The Running Explained Podcast

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!

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!

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 Guam
Why 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 year
What 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 trails
What road runners can steal from trail culture: efficient walking, gut training (~60g carbs/hour), and letting go of pace obsession
The "golden hour": why ultra finish lines save the biggest celebrations for the final finishers
Justin's best advice ever received, courtesy of his wife's mid-race text messages
Justin 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 platforms
Enjoyed 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

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

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 last
Why jumping immediately into another training block can backfire
How to identify weaknesses from your last cycle
What “base building” really means
Why runners need seasons, not constant grinding
How to avoid burnout while still improving
The difference between maintaining fitness and building long-term fitness
Why your easy pace and workout paces don’t define your potential
This 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