Pro marathoner Sara Hall joins Coach Nick and Coach Amanda one week after the Chicago Marathon to talk marathon recovery, motherhood, and her memoir, For the Love of the Grind.After 21 years as a pro and 23 marathons, Sara's recovery plan is refreshingly unsexy: eat a lot, sleep a lot, and spend time with the people who showed up for you. She explains why how you fuel the whole build matters more than any post-race gadget, how she plans to bounce back at CIM in December, and what racing without ego looks like in her 40s.We also dig into life alongside American record holder Ryan Hall (who now meditates three hours a day, because of course he does), the magic mushrooms chapter, adopting four daughters from Ethiopia, and why becoming a mom made running feel lighter instead of over.Topics: marathon recovery, back-to-back marathons, masters running, running parents, the pro running industry, and the best piece of training advice Sara has ever received.Today's episode is sponsored by CEP and Running Explained listeners get 15% off their entire order when shopping CEP Running online through November 15! Shop CEP Running and enter code LRL-NYC-15 at checkout.Offer ends November 16, 2026, at 3:00AM EST. Limit one use per customer. Cannot be combined with other discounts.Timestamps0:00 Welcome to the Running Explained Podcast0:51 Who is Sara Hall? 21 years as a pro1:27 For the Love of the Grind and learning to love the process3:06 Why your dreams can look totally different than you planned4:07 Chicago Marathon recap: undercooked vs overcooked and the heat6:35 How an elite recovers after a marathon (hint: eat and sleep)9:39 Your recovery starts before the race: fueling the whole build10:43 Why sharing the journey is where the joy lives13:42 Writing the memoir: self-doubt and the 2024 Olympic Trials17:01 Life in Ryan Hall's shadow and the stages of ego in sport20:36 The magic mushrooms chapter and the faith pushback23:26 Ryan Hall goes all in (again): three hours of meditation a day25:02 How motherhood changed success, pressure, and running29:31 Adopting four daughters from Ethiopia31:58 Sending a daughter off to run at Rutgers33:24 Sara and Ryan: 21 years of alternating highs and lows36:56 The plan for CIM: bouncing back with a December marathon39:45 Running camps and the Hall Steps Foundation41:49 Rapid fire: best advice, biggest surprise, the pro running industry46:43 Where to follow SaraLinksSara Hall on Instagram: @sarahall3Running Explained on IG: @runningexplainedTraining plans and coaching: https://runningexplained.comThe Weekly Stride newsletter: https://www.runningexplained.com/theweeklystrideEnjoyed this one? Rate and review Running Explained and share it with your running friend (or someone you do not like, maybe they will like it).

Olympian Carrie Tollefson joins Coach Amanda and Coach Nick days after broadcasting the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Carrie made the 2004 Olympic team in the 1500m, won five NCAA titles at Villanova, and now runs her mouth more than her legs (her words) as a marathon broadcaster and host of the C Tolle Run podcast.In this episode, we cover:• What the Chicago Marathon looks like from the finish line broadcast position• Why Carrie ran three marathons just to commentate them better• The human stories behind Hawi Feysa, Clayton Young, and Vinny Mauri• How to handle negativity and why running needs a “positive thread”• What everyday runners can learn from pros (you deal with the same mile 21)• Running identity after competition, plus balancing career, kids, and 20-minute runs• Prize money, the running boom, and celebrity run clubs• Why success comes from finding your joy, not your finish time• The Secret Interview Questions (and a story her mom will not love)Come Join Amanda and I for the NYC Marathon Webinar and Live Q&A on 21 October from 6-730 EST. We will answer all your questions and walk you through EVERYTHING you need to know about the NYCM from the second you arrive to when you leave. Learn more and sign up hereToday's episode is sponsored by CEP and Running Explained listeners get 15% off their entire order when shopping CEP Running online through November 15! Shop CEP Running or enter code LRL-NYC-15 at checkout.Offer ends November 16, 2026, at 3:00AM EST. Limit one use per customer. Cannot be combined with other discounts.Key timestamps06:58 Chicago Marathon 2026 from the booth19:17 What everyday runners can learn from pros23:16 Running identity after competition33:28 What the running community gets right40:33 Redefining success42:01 Secret Interview QuestionsFind Carrie: • C Tolle Run podcast, the RunDot Podcast, ctollerun.com, Instagram @carrie_tollefsonTraining plans and coaching: https://runningexplained.comThe Weekly Stride newsletter: https://www.runningexplained.com/theweeklystrideEnjoyed this one? Rate and review Running Explained and share it with your running friend (or someone you do not like, maybe they will like it).

How long should you rest after a marathon? Coach Amanda (fresh off her fall marathon) and Coach Nick cover marathon recovery from taper week to your first run back.Pre-race recovery: why sleep across your whole training block matters more than the night before, packing a carb-load cooler for race travel, compression socks vs. calf sleeves on flights, protecting your social battery, and how long a shakeout run should be.Post-race recovery: why you should eat within an hour of finishing (even when you are not hungry), how to plan food at big-city marathons, how many days off to take (10 days to 2 weeks for Amanda, 7 days minimum for Nick), why workouts can take up to 8 weeks to feel normal, the recovery tools coaches actually use, and how to handle the post-marathon blues.Today's episode is sponsored by CEP and Running Explained listeners get 15% off their entire order when shopping CEP Running online through November 15! Shop CEP Running or enter code LRL-NYC-15 at checkout.Offer ends November 16, 2026, at 3:00AM EST. Limit one use per customer. Cannot be combined with other discounts.Timestamps0:00 Intro2:44 Pre-race recovery and taper7:14 Sleep before a marathon11:00 Compression socks vs. sleeves for travel16:13 Shakeout runs26:08 Post-race recovery starts at the finish line29:03 What to eat after a marathon38:50 How long to rest after a marathon45:59 Favorite recovery tools50:34 Post-marathon bluesTraining plans and coaching: https://runningexplained.comThe Weekly Stride newsletter: https://www.runningexplained.com/theweeklystrideEnjoyed this one? Rate and review Running Explained and share it with your running friend (or someone you do not like, maybe they will like it).

We did an old fashioned listener Q&A, and because you all sent in a stack of nutrition questions, we called in the big guns: sports dietitian Stevie Lyn Smith, RD, CSSD, back for round two.Coach Amanda and I cover the coaching side while Stevie brings the fueling science. We get into how many carbs per hour you actually need on long runs (and why the answer is a range, not a flex), how to juggle fast 5Ks, marathons, and heavy lifting by building training seasons, and how to keep burnout from wrecking your year. Amanda goes on a legendary rant about lottery FOMO. I explain resiliency data points and why belief beats hard work at your absolute peak.Then we help a first time Philly marathoner avoid the mile 20 wall, dig into the new ASH ferritin guidelines (and why ferritin alone does not tell the whole iron story), and answer the big one: can you safely cut weight before a marathon? Spoiler: Stevie said yes to cutting a bagel. That is it.Today's episode is sponsored by CEP and Running Explained listeners get 15% off their entire order when shopping CEP Running online through November 15! Shop CEP Running or enter code LRL-NYC-15 at checkout.Offer ends November 16, 2026, at 3:00AM EST. Limit one use per customer. Cannot be combined with other discounts.Listener questions answered:1. How many carbs should I take on long runs for my December half marathon?2. I love fast 5Ks, long distance, and lifting heavy. How do I prioritize?3. How do you keep from burning out?4. How can I help my brain catch up to my running and believe in myself more?5. I'm running my first full at Philly. How do I push without hitting the wall at mile 20?6. Why do runners need higher ferritin levels than non runners?7. Can I safely cut weight before a marathon for performance?Resources and links• Ferritin, Iron, and Anemia with Callie Roseland:• Back to Back Marathons with Coach Corky• Stevie on Instagram: @stevielynlyn | Website:stevielynrd.com• Running Explained coaching and training plans: runningexplained.com• Send us your questions: [email protected] out our new Kickstart Program Enjoyed this format? Rate and review the show and tell us. If you want more Q&A episodes, we will make it happen.

Coach Amanda and Coach Nick talk masters running with coach Kim Nedeau (Training Inclined) about how mileage, recovery, and strength work should change after 40, plus what the research really says about bone density, menopause, and weighted vests.Kim built her coaching practice, Training Inclined, and her women's community, Train Like a Master, after her own injury-prone running years. In this episode: deload weeks and recovery science, the strength work masters runners can't skip, telling normal age-related slowdown from an actual training gap, bone density and perimenopause, training through osteopenia and arthritis, whether weighted vests actually build bone, and navigating body image and weight gain through menopause.Today's episode is sponsored by CEP and Running Explained listeners get 15% off their entire order when shopping CEP Running online through November 15! Shop CEP Running or enter code LRL-NYC-15 at checkout.Offer ends November 16, 2026, at 3:00AM EST. Limit one use per customer. Cannot be combined with other discounts.Our GuestKim Nedeau is a running coach, educator, and the founder of Train Like a Master, a training and education community for women 40 and over who want to keep running, get stronger, and perform well as they age.Kim has spent more than a decade coaching runners and exploring the intersection of running, strength training, injury prevention, and healthy aging. Her work focuses on helping women understand how their training needs to evolve as they get older, which can mean setting new personal records or sometimes slowing down. Kim is also a masters runner herself, so she knows the highs and lows firsthand, sometimes finding herself running surprisingly fast for a master, and other days wondering how she got so slow.Through her coaching, writing, and educational work, Kim brings an evidence-informed but practical perspective to topics like muscle loss, bone health, menopause, injury, recovery, and performance in the masters years.Find Kim Nedeau:• kimnedeau.com / https://traininginclined.com/• Instagram: kimnedeau_traininginclinedReach out via email at [email protected] from Running Explained@runningexplained on IGwww.runningexplained.comRate and review the podcast wherever you listen. It helps more runners find the show.

A single ferritin test isn't the whole story. Coach Nick and Coach Amanda talk with sports dietitian Callie Roseland about the difference between low ferritin, iron deficiency, and anemia, why runners are especially prone to running low, and the ferritin number that actually supports performance versus the number that just clears a lab's "normal" range.We also cover when to (and definitely not to) get iron labs drawn, how hard training affects iron absorption through a hormone called hepcidin, and why more iron isn't always better. GuestCallie Roseland, MS, RD, LDN, CSSD, IFNCP, EP-C is a Sports Dietitian who specializes in helping endurance and mountain athletes fuel for performance, recovery, and long-term health. She has 9+ years of experience in high-level performance nutrition, including more than 7 years as a Tactical Performance Dietitian supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces within a multidisciplinary human performance team.Through her private practice, Fueling Upward, Callie works with adult athletes who lift, run, and climb mountains while balancing serious training with full-time work, family, and real life. Her background in exercise physiology, sports nutrition, and integrative and functional nutrition allows her to take a comprehensive approach to performance, with particular interests in endurance fueling, performance labwork, gut health, hormone health, injury recovery, and optimizing nutrition to support high-level training and performance.Fueling Upward offers 1v1 virtual nutrition coaching, group education, and on-demand resources to help athletes have more energy, ditch gut issues, and fuel the training it takes to cross finish lines and climb mountains.Email: [email protected]: @fueling.upward.rdWebsite: www.fuelingupward.comReach out via email at [email protected] from Running Explained@runningexplained on IGwww.runningexplained.comRate and review the podcast wherever you listen. It helps more runners find the show.

Strength training gets thrown around as a cure-all for runners: fix your injury, run faster, never break down. Coach Nick and Coach Amanda sit down with Natalie LaMendola, DPT, a running-specific physical therapist and Running Explained coach, to separate what strength training actually does for runners from what the internet claims it does.We cover the exact framework Natalie uses with runners (squat, hinge, push, pull, carry), how to know if your program is even working, the real reasons runners skip strength work, and what changes once you hit master's age. We also get into why strength training is not a quick fix for an injury, no matter what your Instagram feed says.In this episode• What actually counts as strength training (and what doesn't)• Why strength training improves running economy and tissue durability• The squat, hinge, push, pull, carry framework for building a session• How many heavy compound lifts, single leg exercises, and plyometrics you actually need• The weekly benchmarks that tell you your program is working• The real barriers keeping runners out of the weight room, and how to work around them• Strength training for master's runners: consistency, calf work, and tendon health• Do men and women need different strength programs? (Mostly no, with one hormonal exception)• Why strength training won't fix an active injury, and what it actually does insteadAbout our guest Natalie is a running-specific Doctor of Physical Therapy and certified run coach based in Kansas City. When she's not working with runners in the clinic, you can find her chasing her own goals on the run alongside her husband, twin toddlers, and hound dog. Her passion lies in helping runners of all abilities achieve their goals and get back to the miles they love.Find Natalie: lamendolapt.com or on Instagram @runwithnat_dptMore from Running Explainedrunningexplained.comRate and review the podcast wherever you listen. It helps more runners find the show.

The 60g-an-hour carb ceiling isn't real, it was just the limit of one transporter. Sports dietitians Emma Harvie and Jaclyn Sklaver, CNS, LDN, join Coach Nick and Coach Amanda to explain the glucose plus fructose fueling strategy pushing runners past 90 to 120 grams of carbs an hour, why underfueling wrecks your hormones (yours included, men), and how to build a fueling plan months before race day instead of the week of.Topics covered• The real science behind the 90 to 120g/hour carb range• Glucose vs. fructose absorption pathways, explained simply• Gut training for race day fueling• Low energy availability and the "low T diet"• Hormones, iron, and fat intake in endurance athletes• Refueling after long runs even without an appetiteGuests: Jaclyn Sklaver, CNS, LDN (Athletes Nutrition / Athleats) and Emma Harvie (board certified nutrition specialist). Jaclyn Sklaver, MS, CNS, LDN, is a board-certified integrative sports nutritionist and founder of Athleats Nutrition, where she works with active gym-goers, competitive athletes, and everyday clients seeking sustainable performance and body composition results. Drawing on a functional medicine approach, Jaclyn goes beyond calories and macros to address the root causes behind plateaus, fatigue, and stalled progress, from gut health and hormone balance to inflammation and recovery. Her personalized nutrition programming has supported some of the world's top athletes, including professionals in the NBA and NFL, alongside a wide range of committed gym-goers looking to train harder, recover faster, and feel better in their bodies. With over a decade of clinical experience, Jaclyn pioneered the private-practice model in sports dietetics and continues to bridge performance nutrition with whole-body, functional care.Emma Harvie, MS, CNS, LN, is a Licensed Nutritionist and Board Certified Nutrition Specialist specializing in functional medicine and sports performance nutrition. She brings a lifelong history of athletics to her clinical work, including as a former professional bodybuilder and current avid CrossFit athlete. Born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, Emma has run Grandma's Half Marathon every year since she was 15 years old, now an 18 time finisher and one of her favorite hometown traditions. Drawing on her firsthand understanding of what the body demands under training and competition, she works with clients using a practical, realistic, and root cause approach, building highly personalized nutrition strategies that recognize the unique needs and lifestyle of each individual patient. Emma has had the privilege of working with NBA players, celebrities, and elite, collegiate, and Olympic athletes to reach their health and performance goals. She loves helping clients overcome barriers to health to achieve meaningful, sustainable, and lifelong improvements in well-being.Hosted by Coach Nick and Coach Amanda for Running Explained.CONNECT WITH RUNNING EXPLAINED● Website: runningexplained.com● Instagram: @running.explained @amanda.katzz

Runners are great at ignoring pain. That is exactly the problem. In this episode, physical therapist Dr. Lisbeth Hoyt joins Coach Nick and Coach Amanda to break down bone health, the injury continuum, and how to actually catch a bone stress injury before it becomes a 12-week stress fracture.We get into why women are not small men, how hormonal shifts across your life (adolescence, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause) change your risk, and why the least exciting habits (strength, fuel, sleep) are the ones that keep you running. If you have ever pushed through a nagging shin or told your doctor you "jog occasionally," this one is for you.IN THIS EPISODE● Why bone is a living, dynamic tissue, and how running builds it stronger● The number one warning sign that shows up BEFORE the aches and pains● How to tell a normal bad run from an early bone stress injury● Why running-specific PT matters, and how to advocate for yourself● The life stages when women need to train and fuel differently● The three "boring" basics that prevent most injuries: strength, nutrition, sleepTIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome and introductions00:26 Meet Dr. Lisbeth Hoyt, PT (and the fitness enthusiast title)04:18 Today's topic: starting with bone health05:09 Bone as living tissue: how it breaks down and rebuilds07:00 Why male-centric research fails female runners07:56 Nutrition habits that build bone early in life11:52 The injury continuum: early warning signs runners dismiss15:07 Why runners swing between panic and pushing through17:51 Running-specific PT vs. generic PT, and advocating for yourself21:56 Why we keep you running instead of shutting you down25:07 The comprehensive intake: sleep, stress, nutrition, life load30:32 The biggest red flags: sleep and nutrition32:34 Life stages that demand more intention around bone health37:00 Perimenopause, misdiagnosis, and the research gap39:48 Training through pregnancy and the postpartum rush back42:00 Why postpartum needs strength, pelvic floor PT, and honest expectations45:10 The three things to start today: strength, nutrition, sleep49:27 Rapid-fire questions with Dr. Hoyt52:30 Where to find Dr. Hoyt and work with herCONNECT WITH DR. LISBETH HOYTLisbeth is a running specialized physical therapist at Custom Performance, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, RRCA-certified running coach, and certified mat Pilates instructor. She's been working exclusively in the running world at Custom Performance for the past 10 years. Lisbeth has been a lifelong athlete who found her way to distance running following the end of organized team sports (aka college graduation).As a physical therapist Lisbeth believes running should be fun and part of a balanced, active lifestyle, and meets each client where they are in their running journey. Her goal is to help runners build the strength, movement skills, and confidence they need to keep doing what they love.Lisbeth is a 4 time marathoner, many times half marathoner and a mom of 2 toddlers which requires more energy than any race she's run before.● Custom Performance, Midtown Manhattan (41st and Madison)● Email: [email protected] | Front desk: [email protected]● Free phone consults available● Instagram: @lisbethh.jenningsCONNECT WITH RUNNING EXPLAINED● Website: runningexplained.com● Instagram: @runningexplained @amanda.katzzRate and review the podcast wherever you listen or watch

Running one marathon used to be the whole goal. Now it’s normal to stack two or three in a single fall, chase every world major, and call the easy one “party pace.” This week Coach Nick and Coach Amanda sit down with New York marathon coach Corky (@CoachCorkyRuns) to ask how many marathons is actually too many. We get into what the research says about performance and mental health, why party pacing rarely works the way runners think, the REDs and rhabdo reality behind the highlight reel, and what real recovery looks like. It’s a love letter to the marathon and to your long-term relationship with it.WHAT WE COVERHow marathon culture changed, and why stacking races got normalHow many marathons a year is actually too manyThe “Berlin goal, NYC party pace” trap and who it really works forWhat party pace actually costs your bodyREDs, rhabdo, and the toll behind the highlight reelWhat real marathon recovery looks like, day by dayFueling your race to protect your recoveryThe questions to ask if you’re chasing likes instead of the goalBuilding a running life that lasts decades, not seasonsTIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome and meet Coach Corky01:11 Who is Coach Corky04:45 How marathon culture changed over the last decade06:34 Why the marathon became “the event”08:32 Social media, algorithms, and FOMO10:15 What the research says: 2 to 3 marathons a year11:01 The “Berlin goal, NYC party pace” trap15:04 Intention vs impact16:46 Love of running vs external validation18:44 Why pros can stack races and most runners can’t21:04 What “party pace” really means (and fueling for it)23:03 The influencer highlight reel: REDs, rhabdo, and what you don’t see25:26 The hidden mental toll of chasing marathons28:17 Mental recovery and the marathon hamster wheel31:45 What good marathon recovery actually looks like34:30 Reintroducing running and the reverse taper35:04 Muscle memory, a 31-mile run, and fueling for recovery37:33 Training your gut and fueling for longevity38:45 Staying flexible: adjust your calendar, respect the big picture40:30 Questions to check your real motivation43:30 Why DNS and DNF should always be options44:03 Racing for yourself vs racing for the feed46:31 Building a lifelong relationship with running48:25 Super secret guest interview questions51:03 Where to find Coach Corky51:54 Wrap-upCorky has been coaching and supporting runners since 2014, when she launched Coach Corky Runs. Her favorite distance to coach and race is the marathon, though she has extensive experience on the roads from the 5K through Ultra distances. While Corky coaches clients virtually anywhere in the USA, in person she's made a name for herself in the treadmill group fitness world. She was a full time coach at Mile High Run Club from 2015-2019, and joined Precision Run at Equinox in 2019, and is still currently coaching in person in NYC. She's also one of the Precision Run coaches on the Equinox+ app, guiding members through treadmill and outdoor programs. Corky is still competing, and while she loves to race, her favorite part of being a runner is truly the training. coachcorkyruns.com, @CoachCorkyRuns on Instagram and Threads, and teaching at Equinox NYC.Amanda IGNick IGEmail - [email protected] 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 goalsNot ready for a 1:1 Coach📝PDF Training Plan Templates available🤝Group Coaching, Strength Training and Unlimited access toall Training Plans available in The Run Club App to find the right training plan for you!