking time off after a race, struggled with post-race motivation, or wondered how to plan your next season, this conversation is for you. Amanda IGNick IG Email - Hello@runningexplained.com 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

  8. 14 May

    Motherhood, Ultras & Letting Go of Perfection with Francesca Barbetta

    Fresh off completing her first 50-mile ultramarathon on Mother’s Day weekend, running coach and mom of three Francesca Barbetta joins the podcast to talk about the realities of ultra marathon training, balancing motherhood and running, and learning how to let go of perfection in the process. In this episode, Francesca shares how she transitioned from chasing marathon goals into the ultra running world, why the ultra community completely changed her relationship with racing, and what training for 50 miles actually looked like while working full time, raising three kids, and coaching runners. We also dive into: Why marathon culture can sometimes steal the joy from runningManaging mom guilt while prioritizing trainingBurnout, recovery, and the pressure to constantly “do more”The importance of fueling, sleep, and realistic trainingWhy progress in running is never linearLearning to adapt training around real lifeThe emotional lessons Francesca learned during this training cycleHow running helped her reconnect with faith, peace, and perspectiveThis conversation is honest, relatable, and deeply human. Whether you're training for your first marathon, thinking about ultras, navigating parenthood, or simply trying to balance running with real life, this episode will remind you that you do not need perfect training to accomplish big goals. Francesca Barbetta is a certified run coach, marathoner and full-time working mom of three. Since 2012, she has completed 12 marathons — including one entirely on a treadmill — along with 21 half marathons and 3 ultramarathons.She shares her passion for running, training and balancing motherhood with endurance sports through her social media community where she provides approachable and valuable running tips drawn from her experience as both a longtime runner and coach. Francesca is happily married to her husband whom she met when she was a single mom to her oldest son.Follow Francesca:Francesca Instagram: Follow the show: Instagram Running Explained: Follow Amanda Follow Nick If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow, rate, and review the podcast to help more runners find us.

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About

Hosted by multi-certified run coaches and fitness professionals, Amanda Katz and Nick Klastava, The Running Explained Podcast is your go-to resource for actionable insights, expert tips and motivating advice to help you become the best runner you can be. We take a science-backed approach to running and fitness, offering practical strategies for athletes at all stages of their journey. Whether you're struggling with injury, wondering how to fuel your long runs or trying to nail your race day strategy, we've got you covered with expert interviews, listener questions and so much more.

Information

  • Creator
    Running Explained
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    228
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Running Explained
  • Show Website
    The Running Explained Podcast

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